If you live in Colorado, or have ever been to Casa Bonita, it needs no explanation. In fact, it is kind of hard to describe. I usually tell people you just have to see it.
However, I do try to explain that while Casa Bonita is a great, fun place for kids, the food isn’t exactly the best Mexican food you will ever eat. Most adults like to eat before they go. But you will still have to buy a plate of ‘Alimento mexicano delicioso.’ After a few bites of your food, okay really only after one bite, you remember why you never eat the food at Casa Bonita, and just raise the flag for the unlimited sopapillas.
When you are done eating the sopapillas, then the fun really starts, especially if you have kids. Our fun started during dinner, because Ryan and Cole LOVED the gorilla show. They were entranced by it. It didn’t matter the adults couldn’t make out a word the high school actors were saying- I think the sound equipment there dates back to the year Casa Bonita opened which was in 1974.
During dinner, the Mariachis band came to our table and asked whose birthday it was. They didn’t care when we said no one at our table was having a birthday. They started playing, right behind my niece, Maelin’s, highchair. She is 21 months old, and we thought she would start screaming, because she doesn’t like loud noises, and the band was loud. But after her initial shock, she started smiling and bopping along to the music. It was very cute. She even waved good-bye to the band as they left.
By now, Ryan and Cole could not contain their excitement anymore. They had to get out and explore. Since I was still finishing my third sopapilla for dinner, my brother, Uncle Jeff, said he’d take the boys exploring. Here is a picture before they set out:
We caught up a few minutes later with the boys and Jeff at the waterfall, where a diver had just dived. He was really good. He came over and gave the boys high five’s. I think he was happy because we were the only people cheering and clapping for him. I managed to get the boys to kind of sit still for 2 seconds for a picture:
The attraction the Ryan, Cole, and Maelin loved the most was this:
They loved jumping on these wooden planks above the water. They had a blast. The boys also got to participate in the breaking of a pinata, and Uncle Jeff introduced the boys to skee ball. He won enough tickets for them to each have a little car, and an airplane. The boys were in heaven.
When I was growing up, a few years ago, 🙂 there was a treasure room at Casa Bonita. The server would bring the kids Casa Bonita money in the sopapilla basket, and on the way out you could exchange your dollar for a ‘treasure.” I remember always getting a piece of candy. The treasure room is no more- it is an aquarium now, but right next to it are some rides and Ryan and Cole enjoyed them.
It was fun to be able to take Ryan and Cole to a place that I remember going to when I wasn’t that much older than they are. Considering my sister lives 10 minutes from Casa Bonita, I am sure we will be back. It is a great place to watch your children be children, and to have a few hours of fun with them.