Autumn is on its way here in Colorado; which means yellow leaves, cool mornings, and the arrival of snow on the mountain peaks. For the Bauers it also means that the time has come for a weekend of separate adventures on opposite sides of the country. On the Friday afternoon of week 9, Minnie caught a plane to WV for her cousin’s wedding. The ticket prices were pretty steep, so Bilbo stayed back in Colorado to do some exploring of his own. We’ll get to that part of the story later, though. For now, we are at the part where he drops Minnie off at the Denver International Airport, which looks a bit like the Sydney Opera House in my opinion, and kisses her goodbye.
Minnie spent the rest of that day hopping airplanes with Stephen King in her carry-on (No, Maw Maw J, the actual person was not in the bag), and completing the obligatory dash across Dulles International Airport where she arrived at the gate just in time. I swear, it is impossible to connect in Dulles without literally running across the airport. Before we move on, I think it this is the appropriate time to mention that Denver has the calmest, most efficiently run airport I’ve ever check-in at. Even the crowd of passengers being herded through the security check, and the TSA officers shepherding them through, showed no sign of anxiety or approaching pandemonium. So, Kudos to Denver International.
The last flight of the night, the one Minnie barely made in Dulles, was far from packed as it carried its 6 passengers into West Virginia. Minnie was surprised at how excited she was to hear an Appalachian dialect coming from the two fellows seated behind her…one of the sounds of home. The plane landed just before midnight in a practically empty airfield. This airport is very small and family members are still permitted to wait just inside the door to watch the plane land and their loved one disembark. As Minnie approached the entrance she could see her brother, the Shrimp Meister, pressing his face against the glass doors and peering for, as she assumed, her. However, when she walked in he didn’t even look at her, ignored her “Hello”, then hugged the two guys walking behind her. Come to find out, he had been talking to the parents’ of these two and had become so excited to meet them that he had almost forgotten about her. Oh, well. Her parents were there to welcome her home and the Shrimp Meister soon joined in.
Saturday morning brought wedding day, and everyone was a buzz with the work to be done. With plenty of time to spare, the tables were set, the food prepared, and the cake was out. The wedding had a beautiful fall theme with dark rich colors and gourds and foliage all around.
Minnie’s Mom, the Cake Queen, made a yummy cake with fresh flowers and groom’s cake that said, “I knew I should have gone huntin’ today.”
The ceremony was lovely and quite short, which brought us to the PARTY! Our family loves a wedding reception because we love to dance! Of course the first dance went to the happy couple.
Then we all watched as our grandpa lead the bride around the floor. That’s one of the fun things about our grandpa, he’s a good dancer and a very strong leader. When you dance with him, you never know what you’re going to do, but there’s no question that he’ll lead you through it.
For more pictures you can check out the professional’s work on the CJM Photography Facebook Page…Click here and pick the album labeled “Butner Wedding”. Minnie was too busy having a good time to take many.
Saturday night and Sunday morning were reserved for visiting with all of the family. Most of us live in the same town, the majority of which are on the same street; however, others were in from out-of-state, as well. Minnie had a wonderful visit and was sad to see it end so quickly, but she had to get back to Colorado. Bilbo and work were awaiting.
Meanwhile, after dropping Minnie off at the airport, Bilbo drove to Boulder and did a bit of solo hiking at the Chautauqua Park, home of Boulder’s Flatirons. These prominent rock features are quite majestic and can be see throughout most of the city. They are obviously named for the metal flat irons used to straighten out those nasty wrinkles in your Sunday’s finest attire. Bilbo supplied a pack with cold rib-eye steak, bread, water, and started the short hike to the top. The park is beautiful and the hikes to the 1st and 2nd Flatirons provide great views of the mountains. As you get higher, you can see all of Boulder and eventually you can see the skyscrapers of Denver! The solo hike was super refreshing and it was great listening to some more of Song of Fire and Ice audio-book, though Minnie will have to get caught up.
After picking Minnie up at the airport, the team went to the world famous restaurant, Casa Bonita. Now, if you come here expecting good food you will be sorely disappointed. No, this destination is all about the tacky entertainment you get while they serve you Tex-Mex food that most elementary school cafeterias would be ashamed of.
We made it just in time to enjoy the act with a couple of animal tamers and a fella in a Gorilla suit. The next act was the famous cliff diving entertainment. Yes, there is cliff diving. This place has a 30 foot cliff and pool setup that much of the entertainment is centered around. The whole place has kind of a Mexico-tropic theme though we got to enjoy all the Halloween decor as well. The tacos were among the worst food we’ve had in our lives but the sopapillas were good.
Casa Bonita is so infamous that it is even featured in an episode of South Park, which Bilbo and Minnie have yet to see. I’m sure it will bring back some warm memories and unsettled stomachs!
Speaking of scary, or were we? Any how…Next week will bring us one of the most glorious days of the year…HALLOWEEN! Our delay in posting has brought us to a point of serendipity as the next edition of the Rambling Bauers will feature our stay at the notoriously haunted Stanley Hotel. Keep an eye out for it!
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