Kickin' it in Colorado: Impressions of Denver

The boy and I recently got back from a week of visiting beautiful Colorado, a wonderful land that boasts the trifecta of microbrews, Mexican food, and mountains beyond mountains.

On the surface, the main reason for this trip was to visit wedding venues; we knew we wanted to get married somewhere in Colorado and we had to see the sites and meet with coordinators in order to make a decision. But the bigger reason we went to Colorado was to get a feel for the different neighborhoods and for what life was like out there, as it's been a dream of ours for a few years now to get a dog and live close to the mountains. So aside from our hard appointments with wedding venues, we didn't have much of an agenda. Just a rental car, a borrowed tent, some Marriott points to burn, and dreams to chase.

We flew out with the boy's brother's fiancee's son (my soon-to-be nephew) and dropped him off with his dad at the airport. Then we picked up our rental car - the Hyndai Veloster, a funny little subcompact that only had 4 miles on it - and met our friend Steve, who had flown in from Texas.

X and Ms. Rose, ready for take-off!

The very first meal we had in Colorado was at African Grill and Bar, a highly-Yelped-about affair. The suburban location and unassuming exterior of the restaurant were deceiving; inside, we instantly took in the aromas of something delicious on the grill, and we were greeted warmly by the owner and his family who treated us as if we were family too. It ended up being one of our best meals of the whole trip and was a most excellent way of kicking off the vacation.

Beef samosas and fried donuts filled with beans... both delicious. The owner boasted that nobody has ever disliked the samosas, and that he would gladly refund anyone who claimed to hate it. 

Okra and goat stew with a side of plantains. I gobbled this up.

Our view as we ate. Gorgeous sunsets are no big deal in Colorado.

Happiness is a good meal with friends. Note the beautiful sunset reflected in the window.

We spent the rest of the weekend exploring the best that the Mile High city had to offer. One of my favorite neighborhoods were the Highlands. Think Subarus everywhere, quaint little boutiques, and a flagship REI in the middle of it all. Basically, outdoorsy yuppie heaven.

We spent the sunny afternoon exploring the downtown area too, where more gallivanting ensued.

Downtown Denver felt a lot more calm than Chicago. It still has almost everything we do here in the Windy City - stadiums, parks, and of course the business district - but it's all taken down a notch.

We also paid a visit to Wash Park and took a long lazy stroll while Zillow-ing the houses nearby to see if we could afford them (spoiler alert: we could not).

I look like the little boy in Up.

There were a few things that I absolutely loved about what I experienced in Denver:

- the Mexican food. None of it pictured because I did not have the self-discipline to photograph it before I stuffed fistfuls of it into my mouth, but it was damn good and very plentiful.

- the activeness. Even in the heart of the city, where you'd think there'd be the least amount of activity, we saw bikers and joggers everywhere. Plus, you know, REI was like Mecca.

- the creeks. Denver doesn't have Lake Michigan hugging it from the East but what it lacks in lake, it compensates for in lovely creeks nestled between even lovelier unbroken paths for joggers and bikers to enjoy

- the laid back feel. Everyone seemed really casual and I felt no air of pretense or flashiness anywhere I went. We spent a good amount of time just hanging out in bars or breweries and were able to strike up conversations much easier than in Chicago. Also, five million bonus points for all the dog-friendly bars.

- the sunshine. Oh, my god. Compared to Chicago it felt like we were on a different planet altogether. Clear skies and sunshine every single day... where was the grey, dull weather I was used to?

I think there was only really one thing I didn't love, and that was the relative lack of public transportation. In Chicago, I've been spoiled by the CTA for a cheap, reliable, and environmentally-friendly way of getting around almost everywhere. In Denver it really seems like you need a car too go anywhere. Which I know is the reality for pretty much any American city that is not DC, New York City, San Francisco or Chicago.

But let's be honest, Denver isn't the reason we were attracted to Colorado; it's the mountains and quality time in the great outdoors that we were really thirsting for. Coming up next: adventures in mountains!

Bring on the Balkans (Part I)

Fact: Montenegro is gorgeous.

I admit I knew almost nothing about the country other than that some of Casino Royale was filmed there. I simply visited one weekend on a whim with some adventure-thirsty friends. 

As our plane made its descent into Podgorica airport, I peeked out the window and glimpsed a windy green coastline, a vast blue sea, and rugged snow-capped mountains looming all around. That's when I said to myself, hot damn, this is going to be amazing.

We piled into the rental and sped off towards Budva. Along the way, we stopped to stretch and admire the natural beauty around us...and to take a group selfie, of course.

Getting to Budva took about two hours. We immediately made a beeline for the beach.

Rocks were skipped. Fun was had.

For dinner, we chose a restaurant right next to the water and along the boardwalk, which ended up being the perfect people watching spot. It was the off season so we were the only tourists around. The locals seemed happy and relaxed - walking their dogs, chatting in groups, drinking wine. I was grateful to get a glimpse into life in Budva when it wasn't swarming with foreigners on vacation as it is in the summer months.

Following my Italian colleague's lead, I ordered fish soup for a starter. And oh boy, I sure am glad I did. The soup was ladled out of a steaming pot and aroma filled the air with tomato-ey, fishy goodness. Though we had only ordered two portions, there was enough for everyone to try some. The verdict: fish soup is delicious.

My entree was fish, cooked very simply to enhance the fish's freshness and natural flavor. A few cats wandered by our table for scraps. Among them was a tiny tortoiseshell kitten who was blind in one eye...talk about a heartstring tugger. I tossed him pieces of my leftover fish until he had eaten his fill.

After dinner, we drove to the town of Kotor and settled into our airbnb, which was conveniently located right in the middle of the medieval Old Town. Old Town by night was absolutely beautiful (I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures) and wonderfully preserved. No wonder it is a UNESCO world heritage site.

We explored the narrow streets, oohed and aahed at the lit-up churches, and had a run-in with a frog (or was it a toad?) that we encountered along the way. After a few hours of wandering about, we eventually ducked into a bar and nursed a few nightcaps before heading to bed.

The next morning was an early start, for there was a mountain to be climbed and a fortress to explore!

The fortress of Saint Giovanni has certainly seen its fair share of history. It was forged as early as the 6th century and reconstructed again and again as different groups came in and left their mark in Kotor - the Byzantines, Ottomans, Bulgarians, Austrians, Italians, French, and even the Axis forces during the second world war. If that wasn't enough drama, the fortress has also gone through and been rebuilt from seven earthquakes dating as far back as to the 1500s. In spite of all the turmoil it has seen, the fortress still stands atop the city of Kotor and overlooks its bay. Seeing it in the off season was a treat. Not only did we not have to pay the usual fee that is charged to visitors, we had the whole fortress to ourselves.

On the way down, we encountered a pomegranate tree and reaped the rewards of our find.

We spent the last of our morning wandering around in Old Town, this time seeing it by day.

At one point, the boy bought a really, really large slice of pizza...

He devoured the whole thing. I was slightly alarmed but mostly impressed.

At last, it was time to leave and head onwards to the next adventure. As we left the country, we enjoyed stunning views of the coastline and mountains as we wound through the Bay of Kotor. Pure magic.

Montenegro was an absolutely underrated gem of a country. And Kotor was one of my favorite places that I've ever visited. All the thumbs way, way up.

Next up on the blog: adventures in Dubrovnik, Croatia!