Summer 2022: Days 72-76

The rest of our short vacation turned out to be a whirlwind of activity, with little time to rest but much to enjoy. We left Steamboat on Thursday morning and made our way to Silverthorne, where we ate a unique lunch (Lori had a buffalo brat, and Ben and I ate a mac-and-cheese burger) at The Eclectic Cafe. Afterward, we looked for clothes for both boys at the nearby outlet mall.

Lori drove down Interstate 70, through the Eisenhower Tunnel, to Denver in advance of my sister Megan's wedding. We found our Airbnb in the Country Club neighborhood of Denver. The basement apartment of a bungalow wasn't as nice as our Steamboat Airbnb, but it served its purpose well, considering we just needed a comfortable place to sleep and have a little bit of room. After seeing my dad and stepmom, Lori, Ben, and I found a Greek restaurant for dinner.

On Friday, Ben and I met some of our extended family downtown for breakfast, then the two of us explored downtown, including the capitol. We visited our favorite Denver bookstore -- The Tattered Cover -- grabbed a quick lunch at Noodles, and picked up undershirts at Target. Michael arrived by plane later in the afternoon, and after retrieving him, we went to the rehearsal dinner at a Mexican restaurant downtown. The evening was fun, and we caught up with relatives we hadn't seen in a long time. 

We knew Saturday would be busy, and we got an early start, going to Syrup for breakfast. At Nordstrom Rack, Lori -- our trusted fashion adviser -- helped all three of us enhance our outfits for the evening. She was a trooper by accompanying us to two used video game stores. We returned to the Airbnb and managed to relax for a little while; I even took a short nap on the couch. 

The wedding was at a hotel downtown, and the ceremony overlooked Union Station. The whole evening was great and so much fun. Ben danced all night, and both boys enjoyed hanging out with their twenty-something cousins.

My sister and new brother-in-law were throwing a barbecue for their wedding guests today, but we wanted to get back to Salt Lake City by dark. We met my dad and stepmom again, this time for coffee, and hit the road by 11 a.m. The drive back was mostly smooth, encountering a little construction and some mild rain. We made stops in Fort Collins and Evanston and got home at 7:30 p.m.

I'm back to work tomorrow, which I knew was coming. This was a fun trip, and even on long driving days, I love road trips with my family.

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