Royal George & Garden of the Gods

I planed to take one day trips for the neighboring in Denver during this week. The Denver Post the other day wrote an article on 10 things to do in Denver before die. There were to climb a Fourteener, to sink into Strawberry park hot spring, to explore Mesa Verde, to visit Great Sand Dunes National Park, and so on. When we find the time, we gonna visit them.

Other than above 10things, the Denver Post added 10 more things to do. Royal George was one of them. It is the highest suspended bridge in the world. My walking on the bridge, on that particular day, the wind blew so hard that I felt like flying. In spite the automobiles are allowed to cross the bridge, I could not dare to drive my car on the brigde, the height of 1,053 feet. It was scary. There are an incline railway, an aerial tram, skycoaster, and the wild park. However, I could not across the bridge because of my husband having the acrophobia(He fears heights) as well as the strong wind. We left, pleadging the next time.

One the way back home, we visited the Garden of Gods where was full of spendid rocks, trees, and cliffs. In particular, I was deeply impressed with the Kissing calmels rock, balanced rocks and sleeping Indian rock. Anyway, I felt as if I had been the garden of the gods. ^^

Back from our trip, our car stopped halfway. We were very embarrassed and my husband got off the car to check what problem happened. "I guess it is the breakdown with transmission" said he. He called the Korean auto insureance salesman. In fact, he is just the insurance salesman, but he has to do every measure to settle matters quickly when his insured meet the accident. I think his clients would be chiefly Koreans.

Since we are not good at explaining what problem we have in English, we are apt to rely on him.

Ah! our week-long plan bursts like bubble.

Rockey Mountain National Park

Last Friday, we went to Rockey Mountain with friends. My son's tutor presented us the vacation house at Estes Park, 20 minites east-south from Rockey Mountain Park. Her mom owns the vacation house at Estes Park and comes to the Mountains every summer for vacation. A vacation House sounds wonderful. (I will talk about my son's tutor later. She is a nice person)

It was not bad at the time of our departure. Unpacking, drinking a coffee, and waiting for other guys to come to the vacation house in Estes Park, we felt uneasy with the cloudy weather. As our concern, the rain was falling after a while. We had a misgiving that the rain would turn into the snow.

Our anxiety came to the light. When I woke up next morning, I found the whole world was white. Driving up to the Rockey mountain ended up in fail. We just enjoyed the surrounding scenery. It was great to look around the picturesque view covered with snow, though.

In the blossom time, we come again.

St. Patrick Day

I happed to see the advertisement of St. Patrick Parade from the newspaper. As my kids go to the Korean language school every saturday morning, I thought I could make time for that. I am quiete familiar with that place because I'd beeen there once or more.

I got out of my house with neither an idea nor information on what's going on there. Only camera was all thing that I carried. However, when I came near to the designated place for parade, I felt something wrong. Ah? They wore green either t-shirts or pants. Otherwise, others had something tiny green like socks, hair-bands, necklets, or badges. For a little while, I was embarrassed and had no idea what I should do. Back home or join the green crowd? In no time at all, I felt at easy when I saw non-green peopel like me going on foot.

Anyway, what's the parade? All people gathering here would participate in the St. Patrick march? Then, did I have to march through the street with them? Oh! No! I don't want it. Sooner or later, it was known that I felt a needless anxiety; I was not a marcher. ^^

Shortly after the parade began, I got to know that it was Irish Day; Irish folk costume, dogs, dancing, and music.

To my regret, I had to return in the middle of parade because a parking meter ran out of time.

Rocky Mountain High

I am living in Dever, CO with my family. Neither am I a citizen nor an immigrant. I am just a temporary resident. However, I feel like a part of them when I watch myself excited over Denver news along with Denver natives. Obviously, I have no clear idea or intimate relation with Denver. If there is one thing connecting us to Denver, it would be that my husband chose the UC Denver for his two year master degree program. This is only tie we have.

