DENVER!

Yes, its been awhile. Time got away from me but I am back from Denver and this will be the first of several updates.

Driving to the mountains!

A friend and I flew out to Denver to visit a high school friend of ours bright and early Saturday morning. Right from the beginning of the trip, we hit the ground running. First up was a fantastic brunch. (Have I mentioned before that I love brunch? There is nothing better than hanging out with friends, coffee and a fantastic meal.) After that, it was a day trip through the mountains up to Vail. I don't ski but we rode a gondola up to the top of a ski mountain to enjoy the view. BEAUTIFUL!

Driving to the mountains!

Ashley, Amanda and I riding the gondola

The next morning, we got up for breakfast and then headed out to Boulder. One of the things I was most looking forward to while in Denver was hiking. The weather made this slightly more tricky than usual. The Denver/Boulder area got 5 inches of snow (and for some unknown reason they wait for snow to melt rather than plow). Despite this, the hike was lovely. Next, we headed downtown for the packer game. It was the first football game I have actually sat though (YAY me!).

Yep, someone is excited to hike....

Ready to go hiking!

Showing off the packer gear

After spending the evening sledding, the next morning we did a few of the tourist things Denver is known for. First up was a Coors brewery tour (more of this in a future blog). It was interesting, especially since I am not a beer drinker. Then, we went to the Museum of Nature and Science. This is one of the larger natural history museums in the country. It was a nice museum for the price but nothing compared to Chicago, New York or DC. The highlight was the health exhibit where you got to learn some basics about the human body in a fun and interactive exhibit.

Outside the brewery

Showing off my antlers in the mammal exhibit at the Museum

Exercising in the health exhibit at the museum

We spent the evening at a Dashboard Confessional concert (more on this later too). The following morning, I finally got to go to REI. I could have spent a fortune and days wondering around looking at things but unfortunately had to go catch my flight.

View of downtown

Walking to REI

All in all, it was another successful trip. I feel like I could have a lot of fun in this part of the country - lots of nature and city all mixed together. Perhaps, another trip out this way will be in the near future!