It’s official – I’m a year older!
What an amazing trip! My wonderful boyfriend surprised me with four nights in Denver for my birthday (I knew there was a trip, just didn’t know any details).
Food highlights:
- Dinner at Vesta Dipping Grill (amazing cilantro pesto, salsas, cheese plate…just perfect) (one of the top 10 meals I’ve ever eaten)
- Brunch at Root Down (poached eggs in hollandaise over quinoa cakes with home fries)
- Dinner at Fruition (“Grazing Vegetarians” – salad in a potato basket, stuffed artichokes, and birthday cake with apricot mustard and cheese) (one of the top 3 meals I’ve ever eaten)
(the stuffed artichokes)
(the pistachio olive oil cake with cheese and arugula)
- Breakfast at Watercourse Foods and gluten-free pizza at City O’ City
I’ll note that two of our desserts (cheese plates) included arugula salads. Greens for breakfast and greens for dessert – that’s the way to live! 
Denver has the best chai I’ve ever had (technically from Boulder) – I love Bhakti Chai! The flavor is perfectly balanced and just sweet enough once it’s mixed with milk. I could gladly give up water if this chai was readily available where I live.
We did a little grocery shopping, too – more details in a separate post on the tasty treats we found.
Of course, we did more than eat…
…we took a trip south to the Garden of the Gods…
…and a trip to the Celestial Seasonings tea factory, which I can’t recommend enough. The tour is free, and the whole factory smells *amazing* – hibiscus, tea (of course), and the famed mint room are must-smell stops! I had stopped drinking Celestial Seasonings in favor of snobbier teas and organic products, but I am strongly reconsidering that stance. (We bought five boxes. They really do seem committed to sensible environmental practices.)
We also spent a whole morning at the zoo, where wonderful boyfriend got charged by a peacock and we made friends with some lorikeets.
We also made the farther-than-expected drive out to Lakewood to see this house. Recognize it? Of course not It’s a place where Jack Kerouac once lived. He was/is one of my childhood heroes, so I finally had to see this last stop on the recommended “Beat Tour” of Denver. (And how cool is it that the Denver government puts together these little driving tours on their website? Way to show your civic pride! My city could never manage that – we can barely keep the libraries open.)
Alas, I’m now back at work where I have much to finish up. I’m consoling myself with lots of socializing tonight and tomorrow night, and some acai zinger tea.
You’ll perhaps note that there are no run recaps. Sad as I am to admit it, I packed running and yoga clothes but never did a single “workout”, though we walked and hiked every day. Saturday’s long run might be a tough one!