Visiting a state with scenic views and mountains had always been on my bucket list. Now, what was not on my bucket list was traveling to this said state during a pandemic. My husband and I were reached out to months ago to speak at a church in Colorado about race relations in the church and body of Christ. We were honored and thrilled, but also knew the world was sorta on fire, so pushed back the timeline of our trip. Fast forward to a few months later, we took our trip out there and what began as a ministry trip evolved into a much needed vacation for us individually and for our marriage. In this post, I wanted to share and highlight some key places and things that made our trip what it was.
Where We Stayed:
My husband and I stayed at The Source Hotel. I was a fan of the aesthetics and industrial modern feel that it had. All rooms had an operable glass garage door, which was pretty cool!
I really also loved that it is located in downtown Colorado which made accessing and walking to nearby spots easy. I was not the biggest fan of the temperature at the hotel and in the rooms. For some reason, our a.c was determined to take us on this rollercoaster of seasons and room service was kind of a hit or miss. Nonetheless, they had a beautiful rooftop restaurant as well as a pool and gym. Oh yes! They also had this pretty amazing selection of restaurants housed within and nearby with an outside eatery set up! I really enjoyed this part the most.
What We Ate:
1. HopDoddy Burger Bar
I would 10/10 recommend the parmesan truffle fries! One order of the fries is enough to be shared, so no need to order two. I ordered the Llano Poblano and added additional avocado because, yumm.
2. Sam's No 3
We stopped by this diner for breakfast and it was pretty good. The portions were large and the wait was not long at all.
3. Lollicup Coffee and Tea
If you are obsessed with tapioca, I already like you! Tapioca is a must for me and we were told to try out lollicup and I really enjoyed it. The first time I went, I got the passion fruit slushie with tapioca and my husband got the Red thai tea with tapioca.The second time I went (because once clearly was not enough), I got the frozen Matcha Green Tea.
4. Dae Gee Korean BBQ
If you are a meat lover, this place is for you! The all you can eat Korean BBQ is delicious and literally gets reloaded when you request more food. The plates come with an assortment of meats, side dishes as well as yummy dumplings. This place is definitely worth the coins!
5.Smok BBQ
This place was conveniently housed within the hotel and the brisket and pork tacos were so delicious. They were so good, I forgot to take a picture of them. Oops!
6.Biscuit Company
One word, Yum.
I got the Lola and If you are about the savory salty life, get the Lola!
Where We Went:
1. Colorado Springs, Garden of the gods
We took a one hour and thirty minute drive out to Colorado Springs to see the beautiful red rocks. It is 100% worth the drive and a must see. My husband and I had a photoshoot here and I cant wait to share the photos! Make sure you are following me on IG @CrystalOTv to see them!
2. Sunflower City
This is a secret, so shh! There is a place near the airport unofficially named "sunflower city" where people take pictures with these irresistible sunflowers. The sunflowers go on for miles and miles and you really cant miss it! Please do be mindful of the sunflowers when if you plan to go because these do belong to farmers that work hard to keep their crops flourishing. I also hired a photogrpaher and took some AMAZING photos here, so stay tuned for those! Make sure you are following me on IG @CrystalOTv to see them!
3. Bloom Church
A huge shoutout to Bloom Church in Colorado, Denver for seeking the heart of God on how to relate with race and tackle the topic of racism in the church. We are thankful for how they invited us out to Colorado, hosted us and made our time in Denver great!
4. Guanella Pass
The views here were beautiful! If you are planning to hike, make sure you take it easy and pack some extra water to stay hydrated. The altitude level in Colorado is extremely high and the air is drier. Make sure you take note of these things before going. Pack some sunscreen, extra hydrating moisturizer and you will be good!
Extra Resources:
Looking to take some BOMB photos in Colorado while visiting?
I would 10/10 recommend @anja_kathryn_photo and @Mikkellecarlsonphoto
Taking pictures with them was such a joy and they have such great personalities! Hire them for your next trip.
If you made it here, thanks for reading and I hope you found this blog helpful. Feel free to share, subscribe and like this post. Until next time!
- C
