Drive to Denver, Denver, and Drive to Kansas City: Miles 7596-8351
8/2-8/6
In the morning in Vail, Dad and Jackson played golf and Mom and I blogged, and then walked around Vail. After picking them up, we drove to Denver. In Denver, we were staying with my dad’s friend from college, David Ekedahl, and his wife and kids, Katie Kapler, Eleanor (10), and Zoe (6). Mom went to a food and wine festival with Mrs. Kapler, while the rest of us hung out at the house and ordered pizza. We visited Denver and stayed at the Kapdahl’s two Christmas’ ago and it was very nice to see them and hang out more. We spent some time on their Nintendo Switch and played some cards. Late, after us kids had gone to bed, Patch Patton, another one of my dad’s friends, arrived from the airport. The next morning, after bagels (blueberry with cream cheese), we went on a run (Mr. Patton, Mr. Ekedahl, my dad, Eleanor, Jackson, Zoe and I, with Zoe in the stroller) around a nearby park. After showering, we started making chocolates from a Make Your Own Chocolate Kit, with prompting from Zoe. We decided to make different flavors instead of just regular chocolates: salted caramel, apple pie (Eleanor’s idea), peanut butter, jelly, peanut butter and jelly, pretzel, and regular. It was quite a process, but very fun. While the chocolates set, we walked to lunch at a nearby sports bar. Jackson and I split the biscuits and gravy, which were amazing, but very filling. Back at the house, we ate our chocolates, which tasted amazing. The apple pie ones were a brilliant idea, with a touch of caramel and apple pie filling. At the pool, we played some Marco Polo and basketball, kids vs. adults. We played some tennis, even though Jackson and I really never had before. Eleanor and I had a good time messing around and then we played doubles, me and my dad versus her and her’s. At the house, we had some delectable grilled chicken and turkey burgers with quinoa salad and more chocolate for dinner. We played Harry Potter: Labyrinth, our welcoming gift to the Kapdahl’s and more Mario Kart. In the morning, we got up and began preparing for Zoe’s sixth birthday party, with a narwhal/Wizard of Oz theme. I got to meet many of Zoe and Eleanor’s friends. There was a bouncy house, a glitter tattoo station, the ultimate sixth birthday. I’m really glad we could do something to help repay the Kapdahl’s for letting us stay with them and hang out with them for the time we were in Denver. I really hope Zoe enjoyed it. Lyla, one of Eleanor’s best friends, spent the night with us. After cleaning up from the party and eating leftovers for dinner, we began an Olympics, with four teams: me and Mom, Jackson and Dad, Eleanor and Lyla, and David and Zoe. In the footrace, Zoe won with a very, very short head start. Our next competition was Mario Kart, that Jackson won. Mom and I won Harry Potter: Labyrinth, mainly by luck, and the next competition was arm circles. Arm circles are actually very hard and painful to do for over two minutes. Mom and I won that as well, though there was some very tough competition from David and Eleanor. We played Codenames twice; once was Mom, Eleanor, Lyla, and I vs. David, Zoe, Dad, and Jackson and the second was Mom, David, and I (Zoe had gone to bed) vs. Dad, Jackson, Zoe, and Eleanor. Dad and Jackson’s team won the first time and Mom and I’s the second time. The next morning, all five of us kids and Mom and Dad walked to Devil’s Food, a nearby bakery. It smelled so good and was very hard to decide, but I got a lemon-strawberry muffin. Back at the house, Eleanor and I played Just Dance and Zoe and Lyla put together one of her presents, a fairy garden. After they had finished, the four of us did more Just Dance. Jackson and Dad went down the street to play more tennis. When they got back, we went to a market for lunch, just the four of us. It was really cool, some place we went last time we were in Denver. I got a hodgepodge of some things: baked beans, spaghetti, and we all split some ice cream. The Flight, where you can get five scoops of different ice creams, was delicious; we got cornbread strawberry jam, brown sugar cinnamon, cookies and cream, mint chocolate bark, and tin cup whiskey with pistachio brittle. We picked up Eleanor (Lyla had just left) and went to UberGrippen Indoor Climbing Crag. It felt so good to get to climb and do something adventurous after being in cars and buildings for so long. After climbing and bouldering for a few hours, we met Mr. Ekedahl and Zoey for pizza. I split a delicious calzone with Dad. At the house, we ate custom chocolates and played Settlers of Catan: me, Eleanor, and David. It was really nice staying with such a fun family for so long. Board games, video games, fun conversations, and awesome people. On our last morning in Denver, we hung out, packed, and said sad good-byes. I’m really hoping that it won’t be another two years before we see the Kapdahl’s; they’re such a fun family to hang out with. Zoe was so energetic and an adorable child; I can’t wait to see who she’ll see grow up to be. Eleanor was so fun to hang out with; she acted so mature that I kept forgetting that she was younger than Jackson. It seemed like she was my age and we’d been friends for forever. Mr. Ekedahl and Mrs. Kapler were such fun adults and very generous hosts. We picked up breakfast from Starbucks and drove a very long way to Kansas City. We got to our cousin’s, Leanne’s, house. We had dinner with Leanne, her husband, Chris, and her daughter, Reese. We swam in their pool a little bit, showered, and went to sleep.
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. ”