Dan and I had the recent privilege of traveling to Boulder for my brother's wedding. As you can imagine, there are always small things we look forward to doing/seeing/eating while we're home and I thought you'd all like to know what made this trip's top 10! It goes without saying that time with friends and family, for such a joyful celebration, trumps any kind of list like this one. We were so grateful for the chance to be home and to share in a day celebrating two of the funniest, well-suited, and wonderful people I know! Congratulations, Andy and Karyn! But now... without further ado...
10. Mexican food is always a must when home in the States. Hacienda Colorado, as well as Americanized giant burritos available at Q-doba and Chipotle, really hit the spot! Viva la Mexican food!
9. Chicken and a Biscuit by Chick-Fil-A is a little known delicacy. They only serve it during their breakfast hours, but with a little honey on top, it tastes like one of the seven wonders of the world.
8. Greek Salad at Panara Bread is loaded with fresh vegetables, peppercinis, and flavors hard to find on our side of the world in Moscow. What a delight to have all the chopping and preparing done for you. Sit back, take in the view, and enjoy!
7. Friendly customer service! We so enjoyed chatty servers, friendly greetings when walking into a store, and the fun small talk with customer service representatives over the phone.
6. Casual dress code. Only in Boulder could I wear a t-shirt, denim skirt, and Chacos to church and get the response, "Why are you so dressed up today?"
5. A tall, extra-room Americano from Starbucks. There is something about Starbucks espresso and the employees who work there that always make our experience enjoyable. We could not seem to get our fill of good coffee and good cream while in Boulder. Wish we could take my old store back to Moscow with us!
4. So many delicious spicy sauces! Hot buffalo sauce, tangy Carolina bbq sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's... yum!
3. Dan pulled out his road bike, while I adjusted the seat on my Dad's classic old Schwinn road bike, and we took a couple tours of the North Boulder area leading to the Boulder Creek Trail. What magnificent views of the North Boulder farmland, just coming to life under the panorama of Flatirons and larger peaks behind. When we left Moscow, the air pollution level was 3 times over acceptable levels. This, needless to say, was a taste of paradise.
2. Vanilla Lattes at Peet's Coffee. Wow, if you haven't tried one, you don't know what you're missing. Whole milk is your best option - so creamy and caramelly sweet from the vanilla and espresso.
1. After a few days to acclimate to the change in altitude, I decided to try out a run I used to do quite often in college at CU. Approximately 9 miles, the run took me up a long but steady climb up to NCAR which overlooks the city of Boulder, then around the Mesa Trail through Chitauqua Park and down a beautiful residential descent back to where I began. The run was breathtaking in every sense of the word, perfect weather, the run a challenge, but the sights simply spectacular.
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Monique Malamma