NYC: Endless Food & Drinks

March 23, 2016March 23, 20161 Comment

Oh New York City. Gets me every time. Especially when it keeps on serving up some awesome weather every time we visit. Such a game changer in travel. (See our last trip to NYC here and here). Once again, it’s embarrassing how much we ate. But what can I say. My list of places I want to try in NYC is WAY too long to stick with just the standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

THURSDAY

We flew in late Thursday night and stopped by the Ace Hotel and Bar Nomad for drinks. Ace Hotel = so trendy and cool. As in, lobby of the hotel was dimly lit with blasting music from a DJ. Somehow there were people spread around the couches on their laptops working? I don’t know, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate. Bar Nomad had SUCH great cocktails. And the bartenders wore aprons and bowties, which was very charming. Unfortunately, we missed the magic show. We were however, welcomed with hugs by a group at the bar. Really- in NYC. They proceeded to share a giant pineapple concoction with us and just generally be entertaining. It was a totally unexpected welcome to the city that had me smiling. Aside from one girl chatting with Dan who literally stopped talking with him once she realized we were married and proceeded to blurt out, “How old are you?!”

FRIDAY

Mind was blown by a bagel. I’ve always heard about New York bagels being the best, yada yada. I just thought they partial to their own city, but goodness gracious. I would gain 10 lbs from eating an everything bagel with feta and olive cream cheese every single day (a la me in Europe with chocolate croissants). Thank you, Brooklyn Bagel, for the experience. (P.S.- I got a bagel here in Houston last weekend at Cafe Brasil… and they served the bagel with a tiny thing of Philadelphia cream on the cheese. FAIL.)

After stuffing myself full of bagel, we walked the High Line down to The Whitney, which is now in its new location in the Meatpacking District. It’s not a huge collection, so I figured it’d be a good one to hit with Dan ☺ I loved seeing Pollock, Calder, and Jasper Johns pieces, but the best was Calder’s circus, made to entertain his friends in Paris. The wires allowed him to move the pieces to put on a performance. I also loved the 5th floor exhibit, which rotates. When we first walked in, we saw a giant room with floor to ceiling windows on each end. The walls were blank. The exhibit was the sounds being played in the room- recordings from the artist from Sing Sing, a prison in NY.

For lunch, we headed over to The Lobster Place at Chelsea Market and split a whole lobster, dunked in lots of butter. YES. We also stumbled on a sample sale for Faherty Brand and got Dan a bunch of tee’s for only $10 each! Such a steal.

Next up, I had some beer bars in mind for Dan. First stop- The Standard Biergarten. It’s under the highline and has an authentic German beer hall feel, but amped up with a trendy factor. I was surprised at how few beers were on tap- just 4 and of course, all German. The ping pong tables were also fun. Then afterwards, Blind Tiger, which had a ton of New York beers on tap that we’d never tried. Oh and full disclosure, we stopped for Magnolia Bakery’s famous banana pudding in between (although, if I’m being honest, I’ve had better at various BBQ establishments throughout the TX hill country).

We enjoyed a walk around the Village in the golden hour light, before stopping at Babu Ji for an appetizer. It was divine and has me seriously craving Indian food. Anyone have any Houston suggestions?? The Gol Gappa straight up melts in your mouth and is bursting with flavor. Then it was on to Raclette (BYOB!) for dinner to experience cheesy goodness poured over our meats & veggies. The place was TINY, and only seats 12 people! Only in NYC.

That night, we went to a show at the Comedy Cellar and I don’t know if I’ve ever laughed harder in my life. Some seriously talented comedians! Getting to sit right up front was a nice treat and one of the comedians told me afterwards that I had a nice laugh. Which was an insanely nice compliment to receive and I’m trying to not let go to my head 😉 After dinner, we stopped in at Little Branch, an underground speakeasy with more good cocktails.

