Days 20 & 21: Ammmm-errr-ica

Before beginning to tell the epic that has been our rest days in Denver, we would like to formally apologize to our loyal fan base. We could use the "we are biking across America and don't have internet" excuse or the "Claire grounded us" explanation, but, at the end of the day, the blogs have not been as prevalent or timely due to poor time management -Yes, I said college students with poor time management skills. We wake up, bum arround all day, and at 12 am realize that no one has written the blog yet. Our B world, our B (to the elderly: "B" is a slang term for bad, which is a slang term for "fault," so I just said "I am sorry, it is our fault").

As history has written it, the story began on July 4th, with the fantastic four being deserted in the city of Denver for three days of rest. Mike had gone back to Wyoming, Europe for his friends wedding; Kirsten discovered and stayed with Waldo in Boulder, Co; and the social queen, Claire Fisher, hung out with one of her 1,125 facebook friends in Vail, CO. Though the motherly love held inside the Kelsall home could never be replicated, Sanford, Zane, Shane, and Jason desperately tried to solace themselves with a stay at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Denver. Thanks to the group’s business sense, and an affable manager named Jason Arrington (much better dressed than our Jason), the four were graciously given two rooms for an immensely discounted price. They had slept in the deserts of Nevada, the canyons of Utah, and the mountain passes of Denver, but, to be honest, nothing has prepared them for the pillow-top beds and feather pillows of the Ritz.

In true American fashion, after showering in their own personal tubs and steam showers, the boys headed out to the Colorado Rockies baseball game against the San Francisco Giants. Realizing that they had traveled across four states, only to attend a game they could have watched back home in San Francisco, the Hardy Boys tried to make the best of their mysterious adventure. Shane wanted to solve the case as to why Americans loved Slumdog, but don’t give the Indian’s game of cricket a chance. Twilight savant, Sanford, went people watching to make sure that there were no gremlins, werewolves, vampires, or teen heartthrobs in the bleachers of the stadium. USDA certified, Nor CAL farm hand Zane Silver was fixated on the grass of the stadium and tried to determine the origin of each blade. And, most importantly, Jason attempted to stay cool in a baseball stadium that lacked the obnoxious fans, absurd amenities, and grimy walkways that he is used to in New York.

The game was a thriller and would go down in history as the longest game ever remembered in the intoxicating brewery formally known as Coors Field. Post game, the boys took naps at the hotel and ate dinner at the renowned eatery of hometown hero John Elway. Though “Elway’s” made up for its amazing food with terrible service, the night of Independence was filled with gothic nightclubs, free limo rides, and lectures on Sub-Saharan Africa from cab drivers.

As America woke up one year older, the gang laid in their ultra comfortable beds and debated prolonging their stay. In the end, the distressed bunch finally managed to get out of their beds and were forced to call the bell hop up to pack their bags and take them down to the car. Those poor kids! The group was scheduled to stay with Shane’s family friends, the Stein family, for the next two days, and with their car freshly cleaned the four headed out to Aurora, CO for their final two days of rest. Arriving at the Stein’s home, the boys thought that they had accidently driven back to the Ritz. The beautiful home lay on edge of the Aurora Reservoir, and the Rockies etch-a-sketched a perfect skyline vista from the second floor patio. Mr. and Mrs. Stein, along with their son Nate and daughter Lindsey, complimented their welcoming home with friendly humor, and Mr. Stein’s love for the Red Sox even cracked THE Jason Lupatkin. In fact, in finding out that Jason was a Yankee fan, the Massachusetts bred Stein family was kind enough to let Jason sleep outside, within their fence, so that Coyotes would not eat him at night.

Relaxing in the Stein household on the 5th was the perfect ending to the first third of our journey. The sense of home refreshed all of us - with family discussions on the couch and a mother's seasoning of love on dinner - but, most memorable, was the Stein’s overall approach to life. Four strangers, later featuring Claire, had come into their home, and within hours, they were treated as part of the family. Every amenity was offered, every bed was given, and the nature of our hosts will always stick with us. We are slowly learning that it is the people of this land that make this country special - It is families like the Mongas, Gartons, the Kelsalls, and the Steins who give everything they can to others and treat all like their kinship. FACE AIDS and nonprofits in this country have the opportunity to make a difference because of these families, and waking up each day underneath a new roof each day has reminded us that we are lucky to live in the friendly, amber waves of grain that are America.