The phrase I associate with my Great Aunt Carmen Aragon is "Party, party, party." And she has definitely passed the party gene on to her three daughters and two sons. So anytime they all come together is bound to be an enjoyable time.
So it's only fitting that they would hold a grand celebration for Aunt Carmen's birthday as she turned 90, a milestone occasion that I had been anticipating for a long time.
It was a great opportunity to travel the 1000-mile distance out to Denver to celebrate with her and the throng who gathered.
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| In front of Aunt Carmen's house |
Friday, July 28, 2023
I was on my way around 12:30 PM when a church friend picked me up at my homebase and drove me to Chicago Union Station. I was filled with excitement as I thought about the trip ahead.
(Please note that all time on Friday are central, and all other times are MDT, unless otherwise specified, especially on Wednesday. And all photos are mine unless otherwise specified.)
By 1 PM, I was at the station, and passed the time for a few minutes as I waited for the boarding call.
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| The info board at Chicago Union Station shows train #5, the westbound California Zephyr, near the top of the list. |
As I waited for an opening in the line to the platform to board, I saw the Buchanan family, who live on the same block where I grew up. I started chatting with them as we made our way onboard.
There was a hiccup with the seating assignments, and the train left around 2:06, at which point, I still didn't have a seat. Soon enough, though, I was in my spot and taking in the views of the Lower West Side and the suburbs, including Berwyn with many of the same North-South streets as in Oak Park. Because the person next to me was fuming at someone on the phone, I decided to find a different spot to hang out for a while. I also ate the dinner I brought with me.
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| Alex, who's on the block from where I grew up, photographed me in front of a coach car on the train while we had a fresh air stop at Galesburg. |
As the train traveled through Illinois, I visited with the Buchanans and also some other fellow passengers. Around 6 PM, the train crossed the Mississippi River into Iowa, with the first Iowa station stop within sight of the river.
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| Bridge over the Mississippi River, looking east from Iowa to Illinois from the back of the train |
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| View looking north on the Mississippi River, right by Burlington, IA |
An added sense of joy came when the train reached Ottumwa about an hour later. It was a fresh air stop. I got off immediately and called Mom, who was already in the Denver Metro Area, to share the experience of being there, not to mention photo messages with her siblings.
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| Just west of the Ottumwa train station |
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| View from the back of the train as it departs the Ottumwa train station, which is a lighter-colored building appearing just left of the center of the photo |
As the train continued through Iowa, I watched Finding Nemo in the lounge car. As the sun set, I took in the views and photographed it, sharing the joy of the experience with a family sitting near me in the lounge car.
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| Sunset between Ottumwa and Osceola |
I lingered in the lounge car for a while after the sunset listening to Father Dave's flute music as we neared Nebraska.
While I bedded down by 11 PM CDT, I got up to walk around on the platform in Omaha around midnight.
Saturday, July 29
The following morning I got myself up around 5 AM MDT to view the sunrise over the eastern plains of Colorado.
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| A fellow passenger who was up early in the lounge car photographs me posing to signify train #5. |
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| Directly above and directly below are photos of the sunrise in northeast Colorado, east of Fort Morgan. |
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| Sunrise as it appears at the train stop in Fort Morgan |
It was spectacular, as were the views of the Rockies that emerged in the horizon after the stop at Fort Morgan.
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| Off in the distance appear the mountains as the train travels beside I-76, southeast of Fort Morgan on the approach to the Denver Metro Area |
The train officially arrived at Denver Union Station after its reverse maneuver around 8 AM.
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| Scene from the train wrapped around a curve as it maneuvers into the Denver Union Station |
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| Here's the train at Denver Union Station. |
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| Morning scene at Denver Union Station |
I walked over to a nearby platform and boarded the G-Line RTD train to Pecos Junction, where I arrived by 8:30-8:40.
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| Here's the G-Line train I rode. |
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| Mural at the Pecos Junction station |
Soon afterwards, Laura arrived, with Mom in the car, to pick me up and take me to her home in Westminster, which was abuzz with the grandchildren and a plumber. There was some breakfast with pancakes waiting for me, which I enjoyed.
I stayed around Westminster until the early afternoon. Around 1 PM, Mom and I accompanied Laura for some shopping errands. By 2:30, we were at Aunt Carmen's house, where I visited until 4 PM. Dad came and then a group of us went to 4:30 Mass at Assumption Church--please see the photo below of the church's exterior.
Following Mass, John, Vivian, and I looked around at the fest happening that evening. Then we drove to Cynthia and Mark's house in Arvada, where most everyone was gathered for a pre-party featuring a potluck-style dinner--shown in the photo below. The party spilled into the outside yard in the very pleasant evening.
