Denver, Colorado – 4/9/2015

Denver, Colorado – 4/9/2015
Kind of get the sense they are a feisty patriotic bunch.

April 9, 2015 (Thursday)

Michael is feeling a bit cursed these days. My computer worked fine but his could not connect to the internet in the room. For that reason we called down to the desk and they gave us a number to call. We called and were told the internet was out on our side of the building. We called down to the front desk again and told them what the internet people had told us and asked to be moved to a part of the building that had internet. Long story short, we moved all our junk out of one room and into another building and still no internet for Michael. Poor guy is now in the lobby working while I’m up in the room comfy and warm.

We had a very lazy morning. When we looked out the window it looked ugly, gray and foggy. Looked like it might clear up. After we moved all our things, we left and headed to a nearby Walmart to get some prescriptions filled for Michael. We chose the nearest Walmart listed in our GPS and headed that way. We were shocked when we walked in to discover they didn’t have a pharmacy. Back to the car, back to the GPS, and another eight or so miles to a Walmart Supercenter. Very beautiful and different Walmart than we have seen. We felt they must have some building requirements here because the Home Depot (across the street) was also a building building.

We dropped off Michael’s prescriptions and walked around the store looking for a few things, then we headed for McDonald’s (inside the store) to have a cup of coffee and a little something to eat. Michael had a small salad and I had a parfait. I was wanting to leave after awhile because a young and (I think) crazy person was sitting near us and really grossing me out by the way he was eating baby food out of the jar (no spoon) with his dirty fingers and then licking the jar. He went through at least three jars of baby food while we sat there, and would occasionally laugh to himself. Harmless but grossed me out. I tried to ignore him but he was always in my line of sight when I looked up.

We left Walmart and headed downtown to the Capitol building, a few miles away. Downtown Denver is quite lovely but the roads are horrible. It seems like there is construction and pot holes everywhere. We got to the Capitol area and just drove around for a little bit before we found a parking spot open. We put in enough money in the parking meter for a little over an hour as we figured that would be long enough. We walked across the street to the Capitol building and enjoyed the view and the statues and things to look at. The weather had cleared and it was a beautiful day.

Edies eye catches the steeples.
Edie’s eye catches the steeples.
Cowboy fountain.
Cowboy fountain.
I interpret this as mans inner struggle for balance.  Interesting art in Denver.
I interpret this as man’s inner struggle for balance. Interesting art in Denver.
Interesting lines at the courthouse.
Interesting lines at the courthouse.  We think the jail is on the right, looking like a brown fort.
City and county of Denver offices.  They spend money on government here.
City and county of Denver offices. They spend money on government here.
The gold is very thinly applied.  Hail storms knock it off.  They touched it up recently and it took 64 ounces of gold to restore.  They spend money here.
The gold is very thinly applied. Hail storms knock it off. They touched it up recently and it took 64 ounces of gold to restore. They spend money here.
Center left, another replica Liberty Bell.
Center left, another replica Liberty Bell.
I cannot look at an Obelisk but I think of the Hippodrome in Istanbul and the Egyptian one there.  City and County offices beyond.
I cannot look at an Obelisk without thinking of the Hippodrome in Istanbul and the Egyptian one there. City and county offices beyond.
Kind of get the sense they are a feisty patriotic bunch.
Kind of get the sense they are a feisty patriotic bunch.

 

The Denver Capitol building is beautiful inside and out. We were a little surprised that we had to go through a metal detector machine to get inside. A security guard told us there was a shooting a few years back.  He also said if we wanted we could Google it.

Once inside we saw pictures of all the President’s, stained glass, quilts, statues, marble, brass, copper, gold, granite – just lovely. A very nice docent (Andy) came by to see if we needed any assistance and we just got to talking and enjoyed him for awhile.  We swapped travel stories. We asked where we could go in the Capitol and were told everywhere. We walked up to try to go to the dome, but the dome required a tour and it wasn’t until later. We opted just to explore and enjoy and then left. We got back to the car with just a few minutes to spare on the parking meter.

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Brass, marble, paintings, facade columns and corinthian tops.
Brass, marble, paintings, facade columns and corinthian tops.

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Quilt.
Quilt.
From the bottom.
From the bottom.
This was so touching to me, especially as we head back to California and the drought.
This was so touching to me, especially as we head back to California and the drought.

The poem reads:

Here is a land where life is written in water

The West is where the water was and is

Father and son of old mother and daughter

Following rivers up immensities

Of range and desert thirsting the sun down ever

Crossing a hill to climb a hill still drier

Naming tonight a city by some river

A different name from last night’s camping fire

Look to the green within the mountain cup

Look to the prairie parched for water lack

Look to the sun that pulls the oceans up

Look to the cloud that gives the oceans back

Look to your heart and may your wisdom grow

To power of lightning and to peace of snow

Thomas Hornsby Ferril

 

Very grand. From the middle.
Very grand. From the middle.
Dome near the top, makes me think about the Pantheon.
Dome near the top, makes me think about the Pantheon.
Meeting chambers.
Meeting chambers.
The brass is overwhelming and beautiful.
The brass is overwhelming and beautiful.
Some excellent carpenters, tough angles to work.
Some excellent carpenters, tough angles to work.
Who polishes all this brass?
Who polishes all this brass?
When do they polish all this brass?
When do they polish all this brass?
I liked all the portraits of all the presidents.
I liked all the portraits of all the Presidents.
Colorado heroes in stained glass near the top of the dome.  Kit Carson in the center.
Colorado heroes in stained glass near the top of the dome. Kit Carson in the center.

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Been to his house, odd fellow.
Been to his house, odd fellow.

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Went to his house.  I think the major framer of our constitution.
Went to his house. I think the major framer of our constitution.

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I am thinking about training my hair to look like his.
I am thinking about training my hair to look like his.
Stained glass in the Senate offices.  This is the back side.
Stained glass in the Senate offices. This is the back side.

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We thought about going to the Colorado Auto Show but by this time we were tired and hungry. We plugged in our hotel address and headed back.  Once near our hotel, we looked for a place to eat and decided on a place called ModMarket. What a great place where they have wonderful salads and even more wonderful pizzas. Michael and I split a salad and pizza. When we paid, we were pleasantly surprised to see all the calories and grams of fat, etc. right on the receipt. Wish all restaurants and fast food places had that.

We really liked this place.
We really liked this place.
They called it a Market Salad.
They called it a Market Salad.
Thinnest crusted pizza I have ever had.  Delicious, almost Italian.  It was called a Bianca.
Thinnest crusted pizza I have ever had. Delicious, almost Italian. It was called a Bianco.
Menu
Menu
Personalized calorie, fat, carb and protein counts.  So cool.
Personalized calorie, fat, carb and protein counts. So cool.

We are now back in our new room. Michael just got back from the lobby.  His computer is working in the room now and he is happy.  Apparently it was his computer all the time.  (Mike here, they give a D+ but feels like it is flying to me.)

That was our day. Hope yours was great!