July 29 and 30 – We were treated to an amazing brunch from Lynn and Jay before departing for Boulder, Colorado (best frittata ever!). This last stop on our adventure out west is two nights with Briana’s college roommate, Cindy, and her husband, Paul, and their three kids. Our 3 1/2 hour trek took us over Independence Pass @ 12,095′. I have to admit on the way up, the road narrows (one lane at some points) and I became slightly nervous. Once on top we stopped at the overlook to take some family photos. The view was amazing, and all the more dramatic because of some low clouds.
We arrived at Paul and Cindy’s house around 4:30pm. Got the tour of their lovely home (redesigned by Paul, and so unique!) and hung out for a few before we all set out to dinner. Cindy works for the University of Colorado, Boulder and she took us on a tour of the campus along with eating at the Center for Community dining hall. We were so fortunate to eat there because they have something for everyone. And the girls loved it! As did I, so much so that I had two soft serve ice cream cones and one slice of apple pie for dessert. We then went back to their house to catch up for the evening.
We woke up the next morning and Briana and I ran out to the local coffee shop called Vic’s. Great coffee! And picked up a few pastries from Breadworks. Delicious chocolate croissants. Paul and Cindy planned a family hike at Green Mountain (1.2 miles of the trail). This was by far one of the best hikes Briana and I had on our adventure. The trail ends at the summit at 8,148′ with amazing views of Boulder and the Flatirons.
On the summit we founds thousands of lady bugs all over the trees, rocks, and even the ground. Kinda gross!
After our hike we went back to their house to shower for our next stop. The Celestial Seasonings Tour! I had no clue the company was headquartered in Boulder. Great free tour with free samples prior to touring the manufacturing floor. Unfortunately we were unable to see the floor in action. They only operate 24 hours a day 5 days a week and it was Sunday! But fun none the less for the kids (Sienna was thrilled). And Briana purchased “Dirty Chai” concentrate which is Chai tea with Expresso. Pretty delicious I must say. And I’m not a chai fan.
That evening we decided to venture down to the Pearl Street Mall for dinner and some frozen yogurt. We had dinner at Foolish Craig’s Cafe, which was featured on the Food Network Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives and Briana got the BLT which they featured on the show. Afterwards we walked Pearl Street Mall and checked out the street musician’s and window shopped. We ended our stroll with some delicious frozen yogurt at Smooch.
We finished the evening off with the girls doing the inaugural night float trip. Cindy and Paul have a park across from their house with a creek where all the neighborhood kids, and parents, float down in inner tubes. The girls got into their bathing suits and ran across the park while Paul assisted with entry and exists. The girls absolutely loved it!!!
Afterwards the kids went to bed and we stayed up catching up with Cindy and Paul and finally called it a night at 11pm. Thank you Cindy and Paul for opening your home to us. We really enjoyed our time in Boulder. Can’t wait to get the families together again.
We are now homeward bound. We left yesterday morning, July 31, from Boulder with our stop for the evening in Kansas City, MO. More to come on the I-70 adventure!