I then returned with Aunt Carmen to her house along with Grandma Vel, and I spent the night there.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
The excitement on the day of Aunt Carmen's birthday was palpable from the moment I awoke on this Sunday morning. Abuela was up early, and eagerly ready to serenade her sister, and I emerged from my bed in the basement to join Abuela.
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| The morning sun shining on the backyard of Aunt Carmen's home |
As I tended to breakfast, Dad arrived, at the end of a walk from where he was staying. Shortly before 9 AM, Chris arrived, and he agreed to take me to the nearby Holy Trinity Church for 9 AM Mass. The thing that stood out to me about the sanctuary was that there were glass windows, instead of stained glass. So I could turn my head and look out the window at the mountains, which was especially appropriate in the opening lyrics of the recessional hymn: "I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise..."
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| Holy Trinity Church |
After lingering at the Church, I started walking toward Laura/Doug's house, and I stopped at a McDonald's on the way to have my customary Sunday morning pancakes. Then I arrived at Laura/Doug's house, and from there Dad took me back to Aunt Carmen's house. I then went to a McDonald's just north of her to use the Internet for a while, and then walked back and got myself ready for the grand celebration. It was a great honor to ride in the car of Mark 1, who drove Aunt Carmen, Abuela, and me to the celebration.
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| Aunt Carmen and me posing for Abuela before we three got picked up for the party. |
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| Abuela and Aunt Carmen as they walk into the venue at the Westminster Recreation Center. |
We arrived around 1:30, and there were many people already there in the rented room at the Westminster Recreation Center. There were many large windows with great views of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to the northwest, and spacious patio areas outside, too.
People began lining up for the meal of burritos and the Denver classic of green chile around 2:30. Then the mariachi band started up some very festive music. It was lively, grand, exuberant atmosphere. I enjoyed making the rounds and visiting with my extended relatives and other guests, not to mention enjoying the mountain views. Later, people began enjoying the cupcakes that were specially decorated. Toward the end, John made a few remarks and then played a video tribute to Aunt Carmen with photos from throughout her life.
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| The cupcakes |
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| The burritos, with a tray of green chile appearing to the far right |
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| The mariachis |
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| Here's what I had for my meal. |
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| There were such great views of the Rocky Mountains looking to the northwest from the patio outside the rented room. |
The gathered attendees were dispersing by 5 PM, when the time for the room rental ended. I made my way with my parents to Laura and Doug's house for the after-party, as there was lots more to celebrate. We lingered in their carport for a while before my cousin Mark 2 and his friend Nicki arrived with dinner, which was by 7 PM. We had a variety of Chinese dishes. I also put out a bowl of microwaveable Illinois popcorn from the Oak Park Farmers' Market, which was a big hit.
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| The spread of Chinese dishes at the after-party |
Later, I went with Aunt Carmen back to her house and was present with a small group of relatives as she started opening her cards. Then, I went to Cynthia and Mark's house, where I would spend the next two nights. It was a pleasant night while riding with Mark 1.
Monday, July 31
I went to 8:30 Mass at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Arvada. The interior of the church had a fine wooden, natural look, and the grounds outside were splendidly landscaped.
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| Above is the interior of St. Joan of Arc Parish and directly below is the exterior. |
Afterwards, I joined Cynthia and Mark for breakfast, and, in accordance with my my inclination, we ate outside in the pleasantly warm and sunny morning, eating, among other items, leftover burritos, bacon, and some pastries baked in the oven.
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| Breakfast at the Grubbs home in the yard |
By 11:30, Mom and Dad arrived, and a few minutes later, I joined them for an outing to Golden, just to the west, up in the mountains. We stopped at the Colorado Railroad Museum to get a few photos from the outside, since it was closed.
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| Train equipment on display at the Colorado Railroad Museum |
From there, we headed to downtown Golden.
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| View of downtown Golden on Washington Avenue, looking northwesterly |
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| Washington Avenue Bridge over Clear Creek |
We walked around for a few minutes. Mom and I ended up at the visitors' center, where I found some postcards. For lunch, we ate at the Golden Diner.
Then, we headed east, and ended up at Aunt Carmen's house, where John and many in his family were visiting. I walked up the hill at Skyview Park to take in the incredible views of the Rockies and the Denver skyline.
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| Southerly view looking toward downtown Denver's skyline |
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| Westerly view looking toward the Rocky Mountains |
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| Skyview Park, looking up toward the water tower container |
By 4:30, I was at the Westminster RTD station, waiting for the B Line train to reach Union Station. Once there, I met up with a number of other relatives, and we went to get food and drink at the Wynkoop. I had a bison burger with sweet potato fries.
