Alena's Day on the Town

It was a gorgeous day for Alena's field trip schedule for the day
8:00 leave the school to walk to the bus stop
8:15 catch the bus to the lightrail
8:30 lightrail to downtown Denver
9:20 arrive downtown walk to capital building
9:35 start climbing to the dome
10:05 leave capital building walk across Larimar Square to the Byers-Evans Home Museum
10:15 arrive museum begin "afternoon in the past"
11:30 leave for lunch
noon lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory
1:00 head to the lightrail go back to the school
2:30 back to school and end of the day

so the schedule looks great and easy enough to follow YEAH right!!!

went a little more like this
8:07 left the school and RAN to the bus stop about 3 city blocks away with 26 children and 8 adults. 1/2 a block away we see the bus crossing the intersection....speed it up just a bit!
hold up the bus while we validate 34 bus vouchers oh the people just loved us
8:40 arrive at lightrail station and again RUN across a busy terminal and up two flights of stairs onto the lightrail platform where thank goodness sits the lightrail WHEW
9:35 arrive downtown and miss the free shuttle bus that will take us about two blocks closer to the capital building but now add those two blocks to yet another lovely run
9:45 get to the capital and cram our party through the metal detectors oh yeah the security guards loved us
begin our climb up to the dome and remember what is denver? oh yes the mile high city and please do not think that this bit of fact was left out of building the capital building.
So the climb to the base of the dome is approximately and I say approximate because I didn't count but the children in our group did and the approximate total was 145 stairs. We get to the base of the dome and meet our guide that gives us not only a needed breather but also a little information on the building we are in. Then off we go again to the mid section of the dome adding another 66 stairs.
We quickly ooh and aah out the windows and take pictures to save this moment in about 10 minutes give or take a minute or two.
Then we crammed back down narrow, windowless stairwell so we can leave the building and start across Larimar Square to our next destination
10:30 we are now 1/2 hr late but arrive at the museum and boogey to get the the skit and tour started
11:45 leave the museum and start the cross town walk to lunch the kids are all thirsty, tired and hungry this is a great combination!
12:05 YEAH food and liquid we are happy to see that our tables are set and there is a salad and drinks waiting for us.
We eat and everyone is happy
1:15 leave the restaurant and head to the lightrail and wouldn't you know it we see it pulling away sooooooo it's another 10-15 minutes for next one and we now have 26 rejuvinated children and 8 exhausted adults sitting in front of the downtown courthouse. The children are all over the place and screaming like indians.
1:40 onto the lightrail and back to the school and whoohoo we get to the terminal and the bus is waiting
2:15 onto the bus
2:35 back to school WHEW our day is done and we have made it back with all 26 children and 8 adults