Getting in the Groove

I love routine in the morning. It helps me wake up and ensure I am on time each day. I think I've got it down with my new job, and it feels great! Not that waking up at 5 a.m. is easy, but it's what I've gotta do. Plus, I love that I get to leave work at 4 p.m.! 

When Friday rolls around,  I am glad to have the weekend begin, since weekends in Denver might be my favorite ever. There is always something fun happening in the city, and the mountains are just a short drive away if the outdoors are calling my name. Hiking in Colorado is awesome compared to my wet hikes in Washington! Loving the dry trail and warm weather.

Additionally, the beer culture is incredible here. I find that we are attending a beer event of some sort just about every weekend. Plus, such events usually allow dogs -  Addie can join us!

Last weekend, we went to Denver Beer Co's pumpkin beer release party. Once in the door, we had unlimited opportunity to try their pumpkin beer plus a host of other beers on tap. Not to mention good food, games, and tons of fun people all brought together for the love of beer and a good time! Addie came along and was a huge hit. We take every opportunity we have to socialize her, and each time I am astounded at what a rock star of a dog she is. We are taking her downtown today for Oktoberfest Denver, and are so excited for good beer and German fun!

Wishing everyone out there a wonderful weekend!

Busy Bee

The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind. It's been busy at our place with friends in town and lots of exploring to do and fun to be had. We have been making the brewery rounds and let's just say they are not kidding about amazing beer in Colorado!

In Denver, we visited Wynkoop  Brewing Company, River North Brewery, The Great Divide Brewing Company, and Former Future Brewing Company. Other favorites we didn't make it to with friends include Vine Street Pub & Brewery, Jagged Mountain Brewery, and Denver Beer Co. 

We of course hit up Coors in Golden, an irresistible tourist spot worth it for the three free pours. A short walk from Coors, we also tried Barrels and Bottles Brewery and Golden City Brewery in downtown Golden. Next time we go, we are certainly going to float the river through town!

If ever in the Denver area, I'd highly recommend all these breweries. My favorite thing to do is get a flight so I can sample what they have on tap to really get a feel for their taste and style. Many offer food or have rotating food trucks outside, and who doesn't love food with beer? Major win.

The next few days are going to be packed with family in town and medical school beginnings for Preston. The start of his med school seemed so far away and now it is right around the corner! 

Washington Coast

This past weekend I went camping with friends on the Washington coast. It rained. The entire. Time. Basically non-stop rain. Luckily, our friends are very outdoorsy and knew what to do! A tarp structure was set up above the picnic table and with extra room to fit some chairs. 

After a morning of not-so-successful clamming in the pouring rain and howling wind, we nestled together under the tarp contraption and passed the time playing games and drinking delicious beer. 

Saturday night we cooked up what clams we had procured and made a delicious stew. Bonus of sticking it out in the rain: our camp neighbors called it quits and gifted us about 10lbs of steak complete with a grill to put over our campfire. Huzzah! We ate like kings and queens.

Good beer, good food, and rain. This pretty much sums up the weekend. Below are some of the photos I took on our last day camping. We had a small break from the rain and hiked out to a lighthouse and fantastic views. I hope your weekends were sufficiently drier but equally fun!