three meals with C&R

Continuing on with the long weekend in CO (and more still to come), a post about a few meals shared with very dear friends.  One of the advantages of having a concert to go to near Denver is that it's not far from Courtney and Robert.  And so it was that we had two brunches and a dinner with them.

The first brunch, in Golden, was fine.  It was food.  It was a nice setting, and we got to begin catching up with each other. 

And then we walked around the fine little downtown of Golden,

poking in stores, enjoying the sunshine,

then walking back to the hotel along Clear Creek.

The second brunch, in Denver, was better.  We met up at Root Down

and sat out on a partially shaded patio.  Mimosas and coffees for at least some of us.  Savoury scones to share,

and then a simple late breakfast of a pancake for me

and a side of chicken sausage.  We'd dined well the night before, as you'll see in a moment, and I didn't need a lot of food in me.  What we had was tasty, and the service was great.

The dinner between the two brunches was a really lovely time.  We drove into Denver to meet Courtney and Robert at Guard and Grace, a nice steakhouse in the downtown.  Cocktails to start (more than one, I confess), including this delightful pumpkin drink that I ordered,

and a good GSM with our dinner. 

Each of us had steak, a small filet for each of us. 

Friends, that restaurant can cook a steak very nicely indeed.  Also impressive was the octopus appetizer we shared - so tender! 

The carrots appetizer was also nice, not too heavy. 

We shared some desserts, too, including a goat cheese cheesecake that I enjoyed greatly

and a chocolate dessert that was impressive to look at and pretty good to eat.

Full bellies this past weekend, which is no surprise for us, I know.  I was especially taken with the dinner, saying over and over again what a great experience it was (though an unfortunately loud one for Conrad who is still struggling with adapting to his new hearing aids).  It will be great to meet up with Courtney and Robert again and enjoy more dining with them!

Golden mornings

The capitalization is deliberate.  As I start to draft this on Monday afternoon in a United Club in Denver airport, I have the past three nights behind me spent in Golden, CO.  My first time in Golden, and I hope it's not my last.

Van is not a morning person, so no, he did not join me for any of these morning walks around the town.  Conrad made it for the Saturday and Sunday walks, but not this morning.  That's ok.  I also relish getting that time to myself as I mosey around.

We were staying over on the west end of the town, in a nice little boutique hotel called The Eddy Taproom and Hotel. 

A terrific room, a good bar and restaurant, a convenient location near a bunch of trails.  On Saturday, we left Van to sleep, and Conrad

and I

set out northward in search of a Starbucks.  Uphill, sunny weather.  Remnants of snow on the ground in spots. 

We got a nice view of the hotel and Zion Mountain on which students from the local university (the Colorado School of Mines, kind of a big deal, it turns out) deposit rocks that make up the big M. 

Conrad took coffee with him,

but we picked up coffees for me and Van.  Then we swung close to downtown before heading back to the hotel to join Van and start the day.  2.64 miles. 

Not bad at all!  And what a lovely, sunny morning.  Autumn has dried things to a golden colour against the blue skies.

Sunday morning Conrad

and I

set out again.  This time we ventured west under a mistaken (my mistake) impression that we could loop around to the downtown area.  Nope!  Well, maybe, but not easily.  Anyway, we headed along Clear Creek,

then doubled back to head into the town and onto the campus.  The Colorado School of Mines has a very handsome campus, indeed, and on a Sunday morning it was absolutely quiet.  We took a few photos,

then headed to the main street of the town in search of a coffee shop.  A stop at the Windy Saddle Cafe,

and then it was along the creek to the hotel to get Van going.  4.19 miles that morning. 

A little less sunny, but still a wonderful, mild autumn morning.

This morning it was just me. 

Sunday zonked us all out differently, but I still got up and was out the door before 7.  I headed north to Starbucks but veering a little farther west than two mornings previously.  From Starbucks, I continued north, then looped around that part of the town along a little creek on its eastern side. 

What I loved about the town is the abundance of paved trail/path for walking, running, or biking.  Wonderful.  I made it through downtown and back along the river. 

Those signs? 

Yep, tubing in the creek in season.  Too late for that, perhaps, but I saw swimmers yesterday and today (pre- and post-swim, that is).  A total of 4.55 miles today. 

Great!

It was a treat to stay in Golden (we would have done Boulder, but it was a football weekend and super busy and pricey).  Thank you to Van for picking the hotel.  I am so glad I saw the town, and I hope I get back there.

hey, Laurie!

I miss Laurie.  She started working for me at the library several years ago - I sort of inherited her from another unit, it wasn't a competitive search - and we hit it off right away.  Laurie was invaluable when she worked in my library, and I miss having her around.

Good news:  she's in Colorado, in the Denver suburbs, easy to visit.  So when I left DC and flew into Denver and was met by Conrad and Van, we took ourselves promptly to a restaurant in Wheat Ridge and enjoyed catching up with her and her husband Marc over a nice meal.

Ah, Laurie, can I convince you to come back to the library?

DC, briefly

It's Monday afternoon at Denver airport.  I left Pasadena early last Wednesday morning.  So, a handful of days away, and not blogging during that time.  Bad me.  I'm back.

I made it to the airport by about 5:30 last Wednesday.  Even for me, that's an early start.  I hunkered down for a bit in the United Club (nicely decked out). 

Once aboard the first flight

(I connected through Chicago), I dozed a good long while.  Then it was mostly reading on both flights, making it to my hotel in Washington, DC (The Lyle) by 5:30, well in time to get to my room,

unpack, change, and head to meet colleagues in the hotel restaurant for dinner.

Thursday morning I was up early on the east coast, meeting colleagues at 6:15 in the lobby for a walk. 

That accomplished, it was over to a nearby office

for a day of meetings, capped with dinner with colleagues and then some wine and my book at the hotel bar.

Friday started much the same.  A little different route,

one fewer colleague, but a walk at 6:15.  Cool statue of Gandhi! 

Meetings, and then on to Dulles. 

My DC time was done, and I was glad to have it behind me so I could meet up with my men and enjoy the weekend ahead....

I love a man who cooks

I mean, come on.  I'm in the kitchen all the time.  And I do enjoy it.  But ah, what a treat to have a man cook for me.  So then, thank you, Van! 

The steak and cauliflower rice bowl was darn tasty.