Denver, Colorado
This year I made 25!!! I almost cried, but I'll save that for 30, God willing. I wanted to do something big and celebrate all month and go on a long 7 day trip somewhere tropic in November. But work, school and life happened so my plans changed a little, plus it's not like I had to get away from extreme cold weather. I decided to go to Colorado! My dad used to take us every winter break when I was younger so I know I would be able to do some fun activities and still have a beautiful scenery.
The weather was a little warmer than expected and I definitely over packed. Denver, and other parts of Colorado didn't get the cold weather, let alone snow, that usually starts around the holidays, but it was still nice. We rented a gorgeous 3 story AirBnb in the historic district that was walking distance from a few shops and restaurants; 4 bedrooms and 2 nice size couches.
Once settled in, we headed to Seasons 52 for Thanksgiving dinner and then shopped around the mall next door. We wanted to find a place to go out and celebrate my birthday that night, but unlike downtown Houston, much of everything was closed or closed at 9pm. So we settled on wine coolers and the stereo system in the basement, but we still had fun.
The next day, we cooked breakfast, shopped around the neighborhood then headed to the wine tasting at Balistreri Vineyard. It was a nice, family owned vineyard and the daughter and wife of the wine maker was our tour guide. We tasted about 23 different wines and got a chance to tour the cellar where the wine is stored and bottled. Pretty cool experience and I can't wait to do more! I also bought a bottle that was made from grapes from their wine and it was amazing.
Later we ate at STK and the waiter definitely showed love!
We went out afterwards to LODO (lower downtown Denver).
The next adventure was tubing in Frisco. The smaller ski slopes were closed because of the warmer weather and not enough snow. But the tubing was extremely fun and pretty cheap! We stayed all day, but one word of advice, drive yourself up the mountain because there are no Ubers, Lyfts or taxis willing to go up and down the hour plus long drive.
The rest of the weekend we went ice skating, we went down to Larimer square, and we also stopped by some local shops and restaurants. The weekend was everything and more! I'm so glad that everybody who was there was able to come and help me celebrate! I love these ladies and can't wait for our next trip!
Where to Go: Frisco Tubing
Winterpark ski resort
Balistreri Vineyard
Denver Biscuit Co.
Rocky Mountains
Larimer Square
16th St. Mall
Tacos Tequila Whiskey
& there's so much more to do and visit, we didn't get a chance to do everything. Visit a brewery, they are known for beer and have free tours, visit Red Rock Amphitheater, go downtown and enjoy yourself!
If you plan on going to the mountain to ski, tube, or other activities, make sure to stay warm. Bring, ski pants, water proof gloves and liners, long johns under your clothes, a beanie, ski mask, thick socks & warmers. Also be aware of altitude sickness, stay hydrated with plenty of WATER!! tissue for nose bleeds and whatever else you need to stay warm and safe. Also check online and call resorts before your trip to check for group ski rates, and lodging. I suggest you purchase any lift tickets and day passes online before you go, some private resorts such as Devil's Thumb Ranch require reservations or have different prices for non-guests. I also suggest you rent a car, because Lyft and Uber can be very expensive around the holidays and Denver is very spread out. Feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions!