Miles woke up with a slight fever on his birthday but that didn't dampen his excitement. He tore into his presents with gusto as Elijah hovered nearby to 'help'. One gift, a Wii game from us, they shared so Elijah opened that one. The favourite toy was Joker's Hideaway which seemed activated by static electricity. Without warning, Joker would say, "The joke's on you, Batman" then cackle maniacally. The kids thought this a hoot but when they were in bed, it was rather disconcerting.
Since Glen needed new boots and Melissa wanted a successful letterboxing outing, we all went to REI in downtown Denver. We met Melissa's friend, JoAnne, and her daughter, Claire, did the letterboxing, then let the kids play at a nearby playground while we had a picnic lunch.
REI reminds us of Canada's Mountain Equipment Co-op as both stores offer good quality outdoor gear at reasonable prices. I've been a member of MEC for 30 years and it has served us well so I'm sure Geoff and Melissa will get the same benefits from their membership in REI which began as a co-op in Seattle in 1938. In fact, both companies do more than offer quality gear as they also contribute to environmental and community causes which benefit us and future generations.
The flagship REI store in Denver is housed in the restored 1901 Denver Tramway building and there are still tracks and tram cars outside. It also has a Starbucks (another Seattle success story) where we bought mango juice for our lunch. However, we first had to buy Glen his boots. Since winter is pretty much over there, we found them in a discount rack at the rear of the store. They had several styles in Glen's size and he chose two to try on. The price decided the sale as each boot had pros and cons (who knew Glen could be so discerning--his old boots I bought in Bonnie Doon Sears over 25 years ago).
A couple of years ago, I had looked at travel purses in this REI store and decided against buying. This time I found something I liked that would fit all the gear I've begun to carry, like an iPhone and small Olympus camera.
We left the store just as JoAnne and Claire arrived at the 'three bears' where the letterboxing clues began. Apparently, this particular box has a different stamp every month of the year so is a favourite among Denver collectors. JoAnne showed me the stamps she had found in places as far away as Hawaii. She also had found a "hitchhiker" stamp and wished to add it to the REI letterbox. We had no clue where the stamp had travelled but its ziplock looked pretty old.
Our next stop was the Denver Children's Museum playground. We looked after the kids while Melissa and JoAnne hunted for another letterbox. This one's stamp was an incredible piece of artwork (most stamps are hand-carved but you can use store-bought ones, too). We ate our lunch but by this time Miles had had enough.
We walked back to the car along the South Platte River. This river begins as two branches in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. One flows north into Wyoming and the other flows across Colorado. They merge in Nebraska to form a tributary of the Missouri River and hence was an important route for settlers moving west.
After a nap, Miles perked up and was ready for his birthday supper. He had chosen Five Guys so Glen and Melissa went to pick up our order. I had forgotten they offer free, shelled peanuts and Glen jammed a paper lunch bag full of them. For those in Alberta who might be interested, there is a Five Guys in Sherwood Park and one opening in Airdrie soon. Their burgers are awesome and their fries tasty.
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