friends

denver {day three}: sweet action on broadway.

May 8, 2013

What troopers you all are! Thank you for reading all these long winded, song embedded, photography crazed posts. I am loving your comments and your excitement! And I feel it, too! Colorado sure is wonderful, isn’t it?

On the third day, we filled our day entirely with food and shopping, which is my idea of living the dream. Before I go on I’d like to say a few thoughts about my experience in Denver thus far:

1} WINDOW SCREENS. There aren’t any!

At least my friend Beth didn’t have any to speak of. I noticed this right away and was told that the altitude is so high that there aren’t a lot of bugs to worry about. WHAT? Pack your bags, everyone and LET’S MOVE TO DENVER. But seriously. I still cannot get over the no screens thing. Just amazing.

2} DRY AIR. What beautiful hair and skin you have!

This could be a good and a bad thing. My hands were incredibly dry while I was there, but my hair held up quite nicely each day thanks to the dry air and this dry shampoo. Also, water. I drank so much the first day that I had to go to the bathroom a lot A LOT. But, hydration! Can’t complain there! And lastly, a few bevys go a long way. And a lot of bevys go even further {hence the dancing}. I think we can all agree that too much fun + dancing is never a bad thing.

Also remember: hiking was hard! Physical activity not recommended for the feeble.

3} TIME CHANGE. hello, 6AM!

Now this experience would not necessarily effect everybody, but coming from East Coast time I definitely felt it effect me. Staying up late is never a problem for me, but early mornings can be rough. Not for a weekend in Colorado, though. I was up at the crack of dawn and felt like a million bucks. Sweet mountain living!

Anyways! Here are some of the day’s details…

denver day 3

We started out with a walk in Washington Park with Beth’s little nugget of a puppy. Frida! You crazy thing, you. Then we headed out for brunch at Cafe Bar which was all kind of YUM. Each and every place we had a meal was straight up blogger perfection. I’m telling you! I loved it.

We ate brunch with Beth’s sister Lauren and got to hear all about her latest project and life in the tech world. Seeing your friends’ little siblings all grown up is strange {because it makes you feel OLD!}, but especially awesome, too. I love the work Lauren is doing and know that girl is really, truly going places. She is rocking it.

Then after eggs and strawberry buttermilk pancakes the shopping {and ice cream eating} commenced…

denver day 3-2

DID YOU TELL CINDY I THOUGHT SHE WAS BEING A BITCH THE OTHER DAY AT THE POTLUCK?

{Amazing.}

Good times at Goodwill.

{WAAAY TOO GOOD.}

I mean, but really? Those interiors! Does it get any better?

Every shop was obviously my favorite shop, but I was especially smitten with Fancy Tiger {both clothing and crafts. but ESPECIALLY crafts}. How cool is that deer head covered in yarn? We spent all afternoon there browsing and eating ice cream before a venture to the great REI filled with enough outdoor gear to keep you equipt in the Colorado mountains for the rest of your LIFE.

We ended the day with another lovely dinner with friends where I tucked my phone + camera away for the night and just decided to BE.

Another glorious day on the trip log.

p.s. It probably goes without saying,
but all embedded songs are memories
from the trip/high school…
nostalgia at it’s best!

p.p.s. in case you missed it!
{day one: live at red rocks}
{day two: rocky mountain high}

13 Comments · Filed Under: friends, life, music, nostalia, travel ·

colorado {day two} // rocky mountain high.

May 7, 2013

Day two! On our second day in Denver we actually decided to head out of town to do a little Rocky Mountain Hiking. Now if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you know that when I go touring a new place {or old!} I don’t mess around. Give me your best and your badest and I AM THERE.

This trip clearly was no exception.

To get to Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver it’s about an hour and a half drive– first you drive to Boulder {which we will discuss more later}, and then you head on up to Estes Park, CO, which is PURE BEAUTY.

Sigh. Every time I think about those mountains I get dreamy eyes. Talk about picturesque!

When this little red bug turned onto the road in front of us I just about died. Driving to the mountains in the state of Colorado does not get any better than this, I promise! Well, actually, one thing does make it better and that is a case full of CDs from your early days, just ready for the playing. And play them did we ever.

After picking up a map and some children’s books on moose and bears for my classroom at the gift shop (!) we started up the mountain with the sun on our faces and the promise of some great views on the trek…

We didn’t make it all the way up to Gem Lake because the altitude really started to get to Bailey and me {being the traditional East Coasters that we are}. Rocky Mountain National Park, and a lot of Colorado in general, is a mile or more above sea level— and when you’re not used to it {as we were not} you can really feel it! So after hiking for awhile– catching some views and snapping some pictures– we decided to ditch the light headed-ness and turn around to make a trip to Boulder for lunch!

Most everybody told me I would love Boulder before I left. And I sure did.

Pearl Street with mountain views? Glory.

We didn’t spend too much time there, but we did walk around for a bit, get lunch, and hit up the Fairy Festival, so everything I saw and experienced is enough to make me feel like Boulder is truly a special place.

denver day 2-25 denver day 2-33

We ate lunch The Kitchen [Next Door] on Pearl Street {farm to table! subway tiles! CHALKBOARDS!} and joked about how if you have anything worth saying these days it better be written in chalk.

