Colorado

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver, Colorado | Day 2

November 2, 2019 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Tupelo Honey | Denver, Colorado

In the morning we forgo the breakfast plans and picked a Tupelo Honey closer to our hotel. Everything was perfect here. From their brussel sprouts to the shashuka and grits and shrimp and grits. I wouldn’t mind having one of these places back in Houston.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, Colorado | Plants

Since the walk was kind of far we took and Uber to the botanical gardens. There’s not much to see since it is winter but they did have a couple of exhibits that were indoor.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, Colorado | Dio de Las Muertos

They were also celebrating Dio de Las Muertos. They had so many things painted and lots of children activities in tents such as face painting.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, Colorado | Frozen Pond

We skipped all of that and walked around and found a frozen pond. It still surprises me that this happens every year for the people that live here.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver Botanic Gardens | Denver, Colorado | Japanese Garden Snowy

My favourite part of the whole garden was the Japanese Garden. Everything was snowy here so it was beautiful.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Little Owl Coffee | Denver, Colorado

After the gardens Sissy wanted coffee so we took an Uber to Little Owl Coffee. It was a short distance to our hotel but the only thing I didn’t like was their lack of pastries. We saw pictures online but nothing in person so we opted to just lattes and mochas.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Walking on Snow | Denver, Colorado

We chugged our drinks and trekked on. I love being able to step in snow with my boots. I love the sound and the way it feels. No more after today.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Cooper + Dash Gifts and Gallery | Denver, Colorado

We made a couple stops to find souvenirs and ended up at Dash + Cooper. I love that there is a giant unicorn at the doorway. Emmy would have loved it!

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Milkbox Ice Creamery | Denver, Colorado

As we were walking back to our hotel, we stopped by Union Station to Milkbox for some ice cream. I got a peanut butter type while she got a vegan chocolate type. Both delicious and perfect treat for the cold weather.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Union Station at Night | Denver, Colorado

We showered and lazied about the hotel until close to our dinner reservations. As we walked to the restaurant we got to see Union Station lighted up at night. It was gorgeous.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Panzano | Denver, Colorado

We finally made it to Panzano for dinner. I’ve been looking forward to their brussel sprouts. If you haven’t noticed, that’s usually one of the things I have to order if it’s on the menu. The way this was prepped reminds me of the place I went to in San Antonio since they both use apples and pistachios with their dish. My lamb was also on point and being able to suck out the bone marrow was a huge plus for me.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Panzano | Denver, Colorado | Mellie Dee

We walked to another shop for a souvenir before calling it a night. We packed as much as we could and are now in bed. Night, world!

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Denver, Colorado | Day 1

November 1, 2019 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

I’ve been dreaming of having a mother daughters trip since I was a little girl and it’s finally a reality. Sissy wanted to go to Tampa, I wanted to go to another state I’ve never been and Mum wanted Denver. We ended up in Denver, freezing our asses off.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Houston to Denver

I got to use a drink voucher and get a mimosa while I watched a movie I downloaded while playing a game.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Union Station | Denver, Colorado

We rode the train to Union Station. This place is gorgeous. Reminds me of something out of a Hallmark movie where they meet up and do their final kiss before the credits roll.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Pigtrain Coffee Co | Denver, Colorado

We ordered a light snack to share from Pigtrain Coffee Co. I don’t remember what the pastry was but it was perfect.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Hotel Indigo | Denver, Colorado

We walked to Hotel Indigo and checked in early. We dropped off our stuff and refreshed ourselves before heading back out in the cold.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Leaves Changing | Denver, Colorado

I love seeing the leaves change colours. I wish I could witness it with more shades but I guess this will do.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Appaloosa Grill | Denver, Colorado

We did a lot of small shops before stopping at Appaloosa Grill for lunch. They served fried pig ears but it’s not what I thought. The flavour was nice but the cut and size of each was too big. Else everything was good but nothing to rave about.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | State Capital | Denver, Colorado

We trekked back outside in the snow and walked passed the capital.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Squirrel | Denver, Colorado

I bumped into this squirrel who was very photogenic and even went to me and posed for me. Mum tried to do the same but it ran away.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Molly Brown House Museum | Denver, Colorado

We decided to do the Molly Brown House Museum. She’s a survivor from the Titanic and it was interesting to see how they used to live. They had such beautiful stained glass windows and I find those stoves to be adorable though I’m happy I don’t have to use one.