SATURDAY

We brunched at Bar Primi, which was number 1 on The Infatuation, but kind of underwhelming. Maybe because we were just about the only people there. I think I made the (unnecessary) reservation too early! Then we walked around SoHo, soaking in the weather, and ended up grabbing tacos at La Esquina that were phenomenal. I was a little hesitant to get tacos north of Texas, but it was worth it. That afternoon, I shopped around with a friend from college before meeting back up with Dan for drinks at Mother’s. We drank spiked slushies, which would sell like hot cakes in Houston during the summer time.

We needed to grab show tickets at TKTS, but I was dreading heading up to Times Square, so we went down to South Street Seaport and scooped up some School of Rock tickets before heading to dinner at Il Brigante– legit Italian food. The ravioli was handmade and perfect and smothered in butter. I like butter, okay?? Afterwards, we raced up Broadway and barely made it on time to School of Rock, which was adorable- of course, all the performers were extremely gifted, but the end had me tearing up from the sweetness which was a big surprise.

Then we had a second dinner. EEK, I know, but I just had to try Quality Eats and Dan is the sweetest. It ended up being the best meal of the weekend, so I’d say worth it ☺

After dinner, we met back up with my friend at 205 Bar, which seemed very trendy. We definitely wouldn’t have gotten in without saying we were with a party. We were both still in jeans and t-shirts. Ha. Then we proceeded to stay out dancing until 4 AM and I don’t even know how that happened. But the DJ was amazing and had his audience nailed on the head- think N’Sync and Spice Girls mashed with current music. We clearly had a good time, even if it was the polar opposite of how we spend weekend nights (friends over for dinner, in bed by 12 at the latest).

SUNDAY

By the time we finally got up and headed to brunch, Russ & Daughters Café had a 2 hour wait. TWO. So ya, that wasn’t happening. We were too hungry (somehow?) to look much further and ended up next door at Black Tree, which hit the spot. Afterwards, Dan spotted a place tucked into the end of an alley. Luckily, I hadn’t had a Bloody Mary yet, so we were able to stop in 🙂 The decor was so perfect- if I ever owned a restaurant, I’d want it to look like this place (Freeman’s). Thanks for spotting it, Dan! And to be perfectly open, we did indeed stop at Prince’s for one last slice of pizza before heading to the airport (don’t worry, we shared). No shame.

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I ❤ NY.

Skication: Breckenridge

March 9, 20161 Comment

We got back last week from a long weekend in Breckenridge, CO. We LOVE Colorado- I think everyone does. This was our 5th trip together, so obviously we’re into it ☺ (See Steamboat Springs ski trip, here.) It’s just so nice to actually be in cold weather for once. And see snow! Winter was nonexistent here in Houston, so it was refreshing.

This trip was with Dan’s family- 2 parents, 2 sisters, 3 cute/crazy kiddos. We stayed in a condo right at the base of Peak 9. So convenient! And lots of snow right outside for the littles to play in. Sledding with them was beyond adorable. And seeing them on skis, even if that only lasted for a grand total of 20 minutes over 2 days. Ha. It was super relaxed, skiing during the day, hot tubing when we got back, then eating dinner on Main street most nights. The town is very charming, with Victorian houses, cute shops, and lots of twinkle lights. We also got to stop by a friend’s new shop in Breck- Woodland. It was filled with such a great selection of home decor/gift items.

FOOD & DRINK: One of my absolute favorite things about skiing is having a warm drink at the base of the mountain. This trip, it was at The Maggie and it delivered. Giampietro’s was SO worth the wait- I think there were only 6 or 7 tables in the whole place, so it took a little while. But I do have to say that it was the best calzone I’ve ever had. Empire Burger was also super tasty and kid friendly. Plus, Dan and I had to stop by Breckenridge Brewery for a couple beers. The wait at the bar was 4 people deep. I don’t know that we ever would have been served if not for a couple of kindly locals who knew the bartender and ordered for us! We also had a drink at Downstairs at Eric’s, which had a ton of awesome gaming systems.