We drove back to Denver listening to our mixed CDs from the early 2000s, loving the wide open views and each other’s company, talking about the silly to the serious and everything in between.

After that it was naps and showers, then out to dinner at D Bar with some of Beth’s good friends from town. We laughed the whole time ordering glass after glass of wine, filling ourselves with good food and even better desert. From dinner we went straight to ACE where the fun continued and the bistro lights were sparkling. The restaurants in Denver, people! They are so good.

And then? Well, then we did the only thing appropriate for a Saturday night with your best girls…

DANCE PARTIES FOREVER.

{there are way more dancing pictures where that came from and a video to boot, but dancers eyes only, I was warned, so for today, this will have to do!}

Full of terrific, that day two was. Full of ALL KINDS OF TERRIFIC. ♥

15 Comments · Filed Under: food, friends, life, travel ·

denver {day one} // live at red rocks.

May 6, 2013

You guys! Let’s just talk for a few days about the beauty and goodness that is Denver, Colorado. I took over 500 pictures on my trip and have whittled them down to just near 100 for the ‘ol blog. I’d like to say I’m kidding or at least that I’m sorry, but yeah, I’m not. Girlfriend can’t help herself. Pictures aplenty, pictures galore.

So anyways, If you’d like to stick around for the ride, I’d love to have you. It’s good stuff through and through, I promise. And hey! Maybe afterwards you’ll feel like you took a vacation, too. Ready? Here we go…

{PRESS PLAY!}

I left Boston INSANELY early on Friday morning, but when you’re heading across the country to see your best friends {who you haven’t seen in a year!}, well, nothing is too early for that.

After one layover and one total sobfest while finishing this {SO GOOD!}, I was ready to take on Denver. The thing I remember best about landing at the airport and driving into the city was this: They sky was the bluest of blue {and stayed that way the entire length of our trip}, I could see the mountains!, and the sky was bigger than I’ve ever seen.

There is something perfect about reuniting with high school friends. The second you are together again, I swear it’s like you were never apart. We just kept busting out with “WE DID THIS! We’re here!! WE REALLY DID THIS!” on the entire ride to Denver from the airport. I felt this kind of happy inside that I haven’t felt in awhile, and maybe even ever. The sweet excitement of being someplace brand new with the sweet comfort of being with people who’ve known you practically forever— people who’ve known you before you were even actually you— at least before you were the you you are today, if that makes sense. They’ve watched you become YOU. And, anyways, for what it’s worth it’s some kind of wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from day one…

The highlight of the day: LIVE AT RED ROCKS.

Fun fact: When I was in high school I was wildly obsessed with the Dave Matthews Band. I went to tons and tons of concerts {SPAC! Toronto! Atlanta!} and was basically head over heals for the music in the way that only a 16 year old can be. To put it mildly, I lived and breathed DMB. The winter of my senior year I wrote a letter to Dave Matthews, signed by me and all my friends, and! just for fun, not for serious, I added my phone number at the end with a smiley face. I sent it to his house in Charlottesville, Virgina and thought that was that. All in good fun, right? Send a letter to the lead singer of your favorite band and life goes on.

Well.

A week later, my phone rang one night and it was Dave Matthews himself. DAVE MATTHEWS! In the flesh, calling for ME!

Said he wanted to thank me and my friends for the letter, that he’d just gotten home from a photo shoot for Rolling Stone, that my words were the nicest and just what he needed to hear after a long, tiring weekend away.

I talked to him for, I don’t even know, 5 minutes? Mind racing, heart beating the enTIRE time.

And then I jumped and squealed like a 16 year old for weeks upon weeks upon weeks. {and still sometimes even now.}

TRUE LIFE AMAZING.

My original claim to fame, also known as the best day ever of my teenage life.

{And so, now you’ll see why it was so appropriate that we come to Red Rocks. My favorite of all the CDs!}

The amphitheatre is the coolest and the view UNBELIEVABLE. I hear the acoustics are the best, although I can’t say I’ve heard them myself {we didn’t see a concert, just toured the rocks!}–but I will say that I’m adding “See a concert at Red Rocks” to my bucket list, for sure.

If I can make it a DMB concert, EVEN BETTER.

Exhausted, but exhilarated I could not stop smiling the entire length of the day. After Red Rocks we headed back into the city {and Beth’s neighborhood} to end day one with dinner at Steuben’s. It was, in a word, {DO YOU SEE THOSE GRAVY CHEESE FRIES?} delicious.

The perfect end to a perfect beginning.

Love at first sight, Denver! So much good!

31 Comments · Filed Under: famous people, friends, life, music, nostalia, travel ·

snapshots // {mostly} denver edition.

May 1, 2013

Friends! Hi!

I’m trying to find my place. Coming back from a jam-packed-crazy-amazing weekend away is always hard, and this time, especially, I’m finding the transition to be full of all sorts of feelings– most all of them good {excitment! inspiration! friendship!}, but also some less so {take me baack! O V E R W H E L M E D!}.

Basically, I had the best time. THE BEST. And now I’m just trying to soak it in and wrap my head around it all.

{Also, I’m trying to figure out how to share all my photos in less than five blog posts. {just kidding.} {sort of!} }

P.S. Tomorrow! A playlist!

15 Comments · Filed Under: friends, instagram, life, travel ·