Nevertheless, This tie is huge and big. I won't forget what I've done and seen in Denver throughout my life.

Anyway, a ballad song of John Denver, Rocky Mountain High, was picked up as the State Anthem. It has been unofficially thought of for decades as Colorado's state song. At last, it got OK as second song with the lawmakers approval.

I've never been to Rocky Mountain yet, but I hope that we would go there during this coming short spring break. I wish I feel the Rocky Mountain the way John Denver sings. By all means, I will. ^^
(To begin with, I need to make up travel route for 2-3 nights including Rocky Mountain.)

Hum..Then, what is the first song?

Community Library

My daughter goes to the Koelbel library to join a storytime every Wendsday. It is a half an hour program for reading and hand-crafting. Judy likes to participate in that program-listening and making something small.

For services provided by the library, I need to get a library card first. It took less one minute to get it at the guest service desk. Once I got a card, my personal information like my account number is stored into the database of the Arapahoe library district. It means that I could use all of 9 branch libraries within Arapahoe library district. Koelbel library is one of them.

As they say from their websites, the libraries in the United States are more than the books. They are closely connected with their residents. Libraries offer not only borrowing services, but also visiting services for those who are homebound or disabled by ages or accidents. Even, I saw a reading service for someone who are in jail. A variety of materials and services are supplied by the libraries.

In Korea, I thought the libraries are only for the elementary school students or under. Otherwise, for someone who need the quiet place to study all day long. I've never visited them for my own reading since I grown up to a teenager. We do not feel close to the library because our libraries are not activated as much as thoes in the Unied States. Except for a few big, good libraries, other libraries have poor materials and equipments. It might be due to the lack of budget. Donation for the library is also unfamiliar to us. So, almost all libraries suffer from poverty of money, donation, and concern.

Downtown

Do all downtown certainly have one way streets or some streets neamed in the ordinal number, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on.

Whenever I was downtown for some reasons, one way streets so often embarrassed me. Inevitably, there are also ordinal numbering streets.

Then, a question hits upon me. All downtown in the U.S. are the same? Actually, San Diego and Denver are all where I've been to by driving in person. I've of course been to San Francisco, but I have no idea because I was not interested in this idea at at that time.

Something are really new and weired to me, but people here do not think those things are someting unusual because they get used to it.

I have many things that make me a little bit embarrassed. For example, a lot of the stars and stripes flying here and there in the United States are also a kind of shocking. I never expect that because I thought the American have very a little interest or nationalism on their country. I know it sounds stupid. But, individualism seems too distant from the love or respect for their country. Anyway, I got to know that I was wrong. It seems tht the American are basically proud of their country.

D&F Tower

Daniels & Fisher Tower is at the Araphoe and 16th street. I have planned to visit this tower for a while since I saw it from the picture book, Denver then and now, and the guide book I have. Many historic and oldest buildings in Denver were demolished by the Denver Urban Renewal Project, but it certainly survived and remains one of Denver's most elegent landmarks.

It was named after co-owner of Denver's finest department store, Daniels and Fisher. It was also said to be the third-tallest building when erected in the early 1900s. Denver then and now, however, says that it is questionable whether it was actually the third-tallest in the world.

I came across this building on the way home after visiting the administrative office of UC Denver to consult about changing Visa. At first glance, I recognized it. "It is surly the same tower that I watched from two books"

At the parking meter, I stopped a car for about 30 minites to take a picture of it. This tower was tall, indeed, so classical. This picture was the only shot I took.

Pet & Park

Since I am a long-term traveler, I needed some tips of Denver city;what to do and where to go. The pamphlet arrived a week after I subscribed to it over the internet at the Denver Official Office website. That was a guide book for those who want to know Denver well.

Anyway, I drove out to I-25 and took an exit 206A to go to the Washington Park. According to that guide book, the Washington park is considered as the most beautiful park around Denver. The Washington park picture posted in that book was attractive enough to catch my eyes and my mind. It has two big lakes and a charming garden in there. Hit the road!

