Denver Day 4

On our last day in Colorado, we went to Mount Evans, which is the highest drivable mountain in America (14,000 feet!). There were lots of sharp curves, no guard rails, and a very nervous passenger (me). The views were incredible though. It's so peaceful.

Notice the snow storm we're in the middle of at the top of the mountain. It was freezing, and blowing so hard!!

After we made our way back down the mountain, we went to Sushi Sasa for dinner. We got a sushi sampler, and I think I had the best California rolls of my life. I like California rolls, but I also like to get a little more adventurous with my rolls than crab meat so I typically don't order them often or at all. These ended up being my favorite rolls of the evening! We sat at the bar, so we got to watch the chefs prepare all the food. It was a great, little place. Very contemporary and hip, but casual at the same time. We walked in with our fleeces and jeans on, and no one batted an eyelash. I wouldn't mind returning to this place someday.

The following day Brett and I went home. It was a great trip. I can't wait to go back and visit our friends again!

Denver Part III

On the third day of our trip to Denver, Saturday, we grabbed lunch to go around noon, and hit the road to see more sites.

The first stop was a lookout point over Lake Dillon on Swan Mountain Road. Gorgeous.

We did some more driving around and sit seeing, and after that we rolled back into town to see a Colorado Rockies game. Mike and Carrie's place was a few blocks walking distance from the stadium.

Check out those rain clouds over the mountains. The rain never got to us.

After the game we went to a bar called the Thin Man Tavern. This was a pretty neat bar. They offered about five or six differnt flavors of infused vokda. I think I had a mint one with ginger ale and it was pretty good. They also have a solid selection of beer too, or any kind of mixed drink, if flavored vodka isn't your bag. They also had great food, as we got a bite to eat here too. Add the decent food and drinks with funky decor (they have a Jesus theme going on there), and it's a great place to check out.

Denver Part II

The Labor Day trip continues. On Friday we got up, and had lunch at Steubens. A Denver staple. I can still picture the Philly Cheese steak we had, which seems to be a really popular sandwich in this city. Strange, huh?

After lunch we headed out into the mountains to do some light hiking and sightseeing.

After playing around in the mountains, we went into Boulder and walked around in the downtown area, which was really neat. We grabbed dinner in Boulder, and then went to see a band called Vinyl (described as old-school funk, Latin percussion, reggae, and R&B into signature California grooves) that night in Denver.

I have to say, a good day.

Labor Day In Denver

For Labor Day 2009, Brett and I traveled to Denver to visit our really good friends, Mike and Carrie who moved there from L.A. in April. It was my first trip to Colorado.

We flew out of Midway in Chicago, and found traveling out of that airport to be incredibly easy, and just as far as driving to Detroit from Grand Rapids. The airfare was the best deal we could find between Detroit, Grand Rapids and Chicago. I would definitely fly out of Chicago again.

Carrie picked us up in Denver in the early afternoon when we arrived. Our first mission was to find a liquor store to pick up some Fat Tire beer. So very tasty on that incredibly hot day. I have to remind myself to ask Mike to bring some home with him the next time he visits. It's that good.

After a beer and settling in, we decided to hit Happy Hour at Trios Enoteca Wine Bar. I loved this place. It was so posh, but yet, so laid back at the same time. Apparently happy hours are big in Denver. They have them everywhere. And some places have them twice a day; one in the afternoon and one again late in the evening. Half off wine by the glass and half off pizza. Yes please. I got a Pancetta, Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Mushroom and Chevre Cheese pizza with a glass of Pinot. Pure bliss.

Mike and Carrie have this urban apartment in the Lodo district of Denver (lower downtown district of Denver), so it made walking to all of these places pretty easy.

After chilling at the wine bar, we hopped in the car and drove out to Boulder. We went up into the mountains a bit, parked the car, climbed some rocks and threw back a couple more beers while enjoying the sites.

A great start to a fun filled trip.