Spring Sprung a Getaway

In August, 2006, our family struck a milestone: Grace started school. As a little kindergartener, her little four-ish foot self hit the books and started the schedule that has changed the seasonal rhythms of our entire house. Like others who enter this life phase, we succumbed our life calendar to incorporate the break in Fall, break in Spring, and a full-fledged rest-up in Summer. Holiday to-do's and go-to's now pivot on when school's out and when it resumes.

None of this is actually that bad, if you ask us. In some ways, it holds you accountable to the necessary scheduling of family connection that you're otherwise tempted to blow off as life throws you curve after curve of booked weeks and chaotic evenings. Thus, as a result of the school shift, we started planning getaways for Fall Break (one week) that have now expanded to include Spring Break, too (2 weeks). We keep it simple, pledging to "get away" as we "stay": streamlined and frugal. We take the opportunities to explore our home state of gorgeous CO (because, seriously, let's not forget that people travel for miles around to set foot in our fair land). We've even incorporated The Blessing of Staycation for our time off (if you haven't already, you've really GOT to try that). But, this time, we decided to escape to a major metropolis that boasts it's home to the following quite cool features:

• In it's "rarefied air", a golf ball travels 10% farther. Huh.
• It has bluer sky than almost anywhere else in the nation because the water vapor there is so little, the sky actually IS bluer...it doesn't just look that way. Neat.
• It bears the moniker "Napa Valley of Beer", actually hosting the Great American Beer Festival. Music to my taste buds.
• Its airport is the largest in the nation, big enough to swallow O'Hare and Dallas Fort-Worth airports.
• Almost unbelievably, it sports 300 days of sunshine per anum - that's more than San Diego or Miami Beach. It also offers 25% less protection from the sun, so...ouch. Shellack it in the name of skin cancer.
• In an astronomical growth spurt, it's metro area grew by 30% in the 1990's: that's the equivalent of 1,000 new residents A WEEK, EVERY WEEK for 10 years. Wild!
• The state capitol bears an inscription of distinction on its 13th step poured precisely 5.280 feet above sea level. It reads (hail to the dummies), "One Mile Above Sea Level."

That last one's telltale.... but are you still

wondering where we went? 

Why, Denver, of course!

If you Google "Family Getaways in Denver, you'll get quite the variety of sources as a return. When Craig and I decided we'd do well to actually engage in this great city - being as how we only live an hour from it - I did this very search. I fast learned that my definition of getaway is not (apparently) Google's. By "getaway", I mean a few days here or there...not 6 days and 7 nights at an all-inclusive resort 3000 miles away. Duh. So the planning was a bit strenuous, especially if we were going to get a lot out of a little (and dontchaknow that's my life mantra?).

But we did it! 

And the next several posts will walk down a treasured (albeit quite recent) memory lane...and I'll pass on some reviews, costs, and travel tips...just in case you decide spring has sprung, too.

Which means a getaway may be in order!

We recommend Denver, by the way. 

Wink.