SKI REPORT: I skied THREE blacks! I may not have enjoyed it in the moment, but I felt super accomplished once I had finished the run. There should be an award for the slowest person down, and I should be the recipient. But at least I made it! I have an extremely patient and nice husband and father-in-law. Oh and I’m really into moguls- who would have thought that one? Unfortunately, Kim broke her shoulder Friday morning after hitting a patch of ice. Such a huge bummer.

Thanks to Dan’s fam for such a great trip! We need to work on the group picture thing!

Beach Getaway- Jamaica Edition

February 11, 2016February 11, 20161 Comment

I did not want to leave Jamaica. Wasn’t ready, at all. Such an easy going trip, with our big decision in the morning being: pool or beach? I hadn’t heard the best reviews before we left from several friends- people were pushy, the country was poverty stricken, it’s really not as pretty. Considering how much I love new places, solely based on the fact that they are new, it’s generally pretty hard for me to not like somewhere. Even so, I loved this country so much, regardless of the fact that it was new to me. And it just goes to show, that sometimes you need to experience a place for yourself. I think the biggest factor that contributed to our great time, and made it a more unique experience, was the area we stayed in.

We stayed at Jake’s, on the southwestern side of the island (St. Elizabeth parish), in a sleepy fishing community. The roads aren’t the greatest (think narrow with lots of pot holes), so it took us over 2 hours to get there form the airport in Montego Bay. Luckily, our driver was super cool (Hey Andre!). It amazed me just how few people were in Treasure Beach! The hotel consists of several cottages spread over the property, and while on the water, doesn’t have a true beach. There are several a short walk away, and while pretty, they aren’t the prettiest I’ve ever seen, so I’ll agree on that part. But that didn’t matter, because the vibe from the whole place was instantly relaxing- slow paced and easy and inclusive. Jake’s has a quirky, artsy feel and the service was excellent. The people make you feel like you belong- we were even invited to the local football match, which was a surprise treat. And the jerk pork & chicken!! Oh man. We stopped at a couple of road side places and feasted. We also spent some time at Dougie’s Bar, chatting with Christopher (who makes a mean piña colada), and had lunch at Eggy’s, which juts out right over the water- I could have stayed all day. And I tried conch for the first time 🙂 And just a side note: I can’t even tell you how many times Dan said “Red Stripe” in a Jamaican accent. Probably 100.

: Our room- Cowrie Down

: Jerk Chicken

: Curried Conch

Our only real “activity” during the vacation was to take a boat trip with Captain Joseph & his wife, who were awesome and had the best smiles, and a fun couple from England. Captain Jo built a shaded area on a secluded stretch of beach and we feasted on freshly caught lobster, fish, and unlimited rum punch and Red Stripe. Dan joined the guys for a game of cricket, which was a blast to watch. True to Dan, he was a natural, and managed to play with a beer in hand 90% of the game. Then, we rode over to Pelican Bar, which has to be the coolest bar on the planet. It’s built way out off the coast, on a sand bar, out of a hodge podge of old wood.

Leaving was tough. It didn’t help that most of the people we met were staying for at least 2 weeks. 2 weeks!!! In one place! I can’t imagine. Home away from home, I’m sure. Oh Europeans and their massive number of vacation days. I can’t rave enough about how wonderful Jake’s is- truly an oasis.

Roma

January 22, 2016Leave a comment

ROME! Such a fantastic city. Love the history, love that it’s so walkable, love the food. Now the wine… not as good in Rome as it is in the rest of the country 😉 But you still can’t beat $10 table wine in Italy.

After our terribly long day of traveling from the Amalfi Coast, I was wiped out. Luckily, I got a burst of energy once we arrived at our VRBO rental. It was the best room we had the entire trip- maybe it was the A/C? No, definitely more than that. Lofty ceilings made of the original wood, from the 1600’s, smack in the middle of everything. The owner also left us a great map marked with his favorite spots. Charm was just oozing.

