Mountain Grease

Today was Harry Potter's birthday, Marina decided to wear her Hufflepuff outfit. She watched a YouTube video to learn how to tie the tie.

We’ve been doing a lot of driving around the state for the past few days. Today we had one more road trip. We had tickets to see Grease at a mountain theater, two hours southwest of home. We had to leave fairly early for the long drive. This trip took us into the mountains farther south than we’d been before. We passed a few places Marina had been before. The scenery was pretty, but it was much like what we had seen before.

We arrived about 45 minutes before the show started. We ate lunch fore we went to the theater. It looked old on the outside but was modern on the inside. We picked up our tickets which were next to a popcorn stand. Of course, Marina wanted popcorn. So we bought some and went to find our seats. Members of the cast in costume were the ushers. Since it was so early we talked with them for a bit and took a photo with them.

The show was fun and well performed. We had seen Grease before, but this was a different script than what we had seen. After it was over, we took a few more photos with the cast members. Marina also discussed her Hufflepuff outfit with them. Several of the actors said they belong to the same house.

Marina had seen a sign for an ice cream shop on the way into town. So we decided to stop there for a treat before we drove home. They didn’t have a place for us to sit and eat the ice cream, so we went to the car and finished them there. Then we were ready for the long trip home.

Butterfly Opera

Part of our annual summer traditions is a trip to Central City to see the Family matinee of one of their shows. This year’s opera was Madame Butterfly. Since we recently introduced one of Marina's friends to opera, we invited her join us.

We got an early start for the drive into the mountains. We arrived a bit early for the Opera Adventures part of the day. The Associate Director of Education, recognized us when we checked in. After a brief meeting in the stables, the group split in two. Our group went to the Teller House for an origami activity. Emily lead the class in making a butterfly. The girls each made two. Since origami is something Marina does all the time at home, she loved this part.

 After the origami activity, we went to the garden for the next activity. The leader talked about Painted Lady butterflies. After her introduction, she handed everyone a folded paper that contained a butterfly. The group counted down and then released their butterflies. They didn’t fly away right away, so both girls enjoyed watching the butterflies. Marina’s stayed on the paper for quite a while before it flew away.

While I went to get lunch, both girls found butterflies in garden, some on the ground, and even had some land on them. We ate lunch on the opera house patio and then gathered for the next activity. Inside the Williams Stables, we met the cultural director of Madame Butterfly. She taught everyone about Japanese culture. They learned about proper greetings and sang a folk song. We saw a demonstration on how to properly wear a kimono. Marina was thrilled to get to try one on. Last, the group learned several fan dance moves.

After the cultural lessons. We lined the street to watch the famous Usher Song. Then we went into the opera house to find our seats. Madame Butterfly is a long opera but we all enjoyed it. The girls particularly liked the little girl in the cast. The ending was tragic and we discussed the importance of honor in Japanese culture in relation to the ending.

The weather had become rainy so the meet and greet session was held inside. We spoke with several of the performers and took photos with them before heading back to the car.

Leonardo da Vinci

This afternoon we decided to venture out to the natural history museum. They currently have two temporary exhibitions that we have not seen yet. We were fortunate to find a parking spot quickly. We bought tickets for the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. Marina was concerned that it would be boring. We had a few minutes before we could go in, so we wandered around the third floor dioramas until it was time.

When it was time for us to go into the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit we found many models built from of his famous drawings. Marina liked the ones that she was able to try out. Among recreations of da Vinci’s paintings was a drawing station. She was happy to try it out. She was so focused she didn’t notice two costumed actors drawing around her. As it turned out, she didn’t like the da Vinci method.

We went to watch a multi media presentation which turned out to be very long. Marina was bored by it so she left to look at other things. She wasn’t particularly interested in the close study of the Mona Lisa at the end either, but she was fairly patient as I went through it all.

Once we finished the da Vinci exhibit, we went to the Five Senses in the hall next door. Marina had seen this one before and she was excited to see it again. Through this exhibit we saw how the senses work for humans and other creatures. Marina particularly liked the room that confused the sense of balance. At the end of the Five Senses was a demonstration with red jellybeans about taste.  Marina was quite happy to try that as well.

After seeing the temporary exhibits, we decided to go home.

A Day in Breckenridge

Marina and I spent the day exploring Breckenridge. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains and we made good time. We started by checking out a few of the sights.