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| Exterior of the Wynkoop |
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| My dinner |
Once I finished, Dad and I walked to Coors Field, where most everyone had gone ahead for the Rockies vs. Padres game. It was delayed from its 6:40 start time because of a thunderstorm. The national anthem was performed around 8:50, and then the game started at about 9 PM. Despite the rain delay, and even my general lack of interest in sports, I enjoyed the opportunity of having a good time hanging out with everyone.
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| Coors Field, as we all wait for the game to start |
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| Cynthia and Mark were kind enough to buy me something from the concession stand, and then one of them photographed me with an ice cream cone. |
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| The video display during the game |
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| Scene on the field during the game |
I left with Cynthia and Mark I around 10:40 and we walked to Union Station to board the G Line to Arvada, where I would spend the night at their house.
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
I left Cynthia and Mark's house around 8:45 and rode with Cynthia, who picked up Mom and Dad in Westminster. Then we stopped at Aunt Carmen's house for a few minutes. And then, Abuela joined us and Cynthia took them to the airport. She then drove me to downtown Denver and dropped me off by the State Capitol, where I began partaking in the festivities for Colorado's birthday. It was a great follow-up to Aunt Carmen's birthday because I associate Colorado with all the relatives who have descended from Aunt Carmen and have hosted us for wonderful times during visits I've made there.
Inside the capitol, there were tables and other special displays inside the halls of the State Capitol, along with birthday cake, lemonade, and sugar cookies decorated with the Colorado "C" baked by someone on the governor's staff. I also decided to buy a capitol passport book, as I look forward to getting stamps for the capitols I have yet to visit.
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| Here's the piece of Colorado birthday cake I selected. |
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| The rotunda of the Colorado State Capitol |
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| Colorado "C" cookies on one of the display tables |
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| A fellow visitor photographed me under the Colorado Day banner. |
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| The east side exterior of the Colorado State Capitol |
Next, I walked a couple blocks east to the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for 12:10 Mass--please see the photo directly below.
The inside of the cathedral is painted white, and it gives the sanctuary a light, airy, and heavenly aura--please see the photo directly below.
I lingered after Mass to admire the space, and pray before a relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis, present as part of a pilgrimage for the National Eucharistic Revival, and Servant of God Julia Greeley's tomb.
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| Servant of God Julia Greeley's tomb is the white sarcophagus beyond the kneeler and the candle stands |
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| Relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis |
I had left the Cathedral by 1:15 and made my way west to attempt boarding a bus along Broadway. By 1:35, a bus had come, and cut down on some of the mile-plus walking distance to my next stop for the day's festivities, the Colorado Governor's Residence at the Boettcher Mansion, on 8th Avenue. This day was one of the few days of the year when it was open for the public to visit. Upon arriving around 1:45, a volunteer told me a little bit about the history of the home. It was built by a prominent Denver family, then passed to new owners, before eventually becoming the Governor's residence. The rooms on the first floor were splendid in their design and furnishings. The area on the south side was so light-filled with large glass windows and light paint on the walls. I'm glad I was in town to have this opportunity.
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| The main hallway on the first floor |
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| Columbines, the Colorado state flower, on the carpet |
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| Dining room table |
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| This room toward the south end of the residence was filled with daylight coming through the glass windows. |
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| Plates on the dining room table |
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| Library bookshelves |
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| One of the volunteer docents photographed me by the piano in one of the rooms. |
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| Appearing to the left is a collection of gubernatorial photos |
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| The exterior of the south side of the residence |
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| A fellow visitor photographed me as I stand on the south side of the residence's grounds. |
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| The main entrance of the residence, facing 8th Avenue. |
Then I started heading back north, with the intention of making a short stop at the History Colorado Center, but finding something for lunch first. As I walked north on Lincoln, I saw a place called Pizza and Grill, which I felt would suit me. I had a smoked turkey sandwich.
By 3 PM, I was on my way to the History Colorado Center. It had quite a schedule of festivities, including musicians and other performers throughout the day, along with free admission in celebration of Colorado's birthday. When I arrived, there was a Japanese drum group of musicians performing in the main lobby, with views all the way up to the skylight roof. Also in the lobby was a replica of the NBA championship trophy for the Denver Nuggets. I looked around at some of the exhibits, including photography, Denver A to Z, and pioneer life in Colorado.
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| Rocky the Lion holds a replica of the Nuggets' NBA Championship Trophy |
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| Inside the main lobby of the museum |
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| Looking down at the Colorado map on the floor of the museum lobby |
Once I finished my visit there, I went to the Denver Public Library for a short time to do a small errand. After I completed it, I walked north past the Denver City-County Building to board the 16th Street Mall bus back to Union Station, which ran on a detour since the mall was under construction. I made a quick stop for specially-brewed root beer at the Wynkoop before boarding the G Line to Arvada.