2019 Mother Daughters Trip | Hearth & Dram | Denver, Colorado

We went back to our hotel, took showers and relaxed before heading off to dinner at Hearth & Dram. This is connected to our hotel so it was a quick walk. We ordered a lot but one of my favourites is the best salad. Crazy, right?

It’s so early and they’re both asleep already. I guess I’ll head to bed soon too.

2016 Colorado Trip

December 28, 2016 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

As promised, Colorado trip recap. This trip was only for a weekend, yet I was able to cross off a few things off my list!

Wednesday, December 14th

Since our flight wasn’t until 10 pm, we all went into work and Scruffy came to pick me up afterward. We finished our last minute packing and waited for Rami and Caitlin (who were going with us) to arrive. Then we had dinner with their parents before we headed off to the land of white.

We somehow scored a drink coupon and put it to use. A Bailey’s coffee and whiskey shot for me and a Lagunitas Ale and vodka (?) for him.

We landed and waited an extremely long time for our bags. Apparently, the trolley that carried our luggage broke down. Once we collected all of our bags, we headed outside where the cold, crisp air hit us in the face as we waited for our bus to take us to our car rental place.

After much debate on the car situation, we made our two-hour drive to Keystone. We were literally a minute away from our abode but a wrong turn costs us a two-hour delay due to us getting stuck in the snow. It was a freezing experience but a memory I won’t ever forget.

Thursday, December 15th

Rami and Caitlin went snowboarding while Scruffy and I dug the car out for a little adventure.

We had breakfast at

The Pour House
40 Cove Blvd
Dillon, CO 80435
(970) 368-6416
http://thepourhousecoffee.com

We split the Bagel Sammich [egg, cheddar cheese, sausage] | $6, and each got a Small Latte | $3.50. I forgot what type of lattes we got but we both loved the sandwich which also came with a side of honeydew. Yum!

After our tummies were full, Scruffy drove around as I snapped pictures of the gorgeous landscape. We walked into a gift shop but all they had were clothes. After a long while, we decided it was lunch time and went to

Zuma Roadhouse
91 River Run Rd
Dillon, CO 80435
(970) 262-2202
http://zumaroadhouse.com

Burgers and fries for him. Steak, fries, and potatoes for me. Mmmm … so much leftovers for dinner that night. After lunch, we headed to pick up our skis.

Christy Sports Rentals
23080 West Highway 6
Keystone, CO 80435
(970) 468-5775
http://rental.christysports.com/

They people there were very nice and got us fitted very fast. We then drove back home for nap time. I continued to sleep as Scruffy ran to the grocery store with Rami and Caitlin. When they came back, we watched telly, talked about our adventures, and ate our leftovers and whatever else they bought at the store.

Friday, December 16th

Ski day. Let’s just say, I am a horrible person to be around when I cannot do something. I gave up after a short while due to the ski boots cutting off my circulation. Hopefully, next time, if there is a next time, I can take snowboarding lessons and get fitted correctly.

While Scruffy snowboarded with Rami on top of the mountain, I went home and changed into my comfortable snow boots. I snapped some more pictures while I waited for the bus to meet them back up for a drink. It had been snowing all morning and was so happy to see this puppy in it’s element.

9280′ Tap House
140 Ida Belle Dr.
Keystone, CO 80435
(970) 496-4333

We drank our one and only beers before Rami went back up the mountain for a few more runs while Scruffy and I went on more adventures. We had dinner at

Sauce on the Blue
358 Blue River Parkway
Silverthrone, CO 80498
(970) 468-7488
http://sauceontheblue.com

We used the Bread | free to dip into our appetizer.

Sauteed Mussels [New Zealand green lipped mussels, basil pesto cream, crostini, shaved Parmesan] | $14 was my favourite dish there. I just love me some pesto and Parmesan. Mmm …

Chicken Parmesan [marinara, mozzarella, spaghetti, fresh vegetables] | $16

Chicken Marsala [mushroom Marsala sauce, fettuccine, fresh vegetables] | $19

The pastas weren’t bad. I would choose the chicken Parmesan which tasted better than the Marsala.

We headed back home and hung out a bit before Caitlin headed to bed. Scruffy and Rami set up the Wii in our room to play while I read magazines in bed before calling it a night.

Saturday, December 17th

We woke up to this sight. Inches and inches of snow piled on high.

Scruffy and I took the bus to River Run to do some shopping at various stores. We decided to eat something small and went into

Luigi’s Pasta House
140 Ida Belle Dr.
Keystone, CO 80435
(970) 468-0300

We threw back some beers and shared the Fat Luigi [5 meatballs, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese & marinara – add a sausage link for $2] | $10.

We added the sausage but my advice – skip the sausage and stick to the meatballs. The sausage was sub-par but the meatballs were on point.

When we asked if we could have some bread we were told that was only given during dinner time. They were nice enough to bring some to us though, with no charge. Great service!

We decided to dig the car out again for some more scenery shots and ended up at the

Beef Jerky Outlet
167 Wildernest Rd
Silverthorne, CO 80498
(970) 368-6196
https://summitcounty.beefjerkyoutlet.com/

where we each bought a bag for our dads. If you love beef jerky, this place has so many to choose from.

Later that night, we ordered delivery from

Last Chance Pizza Co.
40 Cove Blvd
Dillon, CO 80435
(970) 513-0900
http://lastchancepizza.com

The food wasn’t spectacular but it hit the spot as we spent the rest of the night playing card games, listening to music, and knocking back a few drinks.

Sunday, December 18th

We ate leftovers for breakfast, packed the rest of our stuff before heading out and took pictures. We made a stop at River Run and the Beef Jerky Outlet so Rami and Caitlin can do some souvenir shopping before ending up at

Sunshine Cafe
250 Summit Pl
Silverthrone, CO 80498
(970) 468-6663
http://locu.com

Scruffy and I split the Chicken Fried Steak [southern favorite served with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and gravy, and a roll] | $9.95, and Soup of the Day: Curry Soup | cup $3.95. We subbed french fries instead of veggies but as you can see from our plate, they probably thought we didn’t want mashed potatoes either and gave us a crap load of fries. I was sad we didn’t get to try the mashed potatoes but it was okay since we were stuffed. Definitely a good place to stop for breakfast/brunch.

We started our drive back to Denver making a stop at

Falling Rock Tap House
1919 Blake St
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 293-8338
http://fallingrocktaphouse.com

for a couple beers since we had time to kill before heading to dinner at

Ted’s Montana Grill
1685 Briargate Pkwy
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
(719) 598-6195
http://tedsmontanagrill.com

Pickled Cucumbers | free tasted a little weird at first but after a while, I couldn’t stop! My favourite were the ends while everyone else chomped on the middle parts.

Karen’s “Flying-D” Bison Chili | cup $5 wasn’t anything to rave about. I think Scruffy’s homemade chili tastes 95% better than that. I could be biased though.

Swiss and Mushroom Bison Burger [swiss, mushroom, sour cream] | $17

Green and Hot Bison Burger [pepper jack, grilled jalapeno, guacamole, chipotle ranch] | $17

Both the burgers were a handful. Literally! There were so many ingredients jammed in there – just like a burger should. If I ever have a chance to come back, I’d want to try the regular burger and see how it holds up.

After dinner we headed to the airport to fly back home in the land of the humid. On the flight back, we watched the movie, Chef, that I downloaded off Netflix and both ordered one drink to end the vacation. We were exhausted once we got back home and all we did was sleep in.

This trip was filled with many fails but those fails make great stories. I cannot wait for our next adventure together – once I save up enough money. Where are we headed, Scruffy?