Last weekend Ryan and I finally got the chance to visit his parents in their new home in Evergreen, Colorado. His parents moved out the Colorado a little over a year ago and had been looking for a permanent house ever since their first day there. They started off by living at a rental property in Evergreen and finally, just about three months ago, found the house of their dreams that they wanted to retire in. My mother-in-law is still working for Chuck E Cheese and my father-in-law took a job with Einstein Brothers Bagels, but both plan on retiring in the not too distant future.
You should have seen this space before the renovation. It was a disaster! This is the perfect addition to their lovely home.
Anyway, we flew out of Dallas late Thursday and got into the Denver Airport at around 8pm. Their house is about an hour away from the airport up into the mountains. When we got into the car, it was in the low 80s, but by the time we reached their home, it was in the upper 60s. It was the best weather ever! We stayed up talking for a bit, but then headed to bed in preparation for a fun filled Friday!
We all got up early on Friday so that we could head out for some time together in Downtown Denver. First up was a tour of the Denver Mint. We got to see the production machines and learn about how coinage is made. It was a neat little 30 minute tour. After that, we walked all around, and I do mean all around Denver. We primarily stayed on the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall, as there was plenty to see. Once we made it from one end to the other, we stopped for lunch and had some of the best food ever. It was a little place called Tokyo Joe's. I think of TJ's as a Genghis Grill with much better food with a better atmosphere and better service. I wish they would come to Texas. I would eat there every day.
Next up we did a bit more walking and headed to the REI store. It was HUGE! We then quickly headed off for the next activity, the Denver Microbrew Tour.
All I can say is the Microbrew Tour was one of the neatest things I have ever gotten to do! The tour consisted of visiting four local brewpubs to taste test a variety of beers, ten in all. We also learned some about the history of Denver. We went to Rock Bottom, Wynkoop, Falling Rock and Breckenridge.
1. Hefeweizen - 3/5
2. IPA - 1/5
2. B3K Schwarzbier 2/5 - This German-style black lager has a deep color and gently roasted flavors balanced by an understated hoppiness. A thirst-quenching version of dark beer. A 2008 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal Winner in the German Schwarzbier category.
1. Avery White Rascal 4/5
2. Odell 90 Shilling 2/5
3. Dry Dock Double IPA 0/5
1. Agave Wheat 5/5 - This true American-style unfiltered wheat has something a little special – the nectar of the great Salmiana Agave. Agave complements the refreshingly light quality of our wheat and adds a subtle note of flavor that expands this beer’s uplifting taste profile. It is familiar, yet creative.2. Lucky U IPA 2/5 - We like to think this is an ale for everyone who believes you make your own luck. We sure did. And the result is a well-balanced, soulful IPA with just the right amount of hoppiness. An even keeled ale that goes down clean and refreshing, but still lets you know it’s been doted on by the Brewmaster. It's true to it’s IPA heritage, but also highly drinkable. Lucky U. And we seriously mean that.
3. Vanilla Porter 3/5 - Who would have thought deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea and Madagascar grew the perfect ingredient to build an extraordinary Porter in Colorado? An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean. Breckenridge Brewery’s Vanilla Porter. A vanilla kiss in a rich, dark sea.
Here's Ryan and me at the Falling Rock Brewery. As you can see we had a great time!
After the Microbrewery Tour? More walking around downtown. We must have walked over 4 miles! We walked past Coors Field and took some pictures, then we walked around and looked at a few more downtown buildings before jumping back into the car and heading to dinner Keys on the Green, the restaurant at the local Evergreen golf course.
After dinner, we headed home and went to bed. We were all exhausted!
On Saturday, we woke up early. Ryan and Wayne went running and cycling respectively.
Then, when they got home, the whole family went golfing at Evergreen Municipal Golf Course. It was a difficult course for me, but Wayne and Ryan played a great game. Wayne had the lowest score overall.
After a long, five hour round of golf, we went home, sat on my in-law's porch and had a beer and a home cooked meal of grilled lemon BBQ chicken and corn. A great end to the day!
Sunday we didn't have anything planned. So we woke up and, on a whim, decided to head to Golden, Colorado for the Golden Arts festival that happened to be going on. We walked around for a bit and looked at a few of the booths, but soon decided it was way too hot for us. So we decided to head to cooler ground at Golden Gate Canyon State Park. There, we looked out on multiple mountain peaks from Panoramic Point and then had a lovely picnic lunch in the woods.
After the picnic lunch, we headed to my in-law's favorite local brewery, Golden Brewing Company. I had the best Hefeweizen beer ever from this dinky home grown pub, if you can even call it a pub. It is pretty much drinking beer in this guy's bak yard. Amazing beer though!
Monday was our final day in Colorado. My mother-in-law was packing up to head to their condo in Durango, Colorado, so that left Ryan, my father-in-law and me to find something to do. We decided to pick up Ryan's grandfather for lunch at Breckenridge Brewery. It was great to see Ryan's grandfather as he is so sweet and I really feel he genuinely likes spending time with us. After lunch it was off to the airport. We had a fantastic vacation and we can't wait to head back again soon!
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