Visit to Santa
Greetings to everyone.
Today was a busy day for everyone. It began two weeks ago when Rebecca asked what holiday activities did we want to do this year as a family. She had already lined several up, including a trip to Colorado Springs to hear Handel's Messiah and an overnight on the grounds of Glen Eyrie Castle, where we listened to the concert.
Of course, we had to get a Santa visit in. The malls have moved Santa from a fun family affair to a monetized machine. This year, Rebecca discovered Union Station in Denver was having a free visit with Santa from 10:00 through 14:00. Pictures available if the parents took them. She even went so far as to go downtown and check out the setting to determine if it was worth going.
It was decided. We all got out of bed early and had a simple breakfast. Then, to the early service at church so we could make the 10 to 2 window.
Last year, we took Xavier on the Santa Train down in Canyon City. This year, we took Xavier on the light rail into Denver to see Santa. It would be his first time on the light rail.
Xavier enjoyed the train into Denver. After getting off the train, we walked to the station and put our name on the waiting list. Only a few minutes, we thought, no more than thirty. Three hours we were told.
Xavier spent some time making friends with other boys waiting to see Santa, playing shuffleboard.
As it was nearing lunch (we had an early breakfast), and Santa was totally up on modern technology, apps and texting, we three left the station in search of food.
After walking in the cold (it was a little frigid today), we boarded the 16th Street Mall bus. We targeted a pizzeria (it sounded good to us all, not just Xavier), got off the bus and walked several blocks (did I mention the cold?) only to discover Google was wrong about the pizzeria's open time. No way were we waiting another hour or so exposed to the elements.
We walked our way back to 16th Street and found another pizzeria we had spotted from the bus. It was open, and warm and had tasty pizza by the slice.
After lunch, we walked down the street and visited the Christmas Market. Once we exhausted what could be seen there, we hopped back on the bus and returned to Union Station.
After warming ourselves with hot chocolate, we explored the station a little. We were on the second floor when Santa's savvy app texted us to come get in line. We had been tracking our place in line by the app, which let us know what place in line we had, and how fast the line was moving.
We got in line, which moved us to the front in about fifteen minutes. Xavier jumped up on Santa's lap, posed for photos, then laid out his wish list: a train.
Santa said he'd "see what he could do." He instructed Xavier to leave an apple out for his reindeer.
We walked back to the W line and returned home on the light rail.
It was a fun day for us all.