My sons have tired of summer vacations consisting of long road trips. We’ve seen most of the interesting sights within a day’s drive over the last ten years. And having taken a true vacation to paradise in February, a more extravagant summer vacation didn’t seem called for.

Instead we’ve decided to create "Family Friday," days when we play tourist in our own town. Last Friday, we treated ourselves with an outing to the Tattered Cover (one of the largest independent bookstores in the US), visiting their newest store in a renovated historic Denver theatre. The Tattered Cover is known not only for its large selection but also for their quirky, comfy chairs, the type you might remember from visiting an elderly aunt’s house as a kid. The TC was known for encouraging lounging long before it became popular at Borders or Barnes and Noble. We are a family of readers, so getting lost in a new bookstore was a perfect way to spend a couple of hours.

While our minds were being fed, our stomaches were still waiting. Lunchtime found us at the Wazee Supper Club, another Denver mainstay. It boasts the best pizza in town and an atmosphere that is pieced together from historical artifact after another. My favorite part of the history of the restaurant is this sentence from the back of the menu:

"The three stained glass windows above the bar were bought from a guy in a pickup parked nearby."

So much for historical accuracy.

This week, we’ll visit the Colorado State Capitol, with its distinctive gold dome. We tried to get reservations to the Denver branch of the US Mint but got shut out.

Lunch will be at a favorite Indian buffet in the LoDo area. And if we are feeling particularly indulgent, gelato could be awaiting us a few blocks away.

Future outings include the Eldorado Springs Pool (which is fed by the same source for the Eldorado Springs water), an overnight trip to Mt Princeton Hot Springs (2 hours away), and if we can get our sons bit with the history bug, a tour of Denver’s Brown Palace Hotel.

Just writing this helps me remember how much I have right at my doorstep. Look around your own home turf and you might find yourself remembering, too.

Enjoy playing tourist in your own town.