Yarn decor on a chain-link fence surrounding a construction site in downtown Denver.
On the following morning, we set out for Boulder. Driving through increasingly vigorous snowfall, we made it to the hostel with no trouble. The snow was really starting to pile up, so we decided to abandon our car at the hostel and walk downtown to explore. The Pearl Street mall is Boulder's main downtown shopping district. This pedestrians-only street is lined with interesting shops and enticing restaurants. We had a delicious hot lunch and solid beer at Mountain Sun Brewery, a Boulder favorite. Warm and rejuvenated, we explored the shops of Pearl Street. Our favorite store by far was Art Source International, a shop with an unbelievable cast collection of antique maps (some centuries old) and posters from Colorado's yesteryear.
We awoke the next morning and walked to Boulder's beautiful public library, where we spent nearly the entire day applying for jobs, internships, and apprenticeships. We'll let you know if we get any good news!
A not-so-good picture of the Flatirons, Boulder's best-known geologic landmark.
On Tuesday the 11th, we checked out of the hostel and drove to Fort Collins, CO. Fort Collins, like seemingly every other city in Colorado, has a pedestrian-friendly downtown lined with funky shops, gourmet restaurants, and, of course, micro-breweries. Our original plan was to tour the New Belgium Brewery, but tours were booked solid for a week. A little disappointed, we wandered into CooperSmith's brewpub. They don't offer regular tours, but we decided to sit down at the bar to see what Coopersmith's had to offer. Our disappointment melted away as we washed down cheesy pub chips with pints of rich brown ale and chicory stout. In high spirits we set off to find the home of our Couchsurfing host. This was our first experience staying with a family. We were there right on time to celebrate one of the kids' 13th birthday with french bread pizza and a game of Apples to Apples for dinner. We spent the evening socializing with our hosts and their parents who visited, and headed out the next morning for Vail.
We had a beautiful drive through the snowy mountains, and got to Vail that evening. There, we stayed at our friend Ansel's (from William and Mary) family's condo. We had it all to ourselves for the night, which we spent enjoying the luxuries. The next day, we suited up and went cross-country skiing at the Nordic Center in Vail. This was Christy's first time, and we both got the hang of it after a little while. The snow didn't look all that deep until we fell; it was probably actually four feet deep or so.
Mountains at Vail
Cross-country skiing! (don't mind Connor's finger in the picture)
Connor skiing.
The view from the Nordic Center.
Another view from the Nordic Center.
In Vail Village.
That evening, Ansel, his girlfriend Cory, and the rest of his family got to Vail, and we all went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It was SO DELICIOUS, the best Mexican food we'd had in a long time.
The next day, we leisurely made our way further Westward to Grand Junction, Colorado. It gets its name because it's situated near the confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. We bummed around downtown for a little while, the Main Street of which is currently undergoing an uplift to make it into a walking mall. We met our couchsurfing host at the grocery store, all cooked dinner together, and headed downtown to hit up some bars with a few of his friends. We had a great night meeting all kinds of new people and seeing what "Junction" (that's what the locals call it) has to offer.
This brings us up to yesterday. We had a slow morning, and ate breakfast at Main Street Cafe, which was recommended by Connor's dad. A couple of delicious southwest-style breakfast burritos later, we headed out to see Colorado National Monument. We only had time for a short hike up to Devil's Kitchen, which is basically a boulder formation that makes a kind of room you can hang out in. We plan to visit the Monument again today to do a few more short hikes. For dinner, we headed out to nearby Fruita, and ate at the Hot Tomato Cafe, also recommended (required, actually) by Connor's dad.
Hot Tomato!
Colorado National Monument, looking eastward towards Grand Junction.
Same place, southward view.
Devil's Kitchen from the slope below.
"Christy's Kitchen"
Prickly pear cactus.
A little tree clinging to its tiny patch of soil.
Looking into No Thoroughfare Canyon from the Devil's Kitchen.
The high walls of Devil's Kitchen.
So, here we are, at Main Street Bagels in downtown Grand Junction. We both just had the best everything bagels with herb/garlic cream cheese. It rivals Bodo's. After we check out the other side of the Monument today, we're headed west into Utah. We plan to camp near Moab and Arches National Park. Excitement, excitement! Stay tuned for some cool arch pictures.
Statue here at Main St. Bagels.
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