The park was a just usual park which could be seen anywhere in neighbor. What was special with this park? Parking my car along the curve, I took one trail being continued to the Washington Park. My eyes were so busy to try to look for something gorgeous and elegant enough to stun me. My carmera was all set up to take a wonderful shot.

Was I expecting so much? Nothing special there. Some areas of the park were under the construction and maintenance. One lake went dry and exposed the lake bottom in part. All flowers in garden were pulled up so I just guessed that it might be one of gardens which I saw from the picture of the guide book I have. I could not fully understand why this park was ranked as the nearly most beautiful park in Denver. The timing, February the very early spring, was not good to enjoy this park's benefit. Maybe.

By the way, the park does not look like ours. Every park in the United States just adjoins the houses so the community residents seem come and go with ease to work out or take some break. Strictly, American Parks do not feast our eyes or delight our eyes so much with gorgeous, brilliant, and splendid attraction. They think it more important to provide people with the place and time for relaxaion and keep the nature as it is. In comparison with the Unites States, it appears that our civic parks emphasize a little bit more artificial landscape architecture. Koreans prefer to see something unforgettable in our lives rather than relax.






However, I observed something very interesting to me there. Sitting in a bench and reading a newpaper, I got to know that there are many people who worked out with their own pets. Running pets and following owners. ^^ I was under the false impression that I was in the pet training park or something like that. It reminded me of seeing many people taking a stroll with thier dogs in neighbor. Everywhere and anytime, dogs come under my observation. (I could not took many shots of people who passed by me because I was afraid of hurting their feeling.)

That was another difference from us. Pets are increasing more and more in Korea, yet not as many as in the America. As the great part of our houses are the apartments, it is not adequate for us to keep a pet. Somehow, someone could have a pet, but almost every pet in Korea is tiny and small breed. Having a giant and big dog is rareness and seldomness. For instance, when a uncommon big dog strolled along the city park with his owner, we stared at them until they disappeared from sight. To the extent, it was unusual to have a big dog in Korea.

In the United States, they have such a big dog for pet. It might be because their country is also big so much. I already knew that the American really love having a pet, but it was really exciting for me to personally watch something in the United States that I had just heard a long way off.

Lost & Luck

I have lost my wallet twice in San Diego, and every moment the wallet returned to me, untouched. I thought I was very lucky to take back my wallet two times.

This morning, my husband came into the house, very frustrated and distracted. "I think I lost my wallet at the gas station" he said. "What?"....I yelled.

After taking kids to school, he went to the gas station to fill it up. Just at that time, his cell phone rang. He was absorbed in talking over the phone and he did not realized that he left his wallet by a lubricator. Around after 5 min. to start his car, he got to know he lost his wallet. So, he came back to the gas station in a hurry, where he guess his wallet was left. He must pray and hope that nobody took it. However, why do I am working on this blog if the wallet was there. No wallet!

Everyone is very upset when he/she loses valuables. So my husband is. In the wallet are there a credit card, Korean credit card, a student identification card, his social security number, and some cash. He grumbled that why he withdrew over $200 yesterday. Usually, he did not carry cash at all except for small money for lunch or coffee. It was more regrettable to him.

Surprisingly, he found his wallet. How? Someone who took the wallet from the gas station called a friend of my husband's whose business card was inside wallet. When my husband was quite at a loss what to do, that friend gave him a call. "Do you lose your wallet?" This question sounded like the music to my husband's ear. Frown was gone and smile came back. We presented a few Korean souvenior to someone who picked it up in token of gratitude.

My husband and I lost the wallet three time in total in the United States, and they were all returned without any touch in the least. We are lucky enough to get it back? Or people here are honest and upright? The conclusion we make is that American are credible and believable so far to us. When we had an accident in foreign country, if the result was reasonable, the image of that country is taken as good to us. Otherwise, if the output was against common sense, we are likely to feel weird to the country and to have a biased view.