It started on a random day in May, my mind racing, my anxiety is over the moon and I can’t stop thinking, “Man, something is wrong with me. Why can’t I be happy? It’s time for me to escape for a little bit.” So I reach out to my friend Alix, a friend of 10+ years who I met while working in my hometown of Chicago. I tell her my situation and without hesitation she responds back… “Oh yea! Let’s do this!”
Flight booked, Airbnb set and no itinerary planned except food and a trek to the start of one of Alix’s favorite hiking points at 11k feet!!! As always it’s a pleasure seeing her, from our initial meeting in Chicago, to our trip to Korea, to just showing me around while I figure things out. I stayed at a nice, quiet Airbnb hosted by April https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/805099232634904104?source_impression_id=p3_1685846040_o8Fn4L07pzhz59mJ. I really enjoyed this spot. Small and comfy, perfect if all you want to do is get a nights sleep, a hot shower and some coffee before you head out for the day.
Day 1.
When I landed, Alix picked me up and we went to go get breakfast, and let me tell you, I don’t know if I’ll ever get tired of seeing the mountain views as you drive away from the Denver airport. The mountains are absolutely gorgeous! So anyway, we decided to go to a brunch place named Syrup. https://www.syruprestaurant.com/city-park . This particular one that we went to is in City Park. Since it was only Alix and I, there was no wait and we were seated outside on the patio area where we were greeted by a waitress by the name of Bryn. She was absolutely amazing. Her energy was through the roof and she greeted us with the most beautiful smile. She suggested a few things for me from the menu since it was my first time I ended up choosing the chicken and waffles with honey cinnamon butter and blackberry syrup. We also got some churro doughnuts. They came with 2 sides, caramel and Nutella. They were light, crispy, fluffy and when dipped in the sauces, were purely orgasmic. I also got some blackberry iced tea that was both refreshing and light. The chicken was seasoned with a blend of spices giving it a flavorful and crispy exterior. When you bite into the chicken, you’ll experience the satisfying crunch followed by tender, juicy meat inside. It was the perfect compliment to the light and fluffy waffles. The honey cinnamon butter complimented the chicken perfectly, smooth and rich mixed with a bit of spice from the cinnamon. It was beautifully accompanied by the blackberry syrup. I know for a fact that when I go back to this place, I will be ordering these again. If you do decide to go to Syrup in City Park, make sure you ask for Bryn. She will take care of you with the most contagious, energetic smile and enthusiasm to make you want to take on the day after you pay your bill ( and tip of course). https://www.instagram.com/brynshouse/
After brunch, I went back to Alix’s place and napped while she and her BFF Jacob went to a symphony performance. When she got back, we talked for a bit, caught up on life and what’s been going on and eating at me since we last saw each other in Korea. I told her about all the events that has happened within these few months. Both the ups and downs. It was good to get things off my chest. After Jacob arrived, we went to get dinner at 95 PHO. It was ok. I’ve had better pho for sure, but this place definitely had good prices for the portions we got. I got crab rangoon and the combination pho. #14 on the picture. After the pho we went and got Boba from KUTEA https://www.facebook.com/KuteaDenver/ . Anybody who knows me knows I love Boba, so this was a real treat, even though we were all bursting at the seams by the time we finished. I got a pineapple jasmine milk tea with mango bursters. Absolutely phenomenal. After that, I went back to the Airbnb and got some much needed rest to get ready for day 2 in the mountains.
Day 2 Guanella Pass
Honestly, since I did not really hike the trail like Alix does, we drove up to the 11k point where she usually starts her hikes for the 13k and 14k mountains. The drive up was breathtaking, and in some parts, literally, LOL. Driving up I felt my ears pop and I had to adjust my breathing when we hit around 9k feet. The air was so crisp and refreshing and the temperature was definitely colder up there, but man was it worth it. The altitude definitely takes some time to get used to, especially after walking to the lookout point, but its worth it for the views. This is basically the part where I dump all of my cool mountain pics on you, so here you all go!!!
Those views are amazing right!! I know, I know, I should be a photographer. If only I had half the skills those people do lol. Anyway, on our way down we decided to stop and get something to eat before we go back and nap, because man, did the mountains take a lot out of us. We stopped at a restaurant/brewery named Cabin Creek Brewing https://www.cabincreekbrewing.com/ It was ok. We had burgers because they did not have any fish on hand when we arrived. I think we were both disappointed since we had our mouths set for fish. We also got some buffalo chicken loaded tater tots. Nothing to really spend a lot of time on to be honest with you. After we ate, we took the scenic route where we saw some mountain goats! I got back to the Airbnb and napped for a few hours until she came to pick up Jacob and then me so the 3 of us could go get dinner.
For Dinner we went to a spot Alix and Jacob know called Chicken Rebel https://www.chickenhellyeah.com/ It was actually a pretty good spot. They had some meetup there so it got pretty busy. I got the chicken and ranch sandwich, a mix of savory, creamy, and indulgent sensations. It can be a filling meal that will leave you feeling satiated it if you like ranch. This came with lemon parmesan tater tots. The lemon zest adds a bright and citrusy note to the tater tots. When combined with the savory Parmesan cheese, it creates a unique flavor profile that balances tanginess and richness. Denver seems to love themselves some tots. I mean, I’m not complaining I love any form of potato to be honest. I can’t say that anything else I had on this trip could beat the breakfast I had at Syrup. The chicken sandwich was definitely 2nd. After eating there we drove downtown to get some more Boba!!! This time we went to a cute place called TeaStation https://www.coloradoteastation.com/. The interior of this place is adorable. The cherry blossom that greets you as soon as you walk in the door is such a nice touch. The staff was friendly and quick with our orders. I got a Pineapple green tea with Aloe Vera. It was refreshing and light, much needed after we had stuffed our faces eating all of the food at the Chicken Rebel. After that, we had to walk off the gluttonous amount of food we had all just consumed, so we took a walk around downtown Denver to help digest our sins. We ended the night by dropping Jacob off and Alix taking me around the artistic district to take pictures of some of the street art. Pretty dope art work if I do say so myself…. which I do. We ended the day with that and made plans to get a light snack for breakfast in the AM, go grocery shopping with her, and hang at her place until it was time to go.
Day 3. Going Home.
After a light breakfast at a neighborhood coffee spot, we stopped at the Martin Luther King memorial and I went around and observed all of the statues. It was a pretty cool memorial inside of a lush green park that I thought looked really calming. We went grocery shopping and hung out at her place until it was time for me to go home. The line at the Denver airport was horrible by the way. I do not know what they were doing there, but they had some form of new lines that they were testing out and it looked astonishingly horrible. Thank God for employee lines because I would have been in that line forever.
After a quick 3 day journey, I will say I enjoyed this mini trip to Denver. I look forward to a few more visits to see if this will be the next place I decide to call home. Thank you so much to my friend Alix for taking time out of her days to show me around and spend time with me. I love you homie! Until next time.
I really hope you all enjoyed this look into my world of exploring Denver with a friend. If you liked this blog, I’d love it if you shared it on any social media outlet you prefer and subscribe to my pages
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093157596430
https://www.instagram.com/andrebrent1/
With Love, wishing you the best in life and in travels, until next time.
Peace out from the Big, Black, Bold- Andre Brent
