My Skyventure Adventure

Last week my husband and I decided to spice life up a bit. We signed up for an indoor skydiving session at Skyventure up near the Park Meadows Mall. You know, just a sweet little lunch date in the middle of the week. No big deal, right?

My husband has made a reservation for us to see what this place is all about. (The wonderful staff at Skyventure recommend making a reservation, but it is not required.) When we get there, we are given a form to fill out. It's that form you always have to fill out saying that you won't sue if you die....this inspires a lot of confidence, let me tell you. It also asks if you have ever dislocated a shoulder, if you have heart problems, or if you are pregnant. Since our answers were no, no and no, we were ready to meet our instructor, Mike.

After introductions, Mike leads us to a small room and asks us to watch a video about the experience. Unlike most instructional videos, this one is actually short and to the point. It lasted about 5 minutes, perfect for my short attention span. After it ends, Mike comes back in and makes sure we understood all of the hand signals and answers any questions we have. It all seems so simple. This makes me very nervous.

Mike leads us over to a counter where we are outfitted for our adventure. We are given knee and elbow pads and sexiest purple and yellow jumpsuits anyone could imagine. Raawwwrrrr, I was lookin' hot! We were then told to make sure our shoes were strapped on tight and shown what happens to them if they fly off. Not a pretty sight. They looked like my neighbor's dog used them as a chew toy. This wind tunnel is no joke! After that, I thankfully took my helmet, goggles and ear plugs. Feeling very safe, we proceeded to the benches that surround the wind tunnel.

Due to the fact that I am somewhat clumsy and not very athletic, I let the husband go first. Bad idea. He's a former gymnast and takes to the wind tunnel like a fish to water. Mike's jaw drops and I can see the beginnings of a man-crush. After two minutes of perfection, my husband comes out of the wind tunnel and the instructors are actually clapping. Great, how am I supposed to follow that? I find my way to the door of the tunnel and manage to forget everything I just learned. Somehow, I make it in. Suddenly, I'm exhilarated and terrified at the same time. This is definitely more difficult than the video made it seem, but Mike's instructions are clear and I am able to get stable enough to quell the panic attack building inside of me. I spent the two minutes trying not to bump into the walls and trying to stay stable. When my time was up, Mike led me to the door and I gratefully took a seat. We each had one more turn left. The husband continued to impress during his time. When my turn came around, I did a little better, but still was not sold on this adventure. Then, Mike took things into his own hands. Actually, they were my ankle and my side. He grabbed onto me and took me flying up the tunnel and back down again. Then, we did a really fast turn and then up again. At that moment, I was hooked.

After our flight, and several minutes of bro-mance with my husband, we are given nifty little certificates and invitations to come back. We walked out the door feeling a little surreal, very windblown and aching to come back again.

I definitely recommend this activity to people who are looking for some adventure. It is a little pricey, though. Due to the fact that prices sometimes change, I'll direct you to the website for the cost.

Here's the info:

address:

9230 Park Meadows Drive

Littleton, CO

(303) 768-9000

http://skyventurecolorado.com/index.php

Definitely check out the website! It's got a ton of info and a great video to watch!

Happy Exploring!

The Girl Around Town

The Mesa Drive-In, Pueblo

A few nights ago, my husband and I were trying to solve our dilemma of wanting to go to the movies and not having a babysitter. This happens a lot in our family. Usually, we end up doing a sort of movie leap-frog where we take turns going to the theater and then talking about the movie afterward. This...is...pathetic.

Luckily, the answer to our problem came quickly and painlessly in the form of the Mesa drive-in. Just about a 40-minute drive from the south end of the Springs, this little blast from the past is a lot of fun for a little dough. The price of admission is $7.50 for 12 and up and free for the kiddos. Each screen plays a double feature. I love two-for-one! There are three screens, meaning three different double-features to choose from and there is always a kid's feature!

If you forget to bring your own snacks, there is a well-stocked concession stand centrally located between all three screens. They not only have really tasty popcorn, but also a wide assortment of yummy fried food options. The fried onion rings smelled a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Next to the concession stand are the restrooms. Word to the wise...bring some Purell. There was no soap at the sinks. This definitely ups the "eww" factor, but not enough to keep me from coming back.

After you are snacked-up and ready to go, you have to wait for the sun to go down for the start of the movie. In our case, the movie started around 9:15pm, which means a really late start time for the second feature. Luckily, they always show the newest movie first so you can leave if its getting too late without missing out.

The greatest part of my night was introducing something new to my kids. They really enjoy watching movies, but hate having to sit still in the theater. They loved being able to find different perches in the car and sprawling out with their blankets. I also loved the fact that my youngest passed out 30 minutes into the first movie and was completely comfortable while I was free to roam. My husband's favorite feature of the drive-in is that you can turn around and see what's playing on the other screens. We've decided to spare ourselves from having to watch the kid's movies next time by bringing a radio with wireless headsets!

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes to stay up late, watch movies and snuggle with your loved-ones. It's laid back and easy and does not have to put a huge dent in your wallet. Although there's a little bit of driving involved, the experience and the popcorn are worth it!

Mesa Drive-In Info:

2620 Santa Fe Drive
Pueblo CO 81006

(719) 542-3345

cash only!

There is no website. You have to call for show listings and other information.

Happy Exploring!

The Girl Around Town

A little bit about me

Welcome to my blog!

For my debut post, I have decided to write a little bit about myself and my reasons for creating this blog. To start off, I am a resident of Colorado Springs and have been for almost 18 years now. I am married and have two beautiful toddler-aged girls. I'm still (barely) in my twenties and am also a student at UCCS. My two biggest hobbies are writing and trying new things. Hence, the blog!

While the Springs has been my home for a very long time, I feel as though I have been missing out on the truly cool stuff there is to do around here. I've toured the Air Force Academy and have taken several hikes through the Garden of the Gods, but I am convinced there are other unknown gems out there waiting to be discovered. Whether they are restaurants, shops, or fun activities, I am committed to sniffing them out and telling you about them. I will warn you that some of my posts may be about well-known places too. I want this to be a thorough account of fun things to do around town and across the front range. I invite anyone to send me ideas of places to explore and to comment on my experiences as well. I also have to warn that this is not an outdoorsy kind of blog either. While I enjoy the occaisional nature-walk, I'm not a hardcore hiker and camper. In other words, I usually like to stay close to areas with cell phone service and running water.

To conclude, I hope you enjoy my posts and that they are informative and entertaining. If you do like them, spread the word and get your friends to check me out too! Happy exploring!

The Girl Around Town