Colorado Simplicity & Sunsets

One of my favorite things about Colorado was the simplicity of it all. I didn't bother to take my laptop with me and I rarely checked my iPhone, which meant I was practically disconnected from the world.

I spent my free time reading books and watching movies. I went to church, Bible study, and dinner group with Christina and her friends, which was a wonderful time spent with some fellow believers. (It was just so great that I can't even attempt to put it into words.)

I even managed to go for a 3 mile "run" (reality: walk/jog) one evening... something you'll never find me doing back home.

Notice the little white speck in the middle? 

That's the Air Force Academy's Cadet Chapel off in the distance.

As most of you who follow my Instagram know, I was obsessed with taking photos of the mountains, specifically Pike's Peak. As we drove around the city, I'd stare outside the window at the mountains in the distance. On my first full day in Colorado, Christina let me in on a secret: the elementary school playground behind her house has a great view of the Peak.

One Sunday evening while Christina was at work, I decided to go for a stroll around the playground. I left before the sun began setting, as I was getting a little chilly. (Christina called it "Kentucky cold.") Around that time, Christina's sister Kelsey had a friend over who was leaving the house; she called Kelsey to tell her that it would be a great sunset and that I wouldn't want to miss it.

A great sunset, indeed! Kelsey and I ran outside of the house to soak up every second of it. Despite my insistence that I would never leave the house without wearing makeup ever again, I insisted on posing for photos during this beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime sunset.

Columbine Memorial

As we left Denver to head to the Springs, I asked Christina if we could make a small detour by the Columbine Memorial; I had read "She Said Yes" the week prior to my trip and wanted to pay my respects. Unlike our fun adventure at Casa Bonita earlier in the day, visiting the memorial was a solemn and sobering experience as we each walked around, reflecting on the tragedy that took place over 14 years ago.

Columbines, the Colorado state flower.

As we walked through the memorial, I noticed a paved path that led to a lookout spot on top of a hill. During the walk up the hill, I noticed a building nearby... Columbine High School. The school where 13 people lost their lives, 24 were injured, and a nation was forever changed.

As Christina and I watched the sun set from the hill, I thought about the many people whose lives were affected by this horrific act. With the recent tragedies at Virginia Tech, Aurora, Colorado, and most recently, Newtown, Connecticut, I struggle with answering the question of, "How do we stop this from happening again?"

Honestly, I don't have an answer. I'm not sure if anyone has an answer. We can take measures to protect ourselves, but the final stand of Good against Evil has yet to come; in the end, though, Good will defeat Evil.

Casa Bonita

When Christina asked me if I was willing to eat at Casa Bonita while we were in Denver, I was intrigued to find out what this place was all about. Apparently, it's one of those kitschy places only the locals know about. It's actually been referenced on the television show South Park (which I don't watch), so it must be pretty interesting. Casa Bonita is more than a restaurant; it's an experience. I'm going to attempt to describe it to you, but the only way to truly understand is to experience Casa Bonita for yourselves.

As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted by unique tiled walls. That was the first clue that this place is out of this world. You go through a cafeteria-style line where you order your meal. To keep the service moving quickly, they make a bunch of dishes ahead of time. My meal was a special-order, so instead of grabbing a plate from the line, the server brought it out to my table. There were many options for tables: upper level, lower level, by the waterfall, inside the cave, and inside the mine, among others.

There were florescent lights everywhere, adding to the uniqueness of this place. The food was Taco Bell quality while the entertainment was a step above Chuck E. Cheese. Actually, the entertainment was on its own level. Every 15 minutes there was an act: cliff divers, fire jugglers, pirates, gorillas, a mariachis band, puppet shows, and piñatas.

They had caves, waterfalls, treasure chests, and mines. There's even a haunted cave hidden off in the back if you are lucky enough to find it!

Even the way the waiters served you was interesting. When you needed assistance, you just raised the flag on your table. If you've ever sat at a restaurant for 20 minutes waiting on service (like I did) then you know that this flag idea is brilliant. 

Casa Bonita was the epitome of "kitschiness" and a fun way to spend an evening! Our next stop, though, was a more sobering experience.