Denver - Oct 2024

To kick off our West Coast roadtrip, we spent a week in Denver catching up with our friends there.  We drove from TX, taking about 12 hours.  We stayed at Sarah's house again where we took over her basement! In between meeting up with friends, we worked out a lot since we were trying to get back into shape. We also did a shopping spree at REI to stock up on more camping/hiking items. 

While in Denver, we caught up with the following:

Julie - Shawna had breakfast with her former colleague from Cigna at Sassafras.  It's a great breakfast spot in the Highlands - she had the yogurt with fruit and granola.  She also tried her first dirty chai which was delicious but then found out that they are high in calories so won't be drinking that one again!

Breakfast with Julie at Sassafras

Jeff - We had dinner at Jeff (former college of Keith's from LivCor) and Christina's house, along with their son Cam.  They had moved to Denver from Seattle 9 months prior and have a beautiful home.  Christina made all the fixings for burritos / taco salad.  

Dinner at Jeff and Christina's house

Ali - We had lunch with Ali at Flower Child, our favorite 'healthy' place in the area.  We each had a bowl which was delicious.  We then went for a walk with her around Wash Park, doing two laps and ended back at her house to take a photo with Pip, her adorable dog. 

Lunch and a walk with Ali

Elizabeth / Joe - We had dinner with them at Lucina, a great Latin restaurant not too far from Sarah's house.  We shared several plates for the table, all very tasty, while celebrating both of their birthdays and Elizabeth's retirement.   

Dinner with Joe and Elizabeth at Lucina

Shezelle - Keith had breakfast with her (former colleague from Aimco) at Hash TAG in Highlands Ranch.

Breakfast with Shezelle at Hash TAG

Kelly / Danny - We had dinner with them at Point Easy, another great restaurant not far from Sarah's.  We shared several plates - all very good except the branzino was just OK.  

Jen - Keith had breakfast at Breakfast on Broadway with Jen, a former colleague from Aimco. 

Breakfast with Jen at Breakfast on Broadway

Steve - Keith had lunch at Cucina Colore with Steve, a former colleague from Aimco. 

Erin - Shawna had lunch with her former colleague from BCBSNC who lives in the Springs.  They met at La Loma in Castle Rock, a great Mexican place with a view of the mountains.  Shawna had a yummy grilled shrimp salad.  

Lunch with Erin at La Loma

Sarah / Shikes / Cara / Chad - We had dinner with them at Sap Sua, a new Vietnamese place that had many accolades.  We shared a bunch of dishes for the table - all very tasty. 

Dinner with Cara, Chad, Sarah and Shikes at Sap Sua

Christy - Keith had breakfast at The Bagel Deli and Restaurant with Christy, a former colleague from Aimco.

Breakfast with Christy at The Bagel Deli

Greg - Keith had lunch with Greg, a former Aimco colleague, at Bacon Social House. 

Lunch with Greg at Bacon Social House

Drew - Shawna had lunch with Drew, founder of EYC and current board member at Flower Child.  She had another yummy bowl (Mother Earth). 

Athena / Chris - We had dinner at their house which was so much fun.  We started with cocktails and a few snacks and then had a great dinner of fig bruschetta, salmon, lentils, and broccoli salad and apple crisp for dessert which we enjoyed with some red wine.  

Dinner at Chris and Athena's house

Martin / Michelle - We had dinner with them at Angelo's Taverna, an Italian restaurant with lots of outdoor seating and also has its own winery.  We sat outside and shared a salad and a pasta dish - all tasty. And their wine was pretty good too.

Dinner with Martin and Michelle at Angelo's

Craig / Rita - We stayed at their house in Boulder our last night in the area, arriving mid-afternoon.  We went for a 2 hour hike on Mount Saints via Lion's Lair Trail - 4.6 miles and 850 ft elevation gain.  It was a nice hike with views of Boulder from the top. Back at their house, we relaxed outside on their back patio, enjoying a few snacks and then retreated inside for a yummy Indian meal made by Rita.  We left the next morning quite early to drive to Boise, the next leg of our trip. 

Mount Sanitas Hike with Craig and Rita