Like many college kids, I conformed to escape all the stress of school and got a change of scenery for spring break. Ever since the existence of time I have never traveled anywhere for spring break due to the fact that it is only a week long break. Instead of going somewhere tropical to escape Chicago's cold, dreary weather, I made the decision to visit my baby brother out in Boulder, Colorado with a friend and stayed around that area. Although I did not stay for long, I know this trip is just the tip of the iceberg of the many adventures I'll encounter in the future to Colorado.

In and Outs of Denver

Arriving early morning Wednesday in Colorado, I could not allow myself to waste the perfect weather my hotel room. The first thing I did upon arrival I went to visit my brother out in Boulder. Even with that visit, I had so much time to kill since check in for my hotel was 3pm. Gradually the weather became much warmer, prompting me to be active. Especially since Chicago's weather was on the verge of an avenged winter, I needed to soak up as much sun as possible and the most perfect way of doing so ways by exploring downtown Denver. 

Driving around the west side of Denver, coming from the north via I-25, my friend and I found ourselves hanging out around the Pepsi Center. Originally I looking out for 16th Street, a famous pedestrian street mall somewhere in Denver. However, by not knowing the area and the constant encounters of road construction, my friend and I found ourselves right outside the Pepsi Center, next to Confluence Park. With some self-disappointment and urge to be outside, my friend and I decided to explore around Confluence Park and see what this area of Denver can provide for us. Just mostly residential with their modern apartments, construction, and brightly colored murals. 

On our adventure around town, my friend really wanted to cross off one thing on his bucket list: buying marijuana legally. And of course, one of the many known perks of Colorado -- besides the mountainous views, wonderful wildlife, and basically being hikers' heaven -- is smoking weed in recreation. Throughout Colorado there are dispensaries, both medical and recreational, that provide to the public. We went to the nearest dispensary called Simply Pure. Walking with our phone's GPS in hand, blocks away to our destination; I did not know what to expect. It seemed as though it was a rite of passage to be in a dispensary since I am of legal age (especially in Colorado). It goes along with the other social rite of passages like at age 18 with the ability to buy cigarettes even though you won't smoke  them or at age 23 with the possibility of renting a car because you can. At the dispensary, a green cross suspending on the corner greeted us, welcoming me to eliminate any curiosities or worries I had prior. Inside the vibe closely resembled a smoke shop but instead of the pipes, glassware, and hookahs that are displayed in the window showcases, it is all marijuana related products. Actually while being at Simply Pure, they had a camera crew filming the owners and the employees of the dispensary because it is one of the few dispensaries in the state of Colorado that is female owned. It was nice to say I have been in a dispensary just to gain the experience of it.

On our way to Simply Pure, we ran into a very interesting space.. Unsure if it was a restaurant or a bar or whatever it may be... All we knew was that it had really cool bear art and tents in their outdoor area, luring us to see what was inside. "Forest Room 5" With excitement overwhelming us, we go straight into the space just to be wowed by how uniquely decorated the location was. Wooden wildlife creatures filled the area, to the right of the entrance was a full bar, the center was a large wooden table that stretched across and to the left allowed natural light beaming through the wall of just windows - like a green house window with an open doorway to the  patio. We were so entranced by how unique this bar/restaurant was on the inside that we were convinced that the outdoor patio could offer if not the same but perhaps much more of a wow factor. And it definitely did. The outdoor space resembled a camping ground with tee-pee tents, makeshift fire places and picnic tables with huge trees and more wooden animal s, giving off the Rocky Mountain feel. At the moment, we both knew we had to grab a bite in this place (assuming it was a restaurant of some sort). Going back inside we realized there was no one there. All the tables were vacant and it seems as though no one was in the kitchen. That alarmed me plenty for we both trespassed an area and I definitely did not want to encounter trouble on my trip. In the future I do plan on revisiting this place once again. I still would like to know if it is a bar, a restaurant, a cafe or just where wooden creature enthusiasts meet up. 

Denver at night has a huge shift in atmosphere in comparison to how it is during the day. Sure there are more people out because they're off work but oddly enough they were all in such a good mood. We went out around 7pm and all the bars and restaurants were filling up quickly. Driving through downtown Denver wasn't as bad of a mission as I thought it would be, even though the Nuggets had a game in the area near to where we decided to have dinner. Nevertheless, that didn't stop this girl from being able to enjoy the nightlife of Denver and some crazy good food.

I don't know what compelled me that day. Not sure if it was all the driving or the lack of sleep due to traveling so much but that night I was absolutely crazy for a burger. And I made it my mission to get the best damn burger in Denver. After diligently researching the best place to get a burger in this city, all the sources were pointing to Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a little joint right next to Denver's Union Station. Mind you, this is not your normal Red Robbins that you can chow down any burger. This spot creates specialty burgers from scratch at a decent price. From the Buffalo Bill to the Ahi Tuna, this burger shack will have your mouth watering the moment you set eyes on the menu. I ordered their Greek burger which is lamb that comes with feta cheese, arugula, pickled red onions, beefsteak tomatoes and tzatziki sauce; and wow, let me tell you if I had dreams about a burger it would definitely be this one. The center of the burger comes off medium rare, just the way I enjoy my steak whilst the sauces fuse together to make a taste far from just the traditional ketchup and mustard, leaving you with that crunch of satisfaction from the onion and the tomatoes. Pairing that burger with their famous truffle fries and you are golden for a good time with great food. 

