A couple weeks back, our district had a random Thursday and Friday off. Taking advantage of the fact the Squirt goes to daycare on Thursdays, Dude and I made a plan to do something adventurous we otherwise would NOT do with our sister in tow. Brady was the natural choice for a Dude companion. About 25 minutes into the mountains there's a hot spot our family has always talked about visiting but haven't made the time. Dinosaur Ridge. Knowing nothing about this destination, we piled into the car, ate our PB&J's on the road and started our adventure. Brady had been there, so he was our resourceful guide.
Turns out, Dinosaur Ridge is awesome for kids and adults. Real dinosaurs (as opposed to fake) walked along this ridge when our dessert was an ocean and their footprints and fossils are there as reminders of their existence. For years, people drove this ridge on the way to Red Rocks Amphitheater with no inkling what they were passing by. About 7 years ago they closed the road and now use it as a private tourist attraction. The boys were absolutely enamored and ridiculously darling the entire day. The poor guide (and other tourists on the bus up the hill) didn't quite know what they were getting into when we boarded, but it provided a memorable trip for everyone involved. I could tell the questions and pure dinosaur inspired joy were NOT going to end, so we chose to walk back down the 1.4 mile hill and soak in the 60 degree sun. They did awesome and never once showed any sign of being tired or lackluster. One year ago, Dude would not have been able to smile through a day like this. It was rewarding as a Mom to see the radical change in him.
We could see Red Rocks from the top of the ridge and the boys were relentless about their desire to see it, so we trekked down the hill and headed to stop #2. As you can see, there are just a few rows to climb at this historic amphitheater. The boys were determined to go all the way down and dance on the stage (in the gigantic puddle) where all the rock stars have left their mark. I sent them off with a warning that I would not carry them back up. I chose to watch all the adults sweating their butts off as they jumped from step to step. Did I feel like a lazy, out of shape human while I did so? Yes I did. The boys made it back up with no complaints, but they were definitely panting. We did a little rock climbing on the way out and concluded our adventure.
The highlight of my day was Brady looking up at me and saying, "This is SUPER fun Aunt Gwen. We do a lot of fun stuff together don't we?" Precious dude. Truth is, I had just as much fun as they did. I love the relationship these two boys have and hopefully always will.
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