August 22-26, 2022
We had an amazing time in the Rocky Mountains (see the three posts before this one), and it was time to get back to Denver to connect with friends. We are both from Denver, but neither one of us had camped at Bear Creek Lake Park, right in town. We ended up really liking it there, though you could hear the drag racing at Bandimere Speedway. Honestly, it sounded really cool. It was a really nice park.
We were able to get together with friends a lot during this Denver stay, which was nice. Robin moved to Grand Junction (we'll see her in 2023 when we go through that area), and when we had dinner with Ren and Miriam it was fun to talk about the old times when we were all there. It's great to have such good friends! This was our last Denver trip for a year, so we made the most of it. We also made sure to visit all of our favorite restaurants.
Of course, Monica had a big day planned for Margot's birthday. She had four tickets to a Rockies game, and we would be enjoying the action in the sunshine and perfect weather with Allie and Emily. We were early to the game on purpose, and when we got into the stadium, we had a surprisingly good lunch of BBQ and people watching. The game was so fun, even though the Rockies lost.
After the game, we surprised Margot with some time at Urban Putt, a crazy, indoor minigolf experience. We played two rounds, and then Kathy surprised us with a visit. We hung out for a bit and had snacks for dinner.
Walking through Denver back to the car in the evening was perfect. It was one of those summer nights that are still warm, with a gentle breeze. It couldn't have been a better day!
We had other plans for her birthday, and we went for a bike ride around Bear Creek Lake. There is a wonderful trail that goes up to the top of the dam, and we never had to leave the cement. It was a loop, but the trail down the other side was single-track, mountain-bike trail and we weren't up for it. Instead, we cut down to the bottom of the dam on a small road next to the water. It was just about the perfect bike ride in the sun.
We walked around the shore where there was a dock. The lake had blue-green algae in it, so it wasn't safe to get into. We could see it on the shore.
We only had a week at the park, and we'd stay there again. It wasn't as fancy as the other parks we stay at in the Denver area (there are no full hookups, for example), but it was cheaper. It was right next to the main bike trail that goes along C-470, too. We'll be back!
