As bad as yesterday was—as taxing, as trying, as scummy-hotel disappointing—today is different. I am still as tried as could be…but everything is coddling me.

The flat-flat land of Kansas got rollier. More dynamic; dramatic. The mountains popped up at a single turn in the road, the peaks snow covered on this near-May day. The Rockies are the back wall for everything here. Quite amazing. Effortless. Always there. More about the land in the next post.

Highways. More highways. 75mph, which made the miles fly. Flew around Denver, not into. “Into” is for tomorrow.

The Drury Hotel. Pet friendly. No problem. The desk guy was as nice as could be. Let me check in although I was here hours early. This hotel is everything the other was not: clean. Tidy. Cared-for. The people are easygoing and warm.

I’ve been concerned about the kitties; about how they would respond to a closed-in space after the freedom of the riverhouse. Clancy has been sitting in the window since we got here, fascinated by the movement on the roads and in the sky. The view has taken away his cat-anxiety.

GPS has paid for itself again. Counter-guy’s great directions were wasted on me. Found the P.F. Chang’s, located in what I can only describe as an amusement park of shopping fabulousness. Knew I could get a couple of things I really liked there (chicken lettuce wraps and peanut tofu with vegs). Asked for a table with a view of the mountains. No problem. (This shot from my phone is duller and less magnificent than the real thing; the mountains are much more present, the colors brighter and more dynamic.) Unlike other locales that would have hockey or basketball on the TVs, this place had bicycle racing, a love of mine. Everybody in the place looked as if they stepped out of a Robert Redford dinner party.

The food was about as perfect as it could be. The Albarino was wonderful. A rainstorm was coming in off the Rockies, painting the sky with streaks of cornflower blue…as I got to the parking lot the rain started, beautiful and soft. The GPS found my way back without trying; strange to have such faith in a device…but I do.

And I found the Light Rail; found that I can take it downtown and walk to where I need to go tomorrow, to start looking at places to live.

Lynn is happy. More tomorrow.