We started the night off with a walk around the neighborhood- we hit the Pantheon, the Torre Argentina (ruins where they think Caesar was killed- also a cat sanctuary), and the Piazza Navona, following up with pizza at Da Baffetto. 2 packed stories of deliciousness. They make the pizza right in the center of the restaurant- I can’t imagine how many they make in one night! Afterwards, we stopped for a drink and stood outside surrounded by Italian conversation. Languages are so beautiful.

It was pouring rain the morning we went to the Colosseum- I had wanted us to get there early to avoid the crowds. We definitely avoided the crowds, but I think it was mostly due to the rain. We donned our ponchos and had the place almost to ourselves 🙂 Luckily, the weather cleared up pretty quickly and we were able to leisurely enjoy the Roman Forum. I know I’ve said it a dozen times, but the history of this place!! Unreal.

Our second night in Italy was spent on a “Food Tour of Rome“. We went to several different neighborhoods, learning the history of Rome and tasting food at 7 different places. Meat, cheese, wine, pizza & pasta, cannoli, espresso, gelato (Cortona was the best gelato of the trip- so fresh). The company was great too! It was quite the the last hurrah. Our guide baffled me, since he grew up in Rome, but had a 100% American accent. Apparently he spent some time in Oregon post high school and worked extensively on losing the Italian accent when speaking English. It worked, but was amusing to hear him make the switch to speaking flawless Italian.

Our last day was spent on foot, walking around the city. We started the day with a trip to the Vatican. We skipped the museum because I had gone a couple of years before, but we hadn’t actually gone into the Basilica. So glad we made it this trip because it was overwhelmingly extravagant. We climbed (approximately one million steps) up to the top for a view of Rome, but my favorite part was seeing the dome of the church and the status on top, up close. The stairs are extremely narrow and fairly claustrophobic, so getting to the top was a breath of fresh air. Then, after we left, we got to see the POPE! We aren’t Catholic and don’t speak Italian, but it was still a cool experience. People really love him and I feel privileged that we were able to be there.

The rest of the day, we just roamed (sorry, I had to). We walked through small campos, past markets, and along the water. A perfect last afternoon and a summation of our entire trip. Oh and we rented segways in Villa Borghese- maybe Dan’s favorite part! Such an odd juxtaposition.

On our last night, I think 1/2 of our conversation consisted of lamentations on having to return home. As much as we missed Barley and our bed, feasting your way through one of the best food countries in the world without a single thought of calorie consumption is truly magical. We walked around the corner from our rental and dined at Trattoria Moderna, and had our last aperitivo, primi piatti, secondi piatti, and dessert. And man, was it a great last feast. And then a long flight home. LUCKILY, we got moved into an exit row, which made the trip infinitely better.

And that (finally) concludes our Italy re-cap! Only 5 months later 🙂 A once in a lifetime trip. I know some people don’t visit Italy because it’s too touristy- and I say, it’s that way because it almost can’t be beat. The diversity, the people, the landscapes, the food & wine. Just beyond. And always a new corner to discover. The Trevi Fountain was under renovation and we weren’t able to toss a coin, so hopefully that doesn’t keep us from returning one day 😉

To see the rest of our trip, in order:

January 8, 2016January 8, 20161 Comment

I personally think that the Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. So it was definitely on my list when planning this trip. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a pain in the butt to get to and we had already hit so many places. As excited as I was to return, Dan was starting to get pretty worn out from all our traveling around. This resulted in us taking it really easy while in Positano. As in, spend the whole day on a beach, never leave Positano, easy.

We actually stayed way up above Positano, in a B&B, in the teensy town of Nocelle- it’s where a lot of people hike the Path of the Gods and the views are stellar. No cars allowed, hence the donkeys as transport for goods! Even tough it’s very close to Positano, the bus ride down takes 30 minutes, is packed full without A/C, and only runs every hour or so. If you can, I would suggest staying in actual Positano, but we did meet an American couple who stays in Nocelle every year and love it. Personal preference I guess. We made it to dinner in Nocelle the first night just in time to eat dinner while watching the sun set.