First we rode the gondola. It took us to the top of Peak 8, which was about 10,000 miles above sea level. It was a spectacular view on the way up. At the top, we saw a small activity park with a zip line, alpine slide and even a roller coaster. Marina’s favorite part was all the dogs that were there. She pet as many as she could. The trip down on the gondola was just as pretty. Marina was a bit nervous about that trip. Despite that, she tried standing up for part of the descent.

After riding the gondola, we boarded the trolley. The trolley ran along Main Street and to the ice arena. Not far from the arena is the famous Breckenridge Troll – a sculpture made out of wood. We followed the signs and giant footprints to find it. We took photos with the troll and Marina fell in love with a husky puppy. She played with him for quite a while.

We ate dinner on Main Street. Marina tried a watermelon salad which she really liked. After we ate we walked around a bit and found some nice art installations and the Blue River. After looking around we walked over to the theater to see Into the Woods.

The theater was a bit out of the way, but we found it. It was a nice space. I ordered drinks for both of us and then we found our seats. Before the show started we chatted with the people around us, most of whom were tourists from outside Colorado.

The show was fun, Marina clearly enjoyed it. When it was over, we waited to speak with the actress who was playing Cinderella. We talked to her for a bit before we left for the long drive home.

We caught the trolley to take us to where the car was parked. The trip home took less time, but most of it was in total darkness. We arrived home a little before midnight and we went right to bed after a very busy day.

Birthday Renaissance

Going to the Renaissance Festival is something we do every summer. We invited Marina's best friend to join us. And to top it off, today was her birthday!

The girls both dressed up for the festival. Marina wore her Anastasia dress. We left the house early but unfortunately we ran into a huge traffic jam. We ended up arriving in Larkspur an hour after the festival began.

We went immediately to the jousting field to catch the first joust. We saw Sir William was not jousting again this year. So we cheered for Sir Duncan. After the joust was over we approached Sir William on his horse and talked with him for a few minutes.

Once we left the jousting area, we browsed the shops. The girls were both most interested in the jewelry stores. Along the way, we met up with many well dressed people who we stopped to take photos with. Marina was particularly excited to see a young man dressed as Link. Marina's friend wanted to take an elephant ride. So we made our way to that part of the festival. The line wasn’t too long and they got to take their ride.

We went to the Pavilion to see some actors we know. Marina was pleased that Princess Erin was there as well. As we were getting ready to go to lunch, a loud clap of thunder shocked us. It was followed by heavy rain. We took shelter in the Pavilion for nearly an hour until it passed. When the weather cleared we picked up turkey legs for lunch and settled on the jousting field to eat them and watch the afternoon joust.

After the joust, we met Opal, the new fairy. Then we went to see the Vodca Family, a belly dancing act.We found seats close to the stage and before the show started, we saw a dancer we know. She spoke with us briefly before and after the show. The show was funny and the dancing was quite impressive.
 
As soon as the show was done, we went straight to the chapel for the knighting ceremony. We had missed the first part, but Queen Anne was still there. She greeted Marina with a warm hug before she and the King knighted the girls. The royal court even sang a short birthday song for her friend.

Next on the agenda was the Princess Tea party. On the way, we managed to find the unicorn and take photos. We went to the jousting field for the Princess Party. We were thrilled that Queen Anne was able to join us. Marina was introduced as their special friend. The skit the cast performed this year was particularly funny.

After the tea party, it was time for the final joust. We picked up snacks at Friar Tuck’s Bakery before we found our seats. The joust was fun and our Knight, Sir Duncan, won. As we headed out, the girls wanted to go on the pirate ship ride. From there we went to the main gate. There, we got a chance to talk with Sir William for a while. The other jousters joined him, so we took photos with them as well.
As we left the festival, a huge rainbow appeared in the sky. It seemed to be our guide back to reality.

The King Has Returned

This evening we invited one of Marina's friends to join us seeing The Lion King. We ordered dinner and settled into watch the movie. It was much like the original animated version, but the animals looked more realistic. Of course, the girls loved them!

We all enjoyed the movie. After it was over, we headed home. The girls went into Marina’s room and put themselves to bed.

Cinderella and Her Barely Godmother

Every summer we enjoy the theatre hikes. The July hike is Cinderella and her Barely Godmother. This season one performance was offered at a historic par. Since it’s much closer to home, I decided we’d see what it was like.

Just as we arrived it started to rain. We checked in and were greeted by some of the staff we know. One was the hike leader and the other was taking photos (although she also wrote and directed the play). It’s always fun to see them.

