4th of July adventures

This was actually my second Independence Day in Colorado. The first was back in 2000 when I interned with Military Community Youth Ministries in Colorado Springs. (Who knew that I'd be back here seven years later, this time as a resident? :)

Anyways...Jess and I headed to Washington Park (the best park in Denver) for a BBQ with some of her friends from church. We hung out there for about four hours, playing volleyball, eating good food, and talking with new friends.





this is the cute little puppy that kept wandering over to our picnic spot. i was tempted to snatch him up and take him home with me. :)
Adrian, me and Jessica.

There are these pretty flower gardens in Wash Park.


The highlight of the day was getting to ride on a motorcycle (it's always been a personal goal of mine :). One of the guys in our group owns a Harley and was happy to take me around the block. It was everything I dreamt it would be and more! :)



Adrian, Jess and I wanted to find a spot for fireworks, but since all of us are new to the area, we weren't sure where to go. We started asking around the park and a woman outside the porto-potty told us that the best fireworks are at Evergreen Lake. We packed up and drove 45 minutes west into the mountains. Once at the Lake we were excited to stake a claim and watch "the best fireworks show in CO." It wasn't too long, however, until we realized that something was awry...there were only about a dozon people at the lake. We stopped an older couple and asked them, "Is there a firework show tonight?" They replied, "Oh no, they haven't had fireworks here in seven years." They told us about a show 20 minutes south, in a little town called Indian Hills. So we drove there. But that show was cancelled because of potential forrest-fire hazards. (go figure.)


at Evergreen Lake, a really pretty place.


Not sure whether to laugh or scream, we looked at each other and decided to just head back to Denver and try to find something. By the time we got there, it was nightfall and we were drained, about to call it a night and give up. Instead we thought we'd head back to my apartment to watch a movie. Ironically enough, as we pulled into Holleywood Video to rent a DVD, we noticed people gathered in the parking lot. We ended up sitting there with them, eating cherries, sour watermelon-flavored gummies, and McDonalds, and enjoying three simultaneous firework shows: one to the east, one to the south, and one to the west. It was awesome and a great memory...we kept laughing at the irony that we drove for hours trying to find fireworks when all along they were half a mile from my place. :)



Earlier in the day, Adrian commented, "This is going to be the best 4th of July ever...I can just feel it." One thing is for sure: it was definitely memorable. :)