For this story, you are going to need a little background information. I am from Golden, Colorado and a very popular place, despite its gross food and how overcrowded it is, is Casa Bonita. This is a huge Mexican restaurant that includes not just a classic dinning experience, but it also includes games, haunted houses, carnival type tents, and a dive show. My dad would always tell me and my two younger brothers this story when we were growing up just for a good laugh. Still to this day I remember it very vividly and still think it is very funny because my dad, to most, is seen as a very sophisticated man. Anyways, when my dad was 18 years old, him and his best friends went to Casa Bonita. What was intended to be a fun night was ruined by my dad’s stupid choices that got him and all his friends escorted out by the police and banned for life. They went and got dinner and participated in all the fun activities and ended the night by watching the dive show. At some point in the night, my dad’s friend Chad dared him to climb up on the rocks, where the divers dove from, and do a belly flop in front of everyone. I am not sure why they thought this was a good idea, but it makes for a good story regardless. During the show’s intermission my dad proceeded to take his shirt, shoes, and socks off and climb up there with very little hesitation. Once he jumped and came out, two police were on their way to throw him and all his friends out. I can only imagine the visual of my dad in his wet clothes and barefoot being escorted out by two police. From this point on he was banned from Casa Bonita for life. After my parents had all three of us, we went one day with my grandma to ask the owner if he remembered this happening. He did in fact remember and my dad is still banned. Luckily, this place is not somewhere that we would choose to go to often. I am particularly fond of this story because it shows a completely different side of my dad that you would not expect. Even though it was not the best choice, it made for a great story. I one day hope to have a few stories like this to tell my kids one day!
One response to “Casa Bonita”
Clara, this is the first blog post I’ve read this morning and I’ve only just started drinking coffee, so maybe that’s why I got Madonna’s old song “La Isla Bonita” in my head (“This is where I long to be–la isla bonita”)
You tell the story well–I was wondering, when you got to the “visit with Grandma” stage, if there were going to be any significant differences between the version your father told and what you all discovered with your grandmother.
PS–It seems as if every group of friends has its “Chad”–the person who is, well, responsible for the stories….