The next day we took a boat over to Capri where we walked about, window shopping the ritzy stores, and took the funicular up to the highest point for some stellar views. I’m slightly terrified by heights, so I was apprehensive. Luckily it turned out to not be so bad and the view from the top was well worth it. While on the island, we took a taxi convertible with an awning over it- unique. On the way back to the Amalfi Coast, we stopped in a few places to swim which was unreal. The water is so blue! I didn’t want to go back on the boat. An amazing experience.

Our last day in Positano was the full day on the beach day 🙂 We hopped onto a small boat sitting at the dock and took it over to Arienzo Beach, a 5 minute ride down the coastline. As long as you eat at the restaurant, you don’t have to pay for a chair. The seafood was freshly caught out of the sea we swam in and the beers weren’t crazy expensive. It was a beyond perfect day.

We stayed down in Positano for dinner, with drinks at Franco’s Bar (which is amazing and felt so glam) and dinner at Bar Bruno. The patio is just a few tables along the sidewalk across the street from the restaurant, so servers have to run back and forth across the street!

Since we spoiled ourselves on the way to the coast with a private driver, we stuck with public transportation to make our way to Rome. Bus, walk a ways to wait for another bus (standing room only), train (no A/C), another train, then finally a bus to airbnb. It took all day and made me miss the rental car! But we had made it to one of my favorite cities, and our final stop of the trip, so all was good.

Pompeii

December 28, 20152 Comments

After packing up in Tuscany, we drove down to Naples to return our rental car and met up with a driver who would take us to our B&B in Positano. On our way, we stopped at Pompeii (cue Bastille playing in your head), which is an incredible experience. I wish we had known more before we left, but it’s still surreal to stand in a place so old, but so well preserved. We also just happened to be part of a video? I have no idea what it was for, but the crew had us pose in touristy ways as they panned around us and several other couples. Wish I could find it, but no such luck!

My favorite part were some frescos in what they considered a luxurious vacation home! I think Dan liked the preserved bodies the best…

Tuscany

November 24, 20151 Comment

In order to really experience the Italian countryside, you need a car to get around. We picked up our rental car, a Fiat Panda, at the Florence airport and had a slight panic attack when Dan straight up didn’t fit in the car. After pushing the seat back as far as it would go, his head was touching the ceiling and his knees were up at his elbows, no joke. We went in to see if we could get a larger car but it was going to be significantly more expensive to upgrade. We headed back to the Panda to debate… and then Dan found a magic lever that further moved the chair back! Phew. Off we went.

On our way, we stopped in San Gimignano, which we had a lot of fun learning how to say. This is the most charming town and was packed with visitors! But it’s a hit for a reason. We started the day off with lunch overlooking the Tuscan hillside and spent the afternoon walking the streets and eating gelato. It was the first of many walled, hilltop towns that we would explore over the next several days and maybe my favorite.

I researched hundreds of places to stay, no joke. There are SO MANY options! But, many require a week long minimum and others can be quite pricey. With our $100 budget, I was looking for a place with history, a nice view, and a pool. Oh man did we enjoy having a pool. We ended up at Foresteria il Giardino, about 20 minutes from Arezzo. It is smack dab in the middle of a working orchard in a building from the 1700’s. We stayed in what used to be the tabacceria. There was even a truck that came by each morning with fresh baked goods! When we arrived, we were greeted by the sweetest woman who gave us a handdrawn map of the area and circled the few places to eat with 15 minutes of us. This was the beginning of no air conditioning and very limited wi-fi for the next week. FYI, Italy in late August isn’t much cooler than Texas.

After we settled in, we went over to Civitella to take in the sunset, took a dirt road down the side of the mountain, and ended up at a butcher’s shop for dinner and the best biscotti ever.

