All photos by Rachel Ridings
Last summer on our magical trip to Denver, my dear friend Rachel took some shots of Louis and I together in one of my favorite Denver neighborhoods, Baker. We grabbed some ice cream at Sweet Action, and to say the least, she documented the moments perfectly. I think my cone was blackcurrent lemon sorbet or something of the sort.
Discover more of Rachel’s photography on her blog.
All this gray in Paris was making me want to show some bright colors from across the pond.
Memories from summer are still drifting along in my thoughts everyday, in particular, this magical day in the Lower Highlands with my honey.
We strolled under a cloudless blue sky, and enjoyed a burger and beer at Highland Tap and Burger (on my Denver guide!), one of my favorite spots. Did I mention that painted bricks are just fantastic?
Earlier this summer when Louis and I were in Denver, some dear friends flew in from New York for the weekend. As our stomping grounds had only been Paris and New York in the years before, I wanted to show them a truly Colorado experience in 3 days.
Having Simon and Ryan in Denver was a bit puzzling at first. Since we had gone to school together in Paris, and had a fantastic summer in New York City, them being in my hometown was a mixture of contexts. They met my family, my friends and saw the backdrop to which I grew up.
The day started early, and we immediately headed to Tom’s Urban 24 for a beer and breakfast burrito. Yes, a beer at breakfast. We strolled LoDo and made our way to Great Divide Brewery for some tasters. After a little tour of downtown with the windows open and the music turned up, we headed West, up to Evergreen for a family barbecue. We had a lot to celebrate.
On our way up the mountain, we stopped by the for a glass of local wine, with the sounds of the creeks reminding us of how busy our day had been.
On the second day, we hung around downtown and wandered. When the sun started to set we headed up to Red Rocks Amphitheater to admire the view of the town I grew up in. In the itty bitty town of Morrison that I know like the back of my hand, we feasted at the Morrison Inn before an early night.
The next day we went up into the mountains. Stopped for our morning coffee in downtown Evergreen and we were on our merry way. We took the Old Squaw Pass and Juniper Pass from Evergreen to Georgetown, where our brunch destination was. The scenery made my heart melt. In Georgetown we brunched at the Happy Cooker (where my family and I always go to breakfast on our way up skiing and tubing). The time flew by, and after a little stroll through the antique shops, we had to head down the mountain. On the drive down we passed Lookout Mountain and Buffalo Bill’s Grave which we couldn’t resist, before speeding to the airport to drop the two New Yorkers off.
It was the perfect weekend with three of my favorite fellas, and I’m so glad that they got a jam-packed taste of Colorado.
I’m thinking of home this Sunday afternoon. A good ol’ American tradition…going out to the ball game.
I’ll admit that I don’t know much about baseball, but there is something about going to the games that warms the soul a bit. When in Denver, heading to Coors Field for a pint and a game one Saturday afternoon was an absolute must. One of the things I love about sports in the states is that it’s an activity for everyone and anyone, not just die hard fans. You go and hang out in the sunshine, or pouring rain for that matter, having a good time and just feeling joyous.
Not to mention finishing off the evening with the state’s best pizza and some arcade games? Yes, please.
Whenever I’m in Denver I always have to pop by The Shoppe. I just love this place. Located on East Colfax & St. Paul, The Shoppe is in a fabulous part of Denver right by the Bluebird.
The Shoppe is a bakery & café specializing in cupcakes, pie & cereal. Yes, cereal, like you eat with milk. I’m a big fan of their cookie dough cupcake, and Kristen went with the tres leche. They’ve got a girly-punk atmosphere with fresh flowers and local artists’ artwork for sale. You can even play some board games while catching up with friends. What more could you ask for?
Check ’em out on Yelp here.
It’s fantastic. Just wait until you see the inside.
The Shoppe
3103 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80206
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