Colorado/New Mexico Vacation - 2015

Day 2 - Saturday, September 26

These are the kinds of days I really enjoy while on vacation. We slept in and didn't have to get up for anything. No schedule, no destination, just relaxing. You don't realize how busy, crazy and hectic your everyday life is until you can take a step back and wind down like we did this morning.

We gathered in the living room and chatted for over an hour catching up on friends, family, and generally solved the world's problems until we got hungry. Time for a late breakfast/lunch! After showering we headed to a neat bistro called Sassafras in Downtown Denver. It must be good as we had to wait about 45 minutes to get a table. We sat in the upstairs waiting area playing Scrabble until called. This place specializes in southern cooking, and found out the owner/chef was from Morgan City, Louisiana. We were served fresh made biscuits with homemade mixed berry jam to start with, and I ordered the fried catfish lunch. The fish was a bit greasy but good, and the cole slaw was delicious and had a nice kick to it. A little later I realized eating fried food as the first meal of the day isn't a good idea, especially since I rarely eat fried anything. My tummy was a bit upset but it soon passed and I was fine. This establishment is near the state Capitol and it made for interesting people watching. Lots of street people walking around mixed in with young hipsters and old hippies, and about everything in between.

After lunch we again headed back to Christopher and Rob's new house under construction to check the progress, and everything was on track. Afterwards we went back to the apartment and ended up napping a while, as one does while on vacation.

We got up and decided to go ride the new light rail line out to Golden, Colorado. It was a long trip, and honestly I got a little bored, but I thanked the guys for indulging me in getting my rail fix for the day. On the way out to Golden we stopped at the newly revamped Union Station in Downtown Denver, and it is spectacular! When I last saw it two years ago they were just starting the reconstruction of the area and all the tracks were gone and it was just a big hole and dirt everywhere in back off the depot. Also, if you went inside the station it was barren and mostly unused except for the Amtrak ticket counter. Not now! There are new canopies over new tracks, a new hotel and bar inside, gift shops, and even a live jazz band playing inside. The place was bustling with lots of people looking around, enjoying beverages at the bar while listening to music, shopping in the little boutiques lining the inside walls, and it was just a real hip hang out for everyone, and it was satisfying to see people coming here and taking advantage of this beautiful place. Well done, Denver!

We got back to the car after the long Golden trip and decided to get Vietnamese food for dinner, so we headed to an area called Centennial, Colorado and stopped at Pho95. The service was excellent, and so was the food. We had an appetizer of spring rolls, and I enjoyed a big bowl of Pho. Christopher and Rob had rice bowls which looked yummy. The restaurant is located in an open concept shopping area that seems to be the trend across the country. Lots of bars, restaurants, shops, and apartments, all in the same area. We walked into the Whole Foods Market to look around and soon discovered what I had heard for years...this place is expensive! If you don't mind paying $6 for a loaf of bread and $12 for mini-desserts, this is the place for you. It's definitely not MY kind of place, but it was nice to finally see the store.

Afterwards, we headed back to the apartment and watched some TV and talked a bit.

Not an overly exciting day, but like I said earlier, it's nice to just relax and do next to nothing. I head south to Canon City, Colorado tomorrow, which is only about two and a half hours from Denver, so I have no plans to leave early. I'll be riding the Royal Gorge train Monday morning and then heading into New Mexico for the remainder of my vacation. Details on those plans will be forthcoming.

See ya tomorrow!