Our Labor Day weekend was spent in beautiful Colorado.

I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my dear friend’s wedding.

She made a gorgeous bride.

Lindsay and I met nearly ten years ago our junior year of college (where she also met the love of her life, Aaron). And while everyone was bringing their boyfriends to formals, I decided it was much more fun to go with your girlfriends, so Lindsay was always my plus one to everything. After college, she moved to Thailand to teach English and I moved to Dallas, and then in 2011 we both ended up in Houston.

The wedding was everything Lindsay – beautiful, relaxed, inviting, and sweet. It was held in the backyard of her mother’s house in Castle Rock, CO where all you could see for miles upon miles were rolling hills and mountains. The weather was perfect, the band was incredible, the speeches were sweet, and the food was delicious.

In lieu of a wedding cake, they brought in doughnuts from Voodoo Donuts, a popular and trendy shop where every doughnut is extravagant – they range from eclairs to doughnuts covered in bacon, marshmallows, cocoa puffs, and m&ms. So decadent, so delicious. I promise I only had three one. And instead of a photo booth, they set up a Polaroid camera and allowed each guest to take photos of themselves and tape it into a scrapbook which also served as their guest book. (Side note: I was also reunited with my best friend Cammie, who now lives in Phoenix!)

While in Denver, we also had the opportunity to visit some other good friends from my college days, Susan and Winslo. They moved to Denver in June and I finally got a chance to meet their adorable 11 month old twin girls!

Needless to say, they loved me. I just have a way with babies, you know? Please contact me for all your babysitting needs.

We met at Linger for brunch, a trendy restaurant with rooftop views located in a building that had previously served as a mortuary. I only seriously thought about that for two entire seconds before my pork belly and duck confit ramen was brought to the table.

Warm, salty, flavorful.

 

Sunday morning, Tyler and I snuck away for a quick breakfast date at a nearby coffeeshop, Cookies and Crema, and then headed out for some hiking. We ended up at Roxborough, a state park 20 miles south of Denver, which, upon reaching its peak, had stunning views of faraway mountains, red rock formations, and the entire city. It was breathtaking.

And not just because I need more cardio in my life.

The hike wasn’t too long – only 3 miles – but it was a great way to get away from the city and enjoy some quality time outdoors.

On our last day, we stopped by A Taste of Colorado with some friends before heading to the airport to sample some local cuisine and take in the Denver downtown area.

There were several stages set up with various musical performers – a rock stage, a country stage, and a main stage. We purchased our tickets and walked around, enjoying the beautiful weather and people watching.

We had a hard time choosing, but narrowed our choices down to: pulled pork macaroni and cheese, a gyro, a crab cake sandwich, and shaved ice. We laid in the grass and listened to music until it was time to head to the airport.

When our plane touched down, I was still dreaming about our lovely mini-vacation and the places we were able to see and experience, spending time with sweet friends I’ve missed, and watching one of my closest friends walk down the aisle.

And Voodoo Donuts. Man, those things were good.

Colorado, we’ll be back!