As mentioned before, nighttime Denver has a huge shift in atmosphere. With everyone generally in a better mood, it honestly felt like the weekend for a Wednesday night. Every bar was popping and restaurant filled with hungry but happy people. Even on the streets there were people just hanging around, enjoying street performers and the perfect weather. At this moment it was impossible to be in a poor mood. After dinner, we went over to Denver's Union Station to see what's the huge hype behind the neon sign. Unlike the Metra system back in Chicago, Denver's Union Station worked with trains at much smaller capacity and resembled more like a cable car. I can only imagine these trains do not extend themselves any further from the immediate Denver area. Across the way from the station is a giant, white structure that just erects itself in the middle of the way. At first glance its quite unsure what this piece could possibly be but once you bring yourself upon it you'll notice it's the Millennium Bridge that suspends itself above the railway of Denver's Union Station. It doesn't come to me as the first thing I would think of when someone says Denver but it does fall in the category of all the interesting art pieces this city has to offer. That is one thing I truly enjoy of downtown Denver, the art they display for the public to enjoy. Whether it is a mural or interactive sculptures, regardless of what age anyone can enjoy the arts of Denver. 

How would I describe the drive up to Pikes Peak? First, allow me to give you some background information prior to this painted picture: for this road trip I decided to take my father's 1993 Toyota Previa. If you are not aware of such car, bless your soul. This dinosaur was only manufactured between 1992 and 1995 then Toyota came out with the Sienna. Don't mind all this technical car talk, just keep in mind that this clunker is over 20 years old. The highway up Pikes Peak is 20 miles (32.1869 Km) long, and at each mile there is a marker to allow travelers to track down how far way they are from the peak. Even though 20 miles does not seem like a long highway just remember we are traveling up a winding mountain. The first few miles were not too bad of a drive, the incline was barely taking off giving ample time for us to look out in the forest to spot any wildlife nearby. However, around mile marker 6 or 7, it gradually started to pick up - becoming more steep and tiring out my car. Getting towards the double digits, the mountain really started to show itself, taking a drastic toll on the Previa. While most cars can drive at least 40 mph up a steep incline, regardless if it is all wheel drive or rear wheel drive, the Previa limited itself 25 mph up the mountain, forcing me to make multiple stops along the way to allow passage to those cars who's capabilities far surpass my poor Previa. Nevertheless, despite my anxiety being induced to all the sharp turns, close calls near the cliff, and potential car malfunction, the drive up to the peak is absolutely breathtaking... I just suggest to bring a car that's capable of steep inclines. 

I regret. I regret. I regret immensely for not taking many photos when I reached the peak. But to my defense my anxiety was literally at the same level as the mountain I was on so I allow that as an excuse. Also I did not dress appropriately for the weather. At the summit of the mountain it was probably to be about 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) with strong winds coming all sorts of directions. As you can see from my photo with the Pikes Peak National Forest Monument, I was very cold and very ill prepared. But I strongly believe the price of beauty is a small sacrifice for a lifetime of happiness... And also anything for the (Insta)Gram.

At the summit top there is a great view all the surrounding forms. Although its mostly rocky mountains, the view sure beats the flat Midwest. Also at the top there is a gift shop/cafe where visitors can rest up and buy some cool souvenirs. My mother is a huge bumper sticker fanatic and likes to buy the touristy bumper stickers from all the places she visits via road trip. My family has this overhead cargo that we take on road trips with us to carry all our luggage and my mother just loves to show off all the places we've gone with her stickers. So I thought getting her a Pikes Peak sticker would be a nice addition to her collection. Aside from the gift shop and cafe, there is also a tram opened to the public that travels around the summit allowing visitors the opportunity to see more of the mountains; spots that cannot be seen from the seat of a car. Unfortunately the weather was not permitting due to the high winds and also the fire danger level in Colorado Springs were at an all time high, making it unpredictable if there is fire danger were to come about. Hopefully the next time I do return back to visit Pikes Peak, I'll be more prepared and the weather will be more cooperative.

As mentioned before, the main purpose of going to Colorado for spring break besides getting away from Chicago is to visit my baby brother who attends University of Colorado in Boulder. He's only a freshman there, studying ecology and evolutionary biology. It was quite nice catching up with him. He was able to show me around campus and some cool spots that Buffs (CU Students) like to hang out such as The Hill and the Creek. A big thing down in Boulder is the Chautauqua Trail which is a hiking trail that goes up the Boulder's iconic Flat Irons. Unfortunately I did not have the time to go hiking up the trail like I planned to, however I know this won't be my last trip going to Boulder and in due time I will conquer those Flat Irons. 

Before I go into the depths of downtown Boulder, allow me to divert into the taboo app of Tinder. Go ahead, judge me. I am coming out and exposing myself for being an avid Tinder user. I know, I know - Tinder has a bad reputation for being a dating/hook-up app but let's see past that... At least for me. Take a look at it in my perspective: I am a stranger in the a new foreign land and I don't know what to do or where to go. I could just be helpless and aimlessly act like a tourist or I could get on tinder and match with locals that may help me out with recommendations, advisory and perhaps would like to show me around too. Tinder to me is a huge networking opportunity and I cannot discount the amount of people (yes, they are mostly guys) I have met who have been super helpful and have made my travels go by swiftly.

With that being said, I explored downtown Boulder with this guy I matched with on Tinder. However, countering my previous argument supporting Tinder, this guy was also new to the area for he's from New Zealand... Making us both unsure where to go see and to do. But nevertheless it was a lot of fun. We mostly stayed off Pearl Street which is a lovely pedestrian mall, about two blocks long with shops and restaurants that can both be found only locally and/or across the nation such as Patagonia or Rocket Fizz, The Cheesecake Factory or West Flanders Brewing. In between the stores where the street is suppose to be with cars holds benches for seating, play areas for children, and beautiful sculptures to admire.

Getting Artsy

Blast from the Past

Until Next Time Colorado!