The start time of the show was delayed about ten minutes while it rained. By then it lightened up and the show started. By the second scene, the rain had stopped and it turned out to be a nice evening.

The show was fun. It was silly and surprising. Marina loved the scene in Godmother School where the actors were dressed like wizards from Harry Potter.

After the show we took photos with the cast and talked with them for a while. By then Marina was completely exhausted and ready to go home after a very long day.

Rocky Mountain High

Despite a full day and a late evening, we had to get up early this morning. We had another day of driving planned. We had to pick up a friend in Estes Park. We left the hotel early and had breakfast near Carbondale. On the way to Estes Park, we drove through Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Vail, Central City, Blackhawk and Nederland.

When we arrived in Estes Park, we went directly to the campground to pick up our friend. Then we decided to go to lunch. We found a nearby restaurant and went inside. The food was good! After we ate, we drove to Rocky Mountain National Park. We hoped to see some elk. While we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery, we didn’t see a single animal.

We were so happy to arrive at our house this evening. We had done a lot of driving!

Aspen Adventure

Marina and I have seen theatrical performances all around the state. Today, we embarked on our longest trip to date – two shows in Aspen. We ran into traffic issues and arrived just as the first show was beginning. Shortly after we took our seats, Little Shop of Horrors began.

Marina and I had seen the show just two months ago, so we were familiar with it. The production was similar in many ways. The cast was excellent and we all really enjoyed the show. At intermission we all had a chance to fully catch our breath. At that point we were able to appreciate how pretty the area was and we had a great view of Aspen Mountain as well.

After Little Shop of Horrors ended, we were all hungry, the woman at the box office pointed us to an Italian restaurant within walking distance of the theatre. So we went there for dinner. When we arrived, we ran into friends of mine and their teenage daughters. We found a table where we could all eat together. Marina got along with the other teens right away.

After dinner, Marina went into the park with her new friends. All of us met up again at the theatre. Marina and her new friends spent quite a while checking out the  a pretty garden and pond. We had to call them back to go see the next show.

Our second show of the day was Guys and Dolls. It’s a classic I’ve wanted to take Marina to for years, but no one has performed it recently. Instead of sitting with me, she sat in an empty seat near one of her new friends. I could hear her laughing at the jokes. After the show she told me she really liked it.

We said goodnight to our new friends and got in the car for a drive to the neighboring town of Snowmass, where we had reserved a room for the night. It took us about 20 minutes to get there. Along the way we saw a deer and a fox. Once we were in our room, we all got ready to go to bed. It had been a very long day!

Woodlands and Wyverns

I heard about recently about a show called Woodlands and Wyverns. It was labelled a Dungeons and Dragons play. Marina was very interested in seeing it. They had two levels of tickets – I bought Marina the VIP ticket so she could participate.
We went to the show with some of our friends.

The performance was at a comic book store. Marina loved looking at everything. When we checked in, we each rolled the dice – the highest rollers would get a chance to participate. As a VIP, Marina got to roll twice. We found a table to sit at that had fans, dice and cards on it. Marina worked on creating her own character. While she did that, I talked with a group of people I knew at another table.

Just before the show started, we found out Marina got to play a part and I was chose to roll dice in a scene. Marina was very excited. The show itself was fun and entertaining. It revolved around a group of people gathered for a role playing game. Marina’s part came in the second act. She was a suit of armor. The narrator spoke and she acted like it was her. Her movements matched up with the voice very well!

After the show ended, Marina got to take a photo with the cast. They even let her hold the baby dragon. She had fun and is already looking forward to their next show.

Romeo and Juliet

Marina read Romeo and Juliet in school earlier this year. This year, the Shakespeare Festival had it on their schedule and I was very excited to take Marina to see the play so soon after studying it. We invited her friend to join us.

The performance started earlier than we were used to. Traffic was terrible, but we’d given ourselves enough time so we arrived half an hour before the show began. Both girls were excited to see the show. It was the first time either one had seen a play after reading it, so they already knew the fates of all the characters – including Tybalt, who was being played by a friend of ours.

When the show started, they girls seemed to follow the action easily. Every once in a while they’d whisper to each other about what was going on. Near the end of Act One it started to rain. Since it was a hot night it did help cool things down. Fortunately it was never a heavy rain. During the wedding scene a rainbow appeared across the sky.

