the mountains are calling

Y'all, I went skiing.

I'll just let that settle in.

I'm not a skier, so this was very much out of my wheelhouse. My roommate and I (two total newbs to skiing) decided to hop onto my sister and brother-in-law's (much more experienced skiers) trip to Denver. Flights were cheap, the Airbnb was cozy, and the company was good. What's not to love?

skiing at Loveland

I'll spare you the details of our slow and tedious learning process, the falls we took, and the physical and emotional bruises we achieved. As far as the skiing went, I am so grateful to have had the experience and much more to have had it with the people I did. I am by no means good at it, but I would very much be enthusiastic to hit the slopes again and improve my skills next year! We shall see!

Frothy's Coffee & Tea in Idaho Springs

We took an earrrrllyyyyy (read: 6 am departure, 3:30 am wake up call) flight on Saturday morning to get in two full days of skiing on Saturday and Sunday. For Monday, Steph and I bowed out not-so-gracefully and spent the day exploring Denver's shops, sights, and restaurants while the pros squeezed in one more day of skiing, before flying home Monday night.

breakfast at Denver Biscuit Co.

Denver is a city that I just can't seem to stop hearing about these days: the culture, the people, the city, the sights, all of it. Not to be a buzzkill, but is it bad to say it wasn't quite what I expected it to be? Maybe it's the dinge of dirty snow and a long winter, but it just didn't luster the way I thought it would. Don't read too much into this - it still had a great community of local businesses and it's obvious that it is a unique city that is rocking in its own way. It just wasn't what I had expected?

Shopping on South Pearl

But one thing I will say for sure is that up until we had an opportunity to explore the city on Monday, I would have given Denver a solid 2 for city-intruige. The skiing outside of the city was great, but from what I saw of the city itself those first two days, it left a lot to be desired. But on Monday, it definitely pulled a 180 when we had the chance to explore new neighborhoods and local businesses we hadn't even brushed up against in our first two days. It was like all the culture and cool stuff had been hiding from us for the first 48 hours. But no worries, we hunted it down and sought it out.

Shopping on South Gaylord

So after a thorough day of investigation (ahem, shopping) I walked away from Denver very much feeling like it was a solid 7.5. Definitely a city with a unique personality, lots to offer, but not somewhere I'm chomping at the bit to get back to.

But if there is one thing I can boast on without restraint for this mountain city, its the loveably quirky way that the local's personalities come out in their shops and businesses. This is certainly a city that embraces the diversity it has, and it was a thrill to get to wade through all aspects of that culture during our time there. Mostly I just loved how creative everyone was. Their style, their ideas, their products - truly truly creative.

Shopping in the Highlands

So while I won't be setting Denver into a regular rotation, I am undoubtedly thrilled that I got the opportunity to experience it, even if it meant I had to get a couple bruises from the slopes along the way. ;)

BHI Quick Guide and Recommendations to Denver, CO

Shopping // Wish Boutique, W Boutique, The Perfect Petal, 5 Green Boxes, The Paper Lady, The Tattered Cover, Strut, Inspyre Boutique, The Wordshop

Eating // The Matador, Devil's Food Bakery, Snooze, Denver Biscuit Company, Pajama Baking Co.