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| central Denver Public Library |
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| Denver City-County Building, directly west of the Colorado State Capitol |
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| the 105th Meridian passing through the plaza in front of Denver Union Station |
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| Old Town Arvada |
Dinner was served upon my arrival back at the Grubbs house, just before 6 PM, an enchilada casserole dish. I then relaxed for the next couple of hours or so, and visited with Margarita, Joe, and Ezekiel who were there.
Around 9:30, Cynthia took me back to the G Line and I rode it to Union Station under a moonlit sky. Upon arriving there, I went to mail a few postcards and settled in for the long wait for Amtrak train #6, which was expected around 1:40 AM.
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| The full moon as it appears from the Arvada Ridge G-Line station |
Wednesday, August 2
Through the nighttime hours, the delay increased further. I ended up making the tough call to undo my train reservation and get an early morning flight out of the Denver airport to Midway. I was glad to reflect on the trip on the ride back to Oak Park with Matt, who I know from church, and was kind enough to pick me up.
In the Bible, mountains are often important places of encounter with God. They certainly have an inherently majestic quality to them that focuses our gaze upwards. That idea provides a notable backdrop for this trip to Colorado. The mountain views are totally scenic, especially as the Denver Metro Area is set just enough east to give great views of them.
Yet I associate Colorado not just with mountains and great sightseeing, but also with my wonderful relatives there. I always have a great time when I'm there with them. I'm stirred inside when I think about how much I've enjoyed every visit to the Denver area on account of those majestic views and the family I have there.
As I anticipated this trip, I knew I was in for a good time, and it exceeded my expectations. What amazed me this time was how intense of a period of celebration we had. It was indeed intense in a really good way, showing itself in the enormous scale of the celebration for her 90-year birthday, which overflowed into multiple days, and certainly from the moment I awoke on her birthday and felt a uniquely palpable sense of excitement.
Aunt Carmen is having an incredible life journey, and I'm glad that I've been part of it, and most especially to be with her to celebrate her birthday for the second time on the actual day, and to be there for a milestone occasion this time around. In that light, it was special to be picked up from her house and ride with her to the celebration on that Sunday.
As far as Aunt Carmen is concerned, she surely wanted nothing more than for everyone to have a good time celebrating with her, which is exactly what I feel is the case with everyone who gathered. The jolly celebration speaks to who Aunt Carmen is as a person. I've enjoyed visits with her so much because of her gracious and overflowing sense of hospitality. She truly welcomes those who come to her home. Her love has given us so much reason to celebrate, and it's a marvel to behold how many people have been blessed by it. It's great to see how the celebratory/party spirit is sustained in the succeeding generations. This visit further displayed and underscored how her abundant spirit of hospitality also flows to her children, and I'm grateful for how graciously they hosted us throughout our stay. I certainly enjoyed visiting with all the extended relatives throughout my stay.
Yes, each of the approximately 1,000 miles I traveled to be in Denver has been worthwhile for each trip, especially this time. Traveling by train gave me the chance to really appreciate the experience of the journey as we headed toward the land as it rises up in elevation, and being able to share the experience with fellow passengers with each passing hour and each passing mile. It was an appropriate way to get myself in the mood for celebrating Aunt Carmen's birthday, because life is a journey and along the way there are many important markers, each with its own meaning and purpose, just like all the geographical markers along the way, including the crossing of the Mississippi and then Missouri Rivers. There was special meaning even to the cities the train passed through, like the personal meaning for me of Ottumwa and Omaha.
My interest in geography that started early in life has made me eager to connect with other places, and I'm glad that I have been able to connect with the mountainous west in Colorado through my family there, and that I had so much reason to celebrate Colorado's birthday while partaking of festivities in central Denver, and, in a similar spirit, hanging out with family at a Rockies home game at Coors Field. My connections to Colorado give me as much reason to celebrate as anyone who lives there.
Having lived the vast majority of my life in Illinois, a rather flat place, I can appreciate the mountain setting, and feel inspired looking out as I see the Rockies rise up from the earth before me. And just as mountains are important places of encounter with God, so they are also places to see glimpses of Heaven. This visit to the Denver area inspired me by giving me a glimpse of the joys of Heaven through the love of God that radiates from Aunt Carmen and how we all share it and did so in a special way as we celebrated her milestone birthday of 90 years.
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| Aunt Carmen appears sitting in the chair. From left to right are Dad, Mom, Cythnia, Abuela, and me. I opted to get this family photo on the morning of August 1, before Mom, Dad, and Abuela went back to Chicago, and before I went to celebrate Colorado's birthday. Thanks to Aunt Carmen's assistant Helen for this photo. |
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