The weather cleared up in the second act, although it was a bit windy. The girls both enjoyed the show. When the show ended we gathered on one side of the theater for a talkback which included our friend. Before it started he talked with us for a few minute. Marina gave him the flowers we brought for him.

The talkback was interesting. Marina asked two questions. Then afterwards we talked a bit more with our friend and got a photo. We were able to take a picture with the actor who played Romeo as well. Then we headed for the car. The drive home went quickly which was good because we were all tired.

Seeing the Sistine Chapel

I heard about an exhibition featuring life size copies of paintings from the Sistine Chapel. I was interested in seeing it, so I bought tickets. The exhibit was at a nearby marketplace. It was in interesting place, with many restaurants and a few shops. By this point, Marina was acting a bit grumpy, so I decided we’d have an early dinner before going to the exhibit.

Once we finished our dinner, we headed for the exhibit. There weren’t many people there either. The replicas were lined along the walls with a few on the ceiling. Each piece had a description of the person portrayed and an image of where it appears on the actual ceiling. Marina thought it was interesting, but clearly it wasn’t exciting for her.

Superhero Sunday

For the past two summers, we have gone with to the Fondue Fairytales. For something a bit different, Marina and I decided to try the Superhero Sunday even this afternoon. Marina wore her new Wonder Woman costume and I put on my Batgirl costume (although it was too hot to wear the cape).

We arrived a bit early, so the heroes weren’t there yet. We were the first to be seated. Shortly after sitting down, Spiderman showed up. We took some photos with him. Wonder Woman appeared a little bit later. She loved Marina’s costume.  There were only two other tables of people for the event, so we had plenty of time to hang out with Spiderman and Wonder Woman.

When our cheese fondue was ready we were ready to dig in. It was as good as we remembered it. It was followed by a salad and then the meat course. Marina tried the shrimp, ravioli, teriyaki steak and chicken. She seemed to like everything but she didn’t seem to eat much. She admitted she was saving room for dessert.

We ordered the dark chocolate fondue this time. We both loved it. Marina particularly liked the pound cake and chocolate chip cookies in the fondue. At the end of the meal we were both really full. Just as we were leaving, it started to rain pretty hard. We weren’t parked too far away, but we still got drenched. But it didn’t dampen our spirits. 

Fireworks, Family and Fun!

Last year, Marina and I went to the Red, White and You fireworks show the day before Independence Day. The show was great but the wait for the show was a bit dull. We found out later that Marina's aunt, uncle and cousins were also there. But there were so many people there we didn’t see them. When we decided to go this year, I arranged to meet them there. Marina was excited to go.

We didn’t leave as early as last year, so we ended up parking a bit further away than last year. And since the walk to the park was mostly uphill, it was tiring. We found a spot not far from the lake where we spread out our blanket and saved space for everyone. About an hour later, our family showed up. Marina immediately wanted to hang out with her cousins.

Marina had fun with the kids while we waited and we shared the snacks we brought. When it was time for the show, we realized we had a great spot. The fireworks looked to be right above us.The kids were especially excited by the show.

After it was over, we gathered our belongings and said goodbye to everyone. The walk back to the car was much easier. When we got to the car, we could see that there was a traffic jam trying to get out of the parking lot. So we decided to wait for it to clear up. It ended up being a longer wait than expected. After 20 minutes we got out of the car and started talking with the other people who were waiting. In total, we had to wait about 45 minutes. Once traffic started moving we were on our way home quickly.

Super Dinner

We’ve been going to character dinners for quite a few months. The staff and owner are now like our friends. Tonight was Super Hero Night. Our usual dining companions were not able to join us, but Marina still wanted to go.

For the last Super Hero Night we saw Spiderman and Wonder Woman. This time we decided to attend the earlier seating for Batman and Super Girl. Marina wanted to wear her new Wonder Woman costume.

We arrived a bit late but there weren’t many reservations for the early seating, so we were able to order quickly. Marina got lots of compliments on her costume. Shortly after we ordered, Batman and Super Girl came by. We knew both of the actors. They spent a bit of time with us and asked Marina to help them with super hero training later.

We both ordered wings for dinner. They arrived pretty quickly. We were both really hungry so we dug in immediately. After we finished eating, Marina joined everyone outside. Super Girl even referred to her as Wonder Woman. She loved that! She mostly just listened in to the events, but at the end she helped the kids get their hand stamps from Batman and Super Girl.