(Listening to “Narcolepsy” by Third Eye Blind)
The wife and I both Labor Day off, so with the temperature forecasted to be in the 90’s, we decided to take the kids to the beach! Finding a beach in Colorado is difficult, but we found one at the Aurora Reservoir and it’s a great time.
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and one of the things I miss most about living in Denver is the water. In Washington, water seemed to be everywhere. From where I lived, it was a 20 minute drive to Birch Bay, it was a 25 minute drive to where some of my friends lived on Lake Whatcom, and a lot of water also fell from the sky. I’ve spent my fair share of time near water and I loved it.
Colorado is different. Obviously, it’s land locked, so going to the ocean is out of the question, and there aren’t a lot of lakes here either, save for a few reservoirs. The wife had been to the Aurora Reservoir a few weeks ago and I had never been, so when we were trying to think of something to do for Labor Day, we said, “Let’s go to the beach!” So, the wife made us lunches, packed the cooler, we grabbed our beach gear, and off we went! As it turns out, it’s a really cool place and $10 well spent.
From our house, it takes about 30 minutes to get to the Aurora Reservoir Recreation Area. Once we got there, it felt like we were 4 hours from home. There was a big body of water and a nice sandy beach. The place was busy due to the holiday. Sun canopies were everywhere, grills were going, lifeguards were on duty, people were either in the water or lying on their beach towels soaking in the rays. It had a 1950’s feel to it, except the bathing suits were different.
It was a great time and a great little way to escape the city without having to go too far. I know we’ll be going back, and we’ll probably be taking some people with us. Anyway, here are some pictures from our time at the beach!
Welcome to the Aurora Reservoir!
This is the view when you first walk into the beach area. Not too shabby at all! Water!!!
Littles was in her Elsa and Anna swimsuit and ready to go!
Littles couldn’t wait to get into the water. It was a little chilly at first, but it was very refreshing.
A trip to the beach isn’t complete without trying to build a sandcastle. Littles and Tiny though it was more fun to smush them.
Littles and Tiny playing together. Tiny’s face is clean, for the moment. It would be covered in sand in less than 5 minutes.
Me and Tiny walking in the water. The wife says, “Moms never make it into the pictures. They’re too busy being moms.”
Like I said, people had all of their canopies out and the grills going.
There’s also a great shaded play area for the kids at the reservoir.
Lunch!
- The great thing about going outside and spending time in the sun is the kids were beat. When we got home, Tiny took a nap, I mowed the lawn, and the wife took Littles to get pedicures.
After Littles and the wife got back, it was still hot outside, so we decided to hunker down in the basement, make some popcorn, and watch a movie. With the ladies occupied, dad took a rest.
Tiny feeding the wife popcorn. She thought it was hilarious.
Thanks for having us! We’ll be back!
If you’re ever trying to think of something fun to do, make sure to keep the Aurora Reservoir in mind. You can’t beat a day at the beach, even if the beach is in Colorado!
Dad vs. Human 