In the morning, we drove out to Siena without a plan, which may have been a bad idea! We kind of just roamed the town and ate some food. The was a church there was stunning! But aside from that, the drive was a bit long to justify the trip. We probably should have stayed by the pool all day 🙂

To celebrate on our actual anniversary, we just bought some food at the local grocery store and cooked up an Italian meal in our kitchen. Almost felt like we were at home 🙂 We dined at the picnic table outside our door and reflected on the last year of marriage, soaking in how lucky we both felt to have each other. The answer- very, extremely, lucky.

The next day, we spent the morning in Arezzo and the afternoon in Cortona (where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed). Arrezo felt much more like a real city after the tiny towns we’d been in- shopping and people and flags! Then Cortona was just beautiful. We somehow ended up walking all the way to the top… in not great shoes with the sun beating down our backs. Dan and I kept seeming to work long hikes into our days, not on purpose!

One of the best evenings of the trip was a tour of Baracchi Winery. So glad this was recommended to us. It ended up being just us and a Cardiologist from Brazil, who knew much more about wine than we did, with a personal tour by the owner. They make a sparkling rose out of sangiovese grapes that was fantastic- we brought some home and I can’t to open it. After the tour, we had our wine tasting on the patio with charcuterie. When it came time to open the rose, the owner proceeded to pull out a sword… then told me I would be doing it! Of course, I somehow managed to break the bottle, which he said he’s never seen happen. Of course. He said it had to do with the bottle being bad, not me. Still embarrassing. I did succeed on the second try ☺

On our last magical day, we did a winery tour at Palazzo Vecchio in the Montepulciano region, followed with a homemade lunch. We just died more and more with every dish they brought out. My goodness, the deliciousness was out of this world. They gave us their recipe for the sage bread but Dan and I have yet to try it. These pictures are going to make you hungry… be warned! The winery had served many purposes in it’s past, including a convent and an orphanage and the grounds were just gorgeous with the typical stunning hillside views. We also had a couple friends join us for lunch in the form of 2 sweet labs. Dan and I were really missing Barley, so we loved their company 🙂

Then that night, we were beyond spoiled again!! The place we stayed prepares dinner one or two nights a week but it depends on whether there are enough people staying. Thank goodness it ended up happening, because the food was fantastic. Each couple had a table set up for them on the patio with candles and the sunset in the background, making it incredibly romantic. This was definitely a full day of eating. We were bursting at the seams in the best possible way.

We were so sad to say goodbye to this little slice of paradise. It worked out really well to have a slower pace in the middle of the trip to give us some relaxation. What I would give to be laying by that pool again…

OH and for lunch on our way out, we stopped at the best winery of the trip- Avignonese! We brought back a bottle of their merlot but seriously debated splurging on the 50&50.

Austin City Limits 2015

November 12, 20151 Comment

Just a few pictures from our Austin City Limits weekend last month! We missed Friday because I had to work late, but we made up for it by arriving early and staying to the end on Saturday and Sunday. I really love the earlier shows because the artists tend to be awesome but the stages are muchhh less crowded. My favorite of the whole weekend was a 12:00 show on Sunday, Marian Hill. Dan and I both adore the duo and can’t stop listening. They’ve known each other since middle school 🙂 We also really enjoyed Father John Misty, Lord Huron (can’t believe it, but our 3rd time seeing them!), Hozier, and Florence + the Machine (who is such a blast on stage- she skipped around the whole time!).

Dan had been to ACL 8 or 9 times in a row up until ’13 so I’m glad we made it back to Austin this year! We didn’t even try to get close to the stages and lounged around most of the weekend with Dan’s sister and it was perfect. Much different experience than the ACL’s of college years 🙂 We also got to stay with excellent hosts and had lots of fun with them. All around an A+ weekend.

