My Mom came to visit!!  SO exciting!!!  She flew in super late on Wednesday, June 15 and left super early on Wednesday, June 22.  It was such a great week with lots of eating and drinking…let’s get to it.

I picked her up at the airport at about 11:30 Wednesday night.  We came back to my apartment and sat up til about 2am chatting…and drinking.  I had a loose agenda for the week, just a few things I wanted to do, but otherwise we were pretty much winging it.

On Thursday I cooked a big breakfast and mom took the morning to unpack and get organized.  I was still working that day but I ducked out an hour or so early (time difference) to have lunch at Ballesteri Vineyards (https://www.balistrerivineyards.com/).  I miss the East Coast wineries.  The vast landscape and grape vineyards.  You have to drive over 3 hours to find that here. I had read that this little gem was plopped right down in a suburb.  But alas, it was not a Vineyard as boasted.  It was a winery so they had wine, but no Vineyards.  But we did a tasting and had lunch outside in the garden.  It was lovely, and yummy!

We left there and headed for First Draft (my beloved tap house that I have posted about before) stopping on the way at The Source (http://www.thesourcedenver.com/).  The Source is an artisan food market that I wanted to be amazing.  Eh…it was okay.  We were basically in and out of there and headed to First Draft (http://www.firstdraftdenver.com/). We got sufficiently tipsy and then headed home for a much needed nap.

 

For dinner we headed to Avanti (http://avantifandb.com/), which is a bi-level shipping container collective eatery with a variety of vendors (pizza, noodles & more), plus a rooftop bar.  Then we left there and stood in line for 45 minutes at Little Man Ice Cream (http://www.littlemanicecream.com/).  This is a Denver thing.  The line is ALWAYS so long.  My mother LOVES ice cream so I felt it was something we had to do. So we did.  And frankly, the ice cream wasn’t that amazing.

On Friday we got up and headed to Snooze (http://snoozeeatery.com/) for brunch…cause you gotta!  We ate a yummy brunch, walked to the post office and then headed for 16 street mall.  I needed to pick up a prescription and it was a great opportunity to walk the mall with Mom.  We walked down through Union Station and headed home.  Mom took a little nap and I headed to the pool, and Mom later joined.

For dinner I had made reservations at Vita (http://www.vitadenver.com/), which I had been dying to try.   We snagged a table on the rooftop deck and each ordered a cocktail.  Mom got the chicken Marsala and I had a seafood pasta that came complete with a King Crab leg.   It was soo yummy!!  Then we headed over to Linger to their rooftop deck for another cocktail and dessert….which was terribly disappointing.  Dinner is amazing at Linger, this I know.  Dessert…not so much.  Then it was home to bed to gear up for the next day in Boulder!

We ate breakfast at home Saturday morning and then left to spend the day, and our money, in Boulder.  My cousin Wyatt who lives in Highlands Ranch met up with us on the mall.  We had lunch at Lindsay’s Boulder Deli (http://lindsaysboulderdeli.com/).  SUPER yummy!!  Then we walked and shopped the mall.  I ended up purchasing an oversized world map for my apartment that I am so excited about…among other things..like an amazing HAT!

We stopped at World of beer for some libations and a family photo and then Mom and I headed over to The Med for dinner.  I had been dying to try this place.  It has great reviews and everyone raves about it.  I, again, had a seafood pasta, and Mom had the Sea Bass. Neither of us were impressed.  Then we headed back to Denver and hit the hay.

On Sunday morning we got up and headed to Ophelia’s (http://www.opheliasdenver.com/) for brunch.  This is a Denver staple and also doubles as a music venue, George Clinton was scheduled that night. There is also a hostel upstairs. Super cool place for brunch and only 5 blocks from my apartment.  Then we were lazy.  LAAAZZZYYYY!  Naps and television for everyone.  Did I mention Mom and I started and finished the first season of Breaking Bad while she was here?  I cooked dinner to round out our lazy evening and we watched Breaking Bad til we went to sleep.  We had a big Monday ahead.

The one thing my mother said she wanted to do while in CO was zip line and white water raft.   And I said, “Well okay then!”  So we booked a trip in Idaho Springs with Colorado Adventure Center.  It was about a 40 minute drive and our zip line was at 10:30am.  Mom loved it!!   For me, a zip line is a zip line, but I am glad she had fun.

Then they provided lunch and our beginner white water rafting trip was scheduled for 2:30pm.  The whole time my mother was here it was hot and sunny..and I mean HOT!  Of course, as the day went on and the rafting trip approached the sky turned dark and the temperature dropped dramatically.  And then it started raining.  We ended up having to wear wet suits and I was dreading the trip by the time we got on the bus.  BUT…it ended up being  A LOT of fun…and much better rapids than I expected on a beginner trip.  I want to go back and do the intermediate.  And Mom loved it too!  We headed home, had leftovers and crashed.

And now it’s Tuesday….my last day with my mommy.  And I hadn’t taken the day off so I was working.  We had breakfast and then over lunch we headed out to my cousins in Highlands Ranch so my Mom could see his house.  He bought it just before Thanksgiving two years ago.  On the way back we stopped for these INCREDIBLE cinnamon rolls at this little plane in Littleton called Toast (http://www.toastygoodness.com/).  I had eaten here before with some friends after a hike and knew my Mom HAD to try these cinnamon rolls. They are HUGE!!  We may have each ordered an entree as well.  Ugh.

 

Once back home I finished up my work day while mom packed up and then we got ready for dinner at Mercantile (http://mercantiledenver.com/) in Union Station.  This has become one of my fave places in Denver.  We both had the Scallops and a cocktail..of course.  And of course, we stopped at The Milkbox (http://www.milkboxicecream.com/) in Union Station for some ice cream.

We were up bright and early the next morning so mom could make her 6:45am flight.  The next three days I did nothing but workout snce I hadn’t exercised once the entire time she was here.  And had eaten my weight in food….twice. Those next few days were pretty sad for me too.  I was really missing Lou.  But a fun filled weekend was right around the corner.