Rocky Mountain High

View from Megan and Dana's apartment

Amidst my quarter life crisis I made a trek to Denver to visit some friends.  I have been thinking that it would be fun to live in Denver for over a year but I had never actually been there.  I fixed that little problem.  I got fairly lucky getting to Denver considering the crazy snow storm that hit Chicago right as I was leaving.

My first rodeo

Dana, Megan, Kathryn, Me

Once I made it we all met up and went to the Rodeo.  It was my first rodeo and I had no idea what to expect.  I really liked it a lot.  It reminded me of a minor league baseball game except the baseball was switched out with live stock and cowboys.  Some of the entertainment was pretty cool like the synchronized horse riding (1st video).  I also really enjoyed the Bull Riding. (2nd Video)

Megan and Dana loving life and the Griz

After the rodeo we went out to the Giggling Grizzly and then over the the Gin Mill before we finally made it home.  The Grizzly is owned by the same people that own The Riv in East Lansing.  It was just a really fun night.

Drive to Estes

Drive up to Boulder

The next day Dana and myself headed up to Estes Park.  We had a little slow start but we made our way up in to the mountains.  We drove through Boulder which seemed like a really cool city.  I really loved driving through the mountains as Chicago is just a flat city with nothing other than buildings.  Though Chicago has the lake but mountains are pretty sweet too.

Me at Estes Park

Once we made it up near Estes we took some pictures by the sign for Estes Park and then wandered through the town.  Some really cool shops though I think my favorite was the place called "Chicago's Best" that had a sign stating that they were known for Philly Cheese Steaks.

Estes Park

After we wandered through Estes we took a drive up in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The park looked beautiful but unfortunately it started snowing so we really couldn't see out the amazing views that were there.  I will definitely be going back sometime to check out Rocky Mountain again.

Lobby at the Stanley Hotel

When we were getting ready to leave we stopped at The Stanley Hotel and wandered around there for a short bit before we headed back to Denver.

Art at the Art Museum

Court House

Court House

16th Street Mall

Big Blue Bear

The coolest Zamboni at Southwest
Ice Rink 

Union Station

Once we were back in Denver we order pizza from Beaujos Pizza.  Its Colorado style pizza so obviously coming from Chicago I really wanted to check that out.  I really enjoyed dipping the crust in honey and the pizza itself was excellent too.  Dana lead me around downtown so I could take some pictures after we finished dinner.  I really enjoy the smallness yet largeness of Denver at the same time.  After I took some pictures we met up with my friend Kathryn for a drink and just to chill.  Really it was just a great night.

Me and Big Blue Bear

Sunday I went to brunch at a place called Snooze.  I had sweet potatoes, cherry bourbon and a caramelized banana pancake which were all really awesome.  After brunch we drove around and I got to see some more sites in Denver.

Over all it was a city I could see myself living in.  Now I just need to figure my life out but in the mean time I will go start packing for my next trip out to Colorado to go skiing in a week!

Merry Christmas

Walnut Room

So I have just really been getting bad at this.  But oh well.  My last weekend in Chicago I had a handful of visitors.  My parents came into town so I could show them all of the holiday things Chicago has to offer.  My friend Kristin and her family also came into town.  I showed my parents around to Christkindl Market, Macy's (Marshal Fields), Michigan Ave and Zoo Lights.  Kristin and her family joined us for Zoo Lights as well as my mom's college friend who lives here in Chicago.      

Live Music at Christkindl Market

Mom & Dad along Michigan Ave

View from the Signature Lounge

So after Christkindl and Macy's I took my parents the Signature Lounge for drinks before we met up with everyone for Zoo Lights.  My mom had been there before but my dad had not.  Going on a Saturday the weekend before Christmas might have been a bad idea but he still really enjoyed it.

Landscaping along Michigan Ave

Zoo Lights

Zoo Lights 

Zoo Lights

Rosemont

I really love Christmas lights and the city I work in, Rosemont has a great display of Christmas Lights.  After work I walked home and just took pictures along the way.

The following weekend I drove home for the holidays.  The first night I was back in Michigan I stayed in Grand Rapids with my old college roomies for our 4th annual Brewery Pub Crawl.  We went to Brewery Vivant, Hop Cat, and Founders.  It was the first snow fall I had seen all year.  It is a great thing that we do so we all get to see each other at least once a year.  Sadly Nick can't make it back for these but I did get to see him a few times earlier in the year.

Photos coming soon!

Once I woke up on Christmas Eve I drove to DeWitt and we had lunch with my dad's friends before going to Church and then Christmas at my Grandpa's.  I spent a good portion of the night playing find the bad guys with my little cousin Brooklyn.  After we left there I drove around Lansing with my parents