Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call… and I will fly straight to Colorado.
There is just something about this gorgeous chunk of land that keeps drawing the husband and I in. Ever since I was little, I have tallied a fair number of visits to the Centennial State – usually for spring break with my family. We would spend the week between hanging out in Denver and skiing the slopes in Winter Park.
Not much has changed since then, except for making winter holiday trips instead of spring ones and trading in the Sky status for that Urchin lyfe (where my Johnny Tsunami fans at?) aka snowboarding. Fun fact: I took snowboarding to use up a few of my extra credits during college at Indiana University, especially because I knew Riley loved it. It’s decidedly harder than skiing (for someone who grew up skiing since the age of 4) but it’s growing on me!
Hello… It’s Me
Anyway, fast-forward to my excitement when I found out one of my college friends was getting married in Boulder – during the fall, no less! Fall is hands down my absolute favorite season. So I was very much pumped to be able to explore during that time. It was a whirlwind weekend filled with too much dancing, revelry and late-night pizza with the happy couple, but between the festivities we managed to fit in some cool stuff. Here are my top 3 favorites to check out:
Chautauqua Trail & Hiking the Flatirons
Ever since I got my hiking feet …er boots… wet hiking in Seattle (another post for another time; stay tuned!) a few years ago, I’ve been jonsing for more opportunities. However, Chicago – or anywhere in the Midwest, for that matter, is not so kind to the elevation-seeking nation. So, when it was suggested by the group of wedding guests we were with that we go for a morning hike, I was all HECK YEAH.
Because we had many different people from different backgrounds and varying levels of hungoverness present, we decided to go for a relatively easy trail. As a hiking Padawan, I highly recommend this approach.
We elected to do Chautauqua Trail in the Flatirons. It was amazing! The elevation wasn’t too steep, there were tons of shaded places for breaks and insta-opportunities and the views were GORGEOUS. And we didn’t even make it more than halfway (oops).
6 Tips for Hiking Noobs
- Make sure to bring sunscreen and bug spray.
- Definitely bring a bottle of water with you.
- Hit the bathroom BEFORE you head to the park – options are few and far between when nature calls.
- Be ready to smile and say hi to everyone – people are VERY friendly.
- Be aware that there may be dogs off leash on the trails – stay alert!
- Bring hiking boots if you have them – you’ll be able to spend way more time checking out the scenery instead of worrying about tripping over rocks like I did.
Pearl Street
Once we had hit the halfway mark, it was decided by the group that we had achieved an adequate amount of cardio and Fitbit steps and we needed to reward ourselves with a big fat brunch. Since we wanted to go somewhere with a lot of options, we headed to Pearl Street. This is SUCH a cool part of town! Full of adorable local boutiques and restaurants, Pearl is a great destination for shopping and souvenir hunting.
West Flanders Brewing Company
We had a lot of palates to please and we were in a celebratory mood, so we headed to the West Flanders Brewing Company brewery and restaurant. No matter what you’re in the mood for, you will find it here. Not to mention you’ll also have the opportunity to try some really delicious brews – they create tons of really unique Belgian-style beers. Can’t decide? The sample flights will be your go-to.
Because I also knew I would be imbibing quite a bit later that night, I decided to introduce some form of balance and went for the beets & greens salad with chicken. I can tell you I wasn’t daydreaming about the burger Riley was eating which in my book is a huge success – so I definitely recommend!
Unfortunately, the end of our trip came far too fast, but we enjoyed every minute in Boulder. I am also excited to share that we will be going to Breckenridge in April, so stay tuned for another weekend guide! Did I miss your favorite Boulder spots? Let us know in the comments!
