Good Finds in Colorado

We just got back from a fun trip to Colorado to visit our daughter and son-in-law. We always have the best time with them! They are wonderful hosts and do everything they can to make our stay enjoyable. We can’t wait to visit them again.

While we were in Colorado we drove to the town of Boulder. I love shopping  and dining on Pearl Street. One of our good finds was the store Patagonia that carries the GoLite brand. Jerry found two UV protection long sleeve shirts that are going to be perfect for his motorcycle trip to Sturgis. I found some running shorts, a great hat for running and what I am most excited about…a bag I can use for my camera and lenses.                                                             

I have been looking for something to carry my camera and lenses in. I have the big bulky black bag that came with my camera. I have never used it. I tried using a big old purse that I had but because of the weight the straps eventually broke. The GoLite bag that I found has great zipper pockets and pouches that work for my lenses. The straps are wide so they are comfortable on my shoulders. The really great news…all of this stuff was 50% off! (You can also get this deal if you go to their website)                                                                                                       Mine is blue.

We also visited the wine-tasting room for Bookcliffe Winery.  For a reasonable price we got to taste 5 wines. My favorite is their Ensemble which is a blend of red wines. My son-in-law liked their Lucky Twenty which is a blend of white wines. Very refreshing on a summer evening!  We also took a little tour of their back room and got a quick lesson on their wine production operation.

Another day took us to the town of Longmont. We stopped at the Farmers’ Market and got some wonderful bread, cheese, granola, cherries and a sundried tomato spread. (We had a delicious supper that night!) It was pretty hot so we stopped at a fun Brewhouse to sample some beer and quench our thirst. Stopping at the Lefthand Brewing Company for a mere $4.00 we got to sample four beers. (Does this sound like we just drank on our vaca?  We didn’t!) My favorite was their Black Jack. It’s a dark, dark beer. Now I’m not usually a beer drinker and never liked dark beer but this was good!! I think it’s the addition of dark chocolate that does it!

After all this beer we decided we needed to get some food. My son-in-law suggested we try the Pump House. It's an old firestation that has been converted into a restaurant and brewery. We found a table on the patio (complete with misters which felt oh, so good!) that faced the street. We had fun people-watching as we ate. The food was delicious! I can’t wait to go back there and try a different menu item.                    

                                                           

The last good find I’m going to tell you about is in Fort Collins. The city has a fun garden kind of hidden off the beaten path. The Gardens on Spring Creek is the community’s botanic garden. My daughter and I found it and had fun walking around even though it was VERY hot! We saw some artists leaving with their canvases and paints. (I’m sure it is a great place to paint when it isn’t so hot.) My favorite part of the garden was the children’s garden. They had the biggest sunflower flowers I have ever seen. There was a huge metal watering can and lots of pint-sized watering cans for the kids to use. Lots of themed gardens for the little ones to explore.

We had so much fun! Colorado is a beautiful state with lots to explore. I am thinking I'll have
 to write another post on the nature side. Have you ever been to Colorado? Do you have any good finds to share?




(All of the opinions shared above are my own. I was not compensated for anything I wrote.)