Cinque Terre

October 27, 2015October 27, 20151 Comment

With Florence as our base, we took a day trip out to Cinque Terre, or “The Five Lands”. It’s 5 small, hillside, villages along the coast, in the middle of what is now a national park and UNESCO World Heritage site. We chose to use a tour company (Walkabout Florence) for the convenience of transportation- it’s about 2 hours from Florence. After planning every piece of our trip, it was nice to just have a tour guide and not worry about what train/bus to catch! We also really enjoyed hearing about the areas we drove through on the way out- past the mountains where Carrera marble comes from (the peaks looked like snow!) and through the region where they grow a lot of plants for the nurseries. I’d really been looking forward to this piece of the trip because neither of us had been and I’ve heard so many friends RAVE about it. So my expectations were incredibly high. Maybe just a little too high- while it was absolutely beautiful, the trail was packed and I just couldn’t get as into it as I thought I should be. I kept wanting to get off the path and just go swim in the blue waters with the Italians. Guess that’s the negative of going with a tour group, ha! Regardless, it was still an awesome day, our group had fun people, and the views were so picturesque! Plus, it was nice to get a good hike in considering the massive amounts of pasta and wine we’d been consuming. We did end up getting to jump into the crystal clear, cool, water in the middle of trek and that was my favorite part of the day. Talk about refreshing after being a sweaty mess.

The charter bus dropped us off in Manarola, the 2nd town and smallest village. From there we worked our way through towns 3-5 and ended back at town 1. We took a train to Corniglia where we ate lunch at Ristorante Cecio with stunning patio views and fresh seafood and pasta. It’s the only town that doesn’t directly touch the water. From there, we hiked 3.5 km in the hot sun to Vernazza where we swam. Dan jumped off the little cliff and I was impressed 🙂 Afterwards, we took another train to Monterosso, the largest town, where we had the best puff pastry stuffed with cheese. I also got to ogle the umbrellas I’d seen in all of Gray Malin’s Cinque Terre photos. Finally, we took a boat to Riomaggiore, which allowed us to see all the towns we had just visited from the water.

SO glad we got to visit, but I do think I would have fallen more in love had we actually stayed in one of the towns and gotten the full experience. Which is the case with most places in the world 🙂

Great American Beer Fest

October 21, 2015October 21, 2015Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, we were able to attend the Great American Beer Fest, thus fulfilling one one of Dan’s dreams. He’s been wanting to go for years and when he was able to score tickets, we were off to Denver with his dad and sister. Personally, I’d never pass up a chance to visit Denver because I love it so much. But the unlimited beer was a perk 🙂

The fest is held in Denver’s Convention Center, downtown, and there were almost 400 breweries in attendance. They had the booths divvied up by region, and had other activities going on as well, like a silent disco and karaoke. We had a blast chatting with brewers, checking out the booths of some of our favorite Texas breweries, and trying hundreds of different beers over 2 nights. Dan listens to a brewing podcast called “Brew Strong” regularly and got to try the guy from the podcast’s beer and meet his wife 🙂 Several booths even tapped special casks at certain points, so were able to try beer would never be able to get at home. Don’t worry, you are given a small glass and the pours are tiny! On the second night, Dan wore his Karbach shirt and was congratulated over and over again on their win for their Oktoberfest. So funny to hear him continuously say, “Oh it’s just a shirt, I don’t brew for them.”

Other than the fest, we drove out to Mt. Evams and climbed up to the peak, which I believe is the highest in Colorado? The air was thin, but it felt amazing. Plus the drive the out was just gorgeous. The yellow leaves were amazing, and something we don’t see much of in Houston. The best part was all the wild life! Definitely wasn’t expecting that. And since I forgot a sweatshirt, I had an excuse to run over to REI and finally buy a patagonia pullover 😀

We also got to have brunch at Root Down, which I’ve eaten at too many times considering I don’t live in Denver. Ugh, it’s just the best. They have a place in the airport, so we had it for dinner too!! We had plenty of time before our Sunday night flight, so we were able to check out the Denver Botanical Gardens, which were AMAZING! I would visit all the time if I lived there. It’s in such a cute neighborhood and every section is so well planned. Mini adventures around every corner.