It’s been the month of visitors and this week I had a visit from my youngest kid, Scotty, here from Washington D.C.!
Scotty’s birthday was July 8th, and I’d suggested going to Meow Wolf as the “birthday experience.” I’d been to the Santa Fe Meow Wolf with Matt & Stella a few years ago, but this was the first Meow Wolf experience for Scotty. The one here in Denver is called “Convergence Station.”
If you’ve never been before, it’s really quite different from a typical “tourist attraction.” It’s artsy, bizarre, surreal, creative and kind of a cross between a fun house and a Disney attraction.
There are a lot of “hidden rooms” as well as big alleyways filled with lights, music, and colorful structures. It really can put you on sensory overload as you maneuver through the various pathways and rooms.
There’s no ‘map’ (and if you ask for one, the attendants dutifully stay in character, letting you know that maps aren’t available in an alternative dimension.)
There’s some kind of “back story” and for an extra few bucks, apparently, you can get a QPASS that gives you some extra clues to help you figure out exactly what’s going on. I was kind of surprised that Scotty (escape room enthusiast that he is) didn’t seem too interested in unraveling any back story. Admittedly, I didn’t want to spend too much time myself with back story and was satisfied just observing the weird, wacky, sparkly, and colorful oddities.
I took lots of pictures, so this is just a small sampling.
This colorful glass castle was probably my favorite structure. I always prefer “fairy-tale” like atmosphere to “darker” art, like these barbie dolls with alien heads.
I was so enamored with Santa Fe’s Meow Wolf, partly because of the novelty. It’s hard to replicate that feeling. A lot of the art here was just more “messy” (or perhaps more “contemporary” for my taste) and left me feeling a little more disturbed than joyful.
We were about to leave when we discovered another big auditorium that had organ music playing and where people were walking around in the dark, seemingly dancing.
It seemed that we could “make art” with are feet on the floor and with our arms on the walls. This room was different from anything I’d seen before, even at the other Meow Wolf, and I was glad we didn’t leave without seeing it.
Overall, it was a little bit of a let-down compared to Santa Fe, but still creative and worth seeing. I wish we’d prepared a little more ahead of time – I’m not even sure we saw everything. Scotty also was not too excited by it and the crowds and noise were a little much, so.. not exactly the best birthday experience. In hindsight, maybe Kaleidoscape would have been better. But still, it was unique and will be a fun memory for both of us.
Similar to my last microadventure, this one involved visitors! My friends Steve and Lisa from Minnesota were in Colorado to attend Steve’s daughter’s wedding in Ft. Collins, and they combined it with a visit to my house!
The day they arrived, we relaxed with some ice tea and talked on my patio and went out for a delicious sushi dinner. I broke out my special “Yvette” liquor and Lisa and I toasted to our friendship!
BFFs!
The next day was a big family day for Steve! His four sisters and several of their family members were all arriving for the wedding in Ft. Collins. Steve told me all about everyone in the family and even invited me to come down to Ft. Collins for the get-together at the Brewery that was being planned.
I love big families (The Waltons, The Partridge Family, and The Brady Bunch were 3 of my favorite TV shows as a kid) and I was very interested in hearing all about everyone!
Lisa, Steve, and I hung out on Pearl Street in Boulder for a couple of hours where an art show was happening. When we sat down for a bit, Steve found a 2022 Maya Angelou quarter in the grass! I had been wanting one of those for my 2022 Time Capsule and he said I could have it! So thoughtful!
Steve found a 2022 Maya Angelou quarter in the grass and gave it to me!
We soon headed up to Ft. Collins where Steve’s family were all starting to come in for the wedding. The plan was to meet up at the Gilded Goat Brewery.
Meeting at the Gilded Goat Brewery
Even though I’m not a beer drinker, I loved being able to meet all these family members that Steve had been telling me about.
Steve’s family was very welcoming and friendly. Everyone was excited and in a celebratory mood. I enjoyed hearing about all of their adventures, especially from the sister who was actively working on her bucket list, finishing up the last of traveling to all 50 states.
I had met Steve’s sister, Patty, once before, and this time I got to meet her husband, Paul (I think) too. They’re also Florida snowbirds, so maybe we’ll see each other next year in Florida. They have a place in Naples, and that’s where Becky’s friend Georgette lives, too, so I can definitely envision a Naples Microadventure!
Steve & Patty at Gilded GoatSteve (modeling the coordinated colors), Lisa, and Paul at the Gilded Goat
It was a real treat for me to get to be a little part of this family celebration. Weddings are such happy occasions and it’s so nice that all of Steve’s siblings were able to make it. I could see how much they enjoyed one another.
What a fun weekend with Lisa and Steve! And next month, I’ll get to see them again, when I take my annual trip to Minnesota!
This microadventure was an unexpected surprise! My brother, Neal, sent me an email saying he was in town for business and asked if anyone was up for dinner on him!
Oh! Oh! Me! Me! (I responded immediately.) In fact, I said, I was happy to host at my house. I told him I could cook or we could get take out. He opted for Thai take-out (Busaba), which was perfect!
It turns out I was the only one who responded to his email which almost caused Neal to want to rethink the whole plan since he only had gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before. Wait. What? You mean.. not coming? Unacceptable!
I laid on the “But you haven’t been to my house in 14 years!” guilt trip and it worked, because despite his exhaustion, Neal drove up and we enjoyed a lovely dinner out on my patio – one of my favorite places to eat!
Even though it would have been nice for others to have been available, I preferred getting a one-on-one dinner with my brother… something that’s a rarity.
We enjoyed the evening breeze and catching up.. Neal remembered that last time he was at my house (for Megan’s wedding) he fixed the fountain pump and did other handyman chores for me. He’s very handy, that’s for sure!
But this time, he just relaxed a little and noticed how much the yard and neighborhood had matured over the past 14 years. I really am so grateful that my house survived the fires and that my back yard is so pretty, thanks to John, my housemate who does all the yard work.
I don’t know how much longer I’ll be living in my big, beautiful house, but while I’m here, it sure is nice to have visitors, so I’m very glad Neal made the effort!
Even though we didn’t go anywhere too exciting, having a no-fuss take-out dinner with my brother on my backyard patio is an experience to be savored, for sure!
When I saw that Seth (who I’d met in Mexico City) was in Boulder, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for another Microadventure!
Being the Boulder-area expert that I am, I suggested about 43 different activities ranging from hiking, to tubing, to karaoke. (I won’t include the full summer schedule spreadsheet, but believe me, I was impressive.)
Seth was appropriately awed by my vast knowledge of Boulder events and places.
I also informed Seth that it was Embrace Your Geekness Day since it’s always a bonus to stick with a theme when planning a Microadventure.
Seth downplayed his geekiness: “The extent of my geekiness would be talking about agile!” he humbly claimed. (Actually, anyone who can talk about Agile at all scores major geek-points in my book. I know, I know… not everyone (including Seth) is looking to score geek-points.)
He said he was curious about The Rye Society, a Jewish Deli in the Avanti building on Pearl Street.
We agreed to meet up for lunch there, hang out on Pearl Street, and see what the day would bring. Since I fancy myself an event-planner and ultimate geek, I felt confident we’d find just the right microadventures for the day.
I normally skip lunch, but, of course, wanted to sample some of the Rye Society’s fare. I had a bit of the sandwich and it was OK. (Not worth the $16 price in my opinion, but what do I know about Jewish Deli?)
However, the highlight of the meal for me was trying Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda. I’d never heard of this soda, made with celery! I was expecting something odd-tasting, but it tasted very sweet like ginger-ale or cream soda. I’m even less of a soda-drinker than a Jewish-Deli-eater, and my taste-buds thoroughly enjoyed the novel opportunity of sampling this unusual soda.
I asked Seth to dribble some food to play along with geek day, but he didn’t want to be so stereotypical. I mean, what next? Toilet paper out the back of the pants?
Dubbed “The Computer Lab of your Dreams” this was the Mama of all Geek Museums! Epic! And it was less than a mile away and open!
WOW!
I can’t believe Seth found the most perfect Microadventure and the absolute geekiest museum when he doesn’t even live here and didn’t even know it was Embrace Your Geekness Day! It’s like he has some sort of Microadventure Superpowers!
Even though Seth and I share a common lack of sense of direction, we navigated to MAL using Google maps. It almost looked like a residential property as we approached it from behind, so we weren’t sure we were in the right place, but as we rounded the building, we were pleased to see we’d found the right place.
It was not a typical museum, but more like a basement filled with old computers, working software (dating back to floppy disks) and devices (Remember Palm Pilots?), phonographs, typewriters, adding-machines, cameras, printing presses, gaming systems… all kinds of gadgets!
Some of the old (working!) computers and software housed at MALOld Gaming SystemsSeth giving Zork, an old text-based-adventure game, a trySeth with a MAL sticker on his laptop.
There were so many games and devices that brought back memories of my computer-obsessed life. I have always LOVED computers and technology! (Playing a little Zork makes me appreciate how far the gaming technology has progressed!)
Stopping at BMoCA was a bonus microadventure and a bit anticlimactic after the Wow factor of being in computer-heaven. (We actually just stopped here while we were waiting for our table at the Dushanbe Teahouse.)
Though the pieces were thought-provoking, contemporary art is something I’ve never quite understood.
For example, the art piece pictured just looks like a weirdly-colored, huge mess to me. This looks way messier than Scotty’s room ever was at its worst! At least Scotty didn’t have pool noodles haphazardly sticking out helter-skelter! And this was my favorite piece in the museum! At least it was whimsical!
There were other art pieces that looked like body parts..primarily intestines. Kind of freaky. Stuff of nightmares.
But it’s good to be exposed to everything. I think it’s fairly typical for geeks not to fully appreciate art, and the museum was free today, so Yay for new experiences. (Please, God, no body part nightmares tonight.)
Trying the Swiss Raclette Fondue at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
Our final stop on this fun-filled day was the iconic Dushanbe Teahouse. I have to admit, since I’ve been here quite often, I didn’t take photos of the impressive decor, but I absolutely recommend it as a must-see stop for Boulder visitors.
Once again, Seth, despite being the out-of-towner, rattled off his knowledge of the history of the teahouse. (It’s like Seth’s brain is wikipedia! I don’t care if he does think he’s cool, he’s a geek of major proportions!) I, on the other hand, can’t even seem to remember how to pronounce “Dushanbe.” But, for those who don’t have access to Seth’s encyclopedia-like brain, here’s a blurb about the history from their Website:
In 1987, during his first visit to Boulder, Mayor Maksud Ikramov announced that Dushanbe planned to present our city with a Teahouse to celebrate the establishment of sister city ties. From 1987 -1990, more than 40 artisans in several cities of Tajikistan created the decorative elements our Teahouse, including its hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling, tables, stools, columns, and exterior ceramic panels. Often these skills are handed down from generation to generation within families. Lado Shanidze served as chief architect.
I tried a dish I’d never had before, the Swiss Raclette Fondue – very delicious! I like the name (Raclette rhymes with Yvette, after all) filled with ham, apples, and cucumber pickles.
So there you have it! A whirlwind Boulder-Area Geek-Filled set of Microadventures on this Wednesday afternoon in July! Despite my “Boulder expertise,” Seth introduced me to MAL – a place that I didn’t even know existed! I tried a new drink, new cheese, and viewed new weird art! And, as always, the real treat was being able to experience it all with someone else. Seth is definitely a unique character and was the perfect companion for Embrace Your Geekness Day!
Today’s series of Microadventures, similar to the last post, are “typical” summertime activities – going to summer concerts, get-togethers, or going out to eat. I have to admit, I didn’t make much effort with the pictures (and I’m certainly taking the easy way out with the blog post). In a way, this feels a little like “cheating”.. I need to get back to a dedicated blog post for each Microadventure.
Even though I’m taking the lazy way out with a quick blog post, I don’t want to take my friends or any of these fun experiences for granted.
Microadventure #58: Celebrating my birthday (a few months late) at Panera with tons of purple / flamingo gifts from Michael B!Microadventure #59: Hosting GGG (Girls Gathering Greatly) at my house on National Sunglasses Day!Microadventure #60: Dancing at Nissis with “Q”Microadventure #61: Reneya’s Idea: “Hey Grandma! I know what we can do for your next Microadventure! IHOP!”Microadventure #62: Dancing at St Julien’s to VooDoo Lily with Susan and MarkMicroadventure #63: Listening to the Long Run (Eagles Cover Band) at Louisville Community Park with Cathy, Q, Jaka, Susan, and MarkMicroadventure #64: Girl’s Poker Night with Tina and some of her friendsMicroadventure #65: Listening to “Francis and the Wolf” (and chatting with lead singer) at the Superior Community Center 4th of July BBQ.Microadventure #66: Fourth of July Party and Fireworks from the Balcony thanks to Rebecca R. and her friends.Microadventure #67: Open Mic Night at Niwot Wheel House with friendsMicroadventure #68: Niwot Tavern and Dancing Under the Stars in Niwot with JillMicroadventure #69: Wildflower Hike in Nederland with SteveMicroadventure #70: Retirement Party for Karen at Lafayette Whitetail Park
I’m not nearly as attentive to my “Microadventures” when I’m home in Colorado as I am when I’m traveling. I just get so wrapped up in errands, house projects, cleaning, and every day life, that I forget to get out and do something special.
But wait a minute. Hiking in beautiful scenery is special! I guess the fact that I do it so often has made me downgrade its “specialness.” I realize it’s something I’ve been taking for granted!
One of the things that I enjoy most about Colorado in the summer, is hiking and seeing the colorful wildflowers. I feel so grateful that I’ve been feeling healthy and I’ve been able to get out and hike quite often this month!
So here are pictures of the June hikes I took that were made even more special because I did them with Meetup groups and friends.
Microadventure #51: June 11: Land Listening Walk at Coot Lake with Kelly MullenMicroadventure #52: June 14: Foothills Community Park Walk with Boulder RamblersMicroadventure #53: June 23: Fitness Walk with Boulder RamblersMicroadventure #54: June 26 NCAR / Skunk Canyon Trail with UrsulaMicroadventure #55: June 27 – FourMile Canyon Creek / Old Kiln Trail with GlennMicroadventure #56 – June 28 Coalton Trail with Bonnie. (Oops, we didn’t get a selfie!)Microadventure #57: June 30 – Chautauqua with Scott
It’s always a treat for me when I get to spend time with my grandkids, Diego and Reneya. When I saw a class offered at the Boulder Public Library called the Art of Data, I thought it would make the perfect microadventure.
Diego and Reneya are both very analytical and artistic. This class was about taking a data set – quantitative or qualitative – and creatively mapping that data into some kind of art project.
Since my son-in-law, Chris, was about to have a birthday, I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to make birthday cards for him.
I was very impressed with the teacher, Heather Schulte, who put together a very informative presentation with a lot of creative examples. Heather, herself, is involved in a number of interesting and creative projects.
Reneya working on her card for her Dad’s 39th birthdayDiego works on his Dad’s Birthday Card
I’d wanted to try and collect some kind of data from Chris that we could use, but that proved a little difficult. The best I could do was print out pictures. We focused on the qualitative data of Chris’s interests and hobbies for our data. Heather provided plenty of craft supplies that were just fun to experiment with.
This class was lots of fun and a great activity for all of us!
Chris (with a confused expression) and me in the streets of San Miguel de Allende
For those following along, this year my project is to have at least one “Microadventure” a week. High-achiever that I am, I’m way ahead of schedule, with 10 new “microadventures” experienced last week in Mexico.
My 3 rules for a Microadventure?
A fun experience
With at least one other person
Blog about it
It’s easy to have fun experiences.. A little more of a challenge (but absolutely a big reward) has been to find people to share them with. My biggest constraint has been finding the time to blog about them in a way that I feel properly captures the experience.
A few months ago, I wrote about a series of Microadventures I’d experienced, including with the family of Chris Blakeslee. Chris lives in Bali, but visits his family in Florida a couple of times a year.
This year, it turned out that I just missed him in Florida, but I was very happy when he suggested we have a quick rendezvous in Mexico to some place neither of us had been! That’s exactly the kind of spontaneous Carpe Diem spirit that I love! After some discussion, we agreed upon San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico.
So Chris is my Primary Adventure Partner for this series of Microadventures in Mexico. He’s smart, funny, playful and always up for new experiences.
The microadventures I picked to write about are focused more on the people than the places. We saw some of the classic and beautiful touristy sights that you can read about in travel books, but, for me, the special moments were those of connection.
On our final morning in SMA, Chris and I enjoyed a sunrise Hot Air Balloon ride with Vole en Globo. For about $150 US dollars, we were picked up and dropped off right at our casita, enjoyed an hour long balloon ride, a sweet toast after we landed, and even a full breakfast at a local restaurant.
When we arrived, the crew was firing up two balloons, one that held 6 passengers, and ours, that would hold 8 of us, along with the pilot. Each couple got our own little corner compartment that we were able to climb into using footholds, with the pilot in the middle.
Preparing the hot air balloon for flight
Interestingly, even though heights can make me super-nervous, I wasn’t the slightest bit anxious going up. I guess the basket was high enough that I felt totally secure.
It’s even more odd that I felt secure since it really didn’t seem like the pilot has much control other than by how much propane gas he shoots up into the balloon.
We actually went up soon after we were all in, with no warning! No 3-2-1 countdown.. just up we went, with no time to change your mind! Someone said it reminded them of the scene from Wizard of Oz when Dorothy missed the balloon!
It did make me curious about the science involved in navigating a hot air balloon. I thought the pilot would be able to “steer” in some way, but it appeared he mostly could just adjust vertically and we were dependent on the wind for where we’d end up.
The scene from above was peaceful and serene.. well, except for the dogs. (Yeah… Definitely barking dogs… Something to be aware of before you buy a house in the neighborhood.)
Ignoring the barks, the birds-eye view, rising sun, and seeing other balloons in the sky as we slowly floated over the city provided a much more tranquil experience than I’d expected. It wasn’t windy or cold, just a perfect picturesque scene.
When it came time to land, the pilot had to get low enough to throw down cables that the crew used to help to reel us in to the landing spot. Even once we got to the ground, we’d bounce up and down a bit before we were firmly settled on the ground.
The crew expertly packed up the balloon like a giant sleeping bag and loaded up the balloon and basket into the trailer ready to be be transported ‘home.’
Meanwhile we were treated to our celebratory toast and breakfast with our fellow passengers.
Absolutely, one of my favorite experiences of the trip!
Full set of Microadventures in Mexico City / San Miguel de Allende:
When I posted that I’d be in San Miguel de Allende, JoAnna, from the group, reached out to me personally. It turned out that our casita was only a 5-minute walk to where she and her husband, David, were house-sitting!
JoAnna’s so pretty. (If she weren’t married I would have tried to fix her up with Seth.) She’s also very kind. She prepared such a lovely breakfast spread for us to enjoy. She and David are 100% nomadic and are regular trusted house-sitters.
JoAnna used to be an event planner and I see she has a real flair for creating a welcoming space for people to meet and mingle. She also invited another expat couple, Arturo and Phyllis, who have found their “Happy Place” in San Miguel de Allende.
Everyone at the breakfast had such interesting stories. Each one of them could write a book, filled with travel adventures and life’s ups and downs. It’s hard for me to even imagine being 100% nomadic and I had so many questions!
We spent 3 hours being entertained by the conversation, but Chris and I had planned to spend the afternoon at La Gruta, the Hot Springs Spa that was about a 20 minute drive away.
David thoughtfully offered to drive us and I was all for that! Not only did it save us an Uber-ride, it meant we could keep hearing about David & JoAnne’s fascinating life. And we had ChiChi in the seat behind us, excited to be on a car-ride!
On our way to La Gruta with ChiChi in back! Microadventure #48: Lunch at Mercado del Carmen with Vic & Kathy
A couple days later, we met up with an Australian couple, Vic and Kathy, thanks, again, to the Go with Less group. Kathy suggested meeting up at Mercado del Carmen which offered a variety of restaurants, like a food court.
Vic and Kathy, like JoAnna and David, were full-time nomads using Trusted House-sitters for much of their lodging. We all had been members of the Hash House Harriers and all the reminiscing has motivated me to check into rejoining. I hadn’t realized that Chris was also an avid Harrier and even started a club I think in Toulouse, France!
We told Vic and Kathy that we were going to go hot-air ballooning and Vic passed along this YouTube video that they had made! Wow! Vic is an awesome videographer!
Vic and Kathy also recommended Hanks for dinner and told us to look for a big, bald guy called, “Fish” who always was at the bar and played Water Polo.
We went to Hanks that night, and though we didn’t find “Fish,” we had a delicious dinner and ended the evening with a magical microadventure dance-move!
Full set of Microadventures in Mexico City / San Miguel de Allende:
