Alderfer/Three Sisters Park

My first and last hike of the summer (most likely)!! I finally got the chance to go on a hike last weekend and while my lungs hated me, I had a lot of fun. I always enjoy easy hikes in Colorado because there is no shortage of gorgeous scenery to take in.

This trip I took with CCC's (Colorado Community Church) Young Adults group. It had been a few months since I had gone to any events with the group so it was good to see them. I did meet some new faces too.

The weather was gorgeous! I loved the fact that I didn't need a jacket but also wasn't sweating bullets. For the most part, I didn't run into any bees. It's one of the nicer things about hiking in the mountains -- fewer bugs.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time talking and hiking at the same time. Of course, people want to get to know one another and catch up. However, for me as a Deaf person along with a bum knee, having to watch where I am going AND lip read is quite a challenge. I can talk and hike just fine but when someone else is talking...I typically have to ask for things to be repeated. I also noticed that because there were many people I didn't know if they started talking I had no idea who to look at because I hadn't a clue whose voice it was.

Overall, it was a great time! We ended the day with a trip to Beau Jo's a Colorado pizza joint. I had no idea Colorado had its own pizza. Basically, the only differences were that the end crust was super high and they offered honey to drizzle on it. Interesting, right? The pizza was good and I am curious to try the different kinds of crust like honey wheat.

I'm so happy I had the day off. For those of you who know what it's like to work retail or any type of customer service job -- it's super rare to get a weekend off. I got my hike in for the summer. So yay! I didn't die! Didn't get to go swimming or camping though...next time!

Zoo Day

Today, I FINALLY crossed the Denver Zoo off my bucket list. I went with my friend Melody and her daughter Autumn. While it was a hot day, it was fun walking around seeing the animals and catching up with her. I hadn't seen her for at least six months.

Of course, we stopped to see my favorite animals, penguins and made sure to see Autumn's favorite, monkeys! Penguins have been a favorite of mine for a while now. I don't know why, but I enjoy watching them swim around and waddle.

We also saw giraffes, lizards, fish, and a bear. The Denver Zoo recently constructed a new habitat for a tiger. It was huge! They made a walkway above so that the tiger could have a vantage point above the crowds. It's a neat idea. The tiger, though, when we got there was resting. Many animals were taking naps and finding shade because it was so hot outside. I can't blame them. Melody and I were feeling dehydrated throughout the hours there and constantly looking for water fountains.

We had to move a little quickly through the zoo because we didn't get in until after 1pm and the zoo closed at 4. However, I was glad we were pressed for time since it was so hot out and my feet were starting to kill me around 3:30 anyway. I hate wandering around aimlessly. I like having a plan and doing what I came to do, instead of la-de-da around. You know what I mean?

It was a great time to hang out with two of my awesome friends and I look forward to crossing another to-do-in-Denver item off my list. Maybe Red Rocks will be next?