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| Flatirons, Boulder, CO |
We fell head over heels in love with Colorado, Boulder especially!!!
Let me walk you through this life-changing vacation!
Day One
As we are driving from the Denver airport, Chris is looking at the landscape and tells me that he isn't impressed. That it looks like the Midwest. I assure him that as we continue West, it is going to be different. As we get just outside of Boulder and crest a hill, there are the Rocky Mountains in the distance. We are both in awe and, almost, speechless!! "See," I say. I just knew it would be awesome, but I couldn't have known how impressive the entire landscape would be!!! (At this point, unknown to us both, our souls have begun the process of being cracked wide open!)
Oh, and this happens to also be my 39th birthday!!! (more on that later)
We head into Boulder and just outside of town to Boulder Mountain Lodge. Our home-away-from-home while exploring this part of Colorado. Great little place! Gorgeous, quiet surroundings in Boulder Canyon, only 5 minutes outside of downtown Boulder. Continental breakfast which always included fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, bagels, coffee, tea, orange juice and organic milk!! Perfect way to start your day in Boulder where fitness is a religion!
As we are pretty well starving (it is mid-day and we have been on the road since the wee hours of the morning), we take our first trip into downtown Boulder. We aren't sure what to expect. After parking, we walk a little and decide to stop at one of the first restaurants we see, Walnut Brewery. SCORE!! Not only was our food scrumptious ~~ the beer is to die for!!!! I got the White Ale and it was almost orgasmic! Yep, I said orgasmic!!
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| Cheers from Walnut Brewery!! |
After filling our bellies and feeling relaxed from our microbrews, we walk toward Pearl Street Mall (the heart of Boulder for shopping, dining, hanging out). Just our luck, there is an arts & crafts fair going on. We check out some leather cuffs and get a hair accessory for my mom (which I "broke in" for her during our vacation! I'm a good daughter like that!!) There are so many fantastic stores, coffee shops, restaurants, sights .... this will not be our only visit to Pearl Street.
At one intersection I look north and see the old marquee for the Boulder Theater and we walk that way to check it out. As we get closer, this is what we see:
Could it be? Sheryl Crow performing THAT nite?! There couldn't possibly be any tickets left!! We see someone sitting near the front door, so I approach and ask if the concert is, in fact, tonite (YES) and does she know if there are any tickets left (she thinks there might be). It is now 4PM and would you believe the box office just opened? We head inside and wait for a couple people to pick up their will-call tickets. I ask if there are any tickets for tonite ~ the response is "a couple." I say, "I only need a couple." We snag 2 general admission-standing room only tix for an 8PM show with doors opening at 7! Incredible, right?! Wait, it gets EVEN better! (Hard to believe, I know, but it really, really did!!)
At this point we decide to return to the Lodge to rest a bit and freshen up for the concert! We are going to be running on empty considering how long our day has been thus far ~~ but it IS Sheryl Crow!
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| Waiting in line for my birthday gift ~~ impromptu Sheryl Crow concert! |
Like my tiara?! I wear one on my birthday!! After we parked our car and started walking toward the theatre, a taxi stopped and the driver yells out that he loves my tiara! I say, "It's my birthday." He says, "Well, happy birthday!" (One of the things I noticed about Boulder, people are so genuinely NICE!)
We didn't wait in line too long, but it was gorgeous out and everyone was friendly and relaxed! So, we walk in and head inside the venue. And we walk right up to the stage!!! There is only one person between us and the stage! What?! What?!
Boulder Theater is an intimate venue!
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| Sheryl Crow, Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO, May 15, 2011 |
Sheryl & her band rocked the house!!! We had so much fun!!! The whole crowd is singing and swaying and just having an amazing time!!! We are now totally spoiled for concerts and only want little theatres with intimate venues from now on! HA!!
One last thing: After the kick-ass show, my doll of a hubby (I have no idea what he is doing at this point), walks away from me and asks one of the crew if he can have one of Sheryl's guitar pics that he saw her drop. He tells him that it is his wife's birthday (Me, me, that would be me!). Chris comes over to me and says "Happy Birthday, Puppet" as he hands me my very own Sheryl Crow used-in-a-concert guitar pic!
What a whirlwind day! So unexpected! So glorious! So magnificent! By far, my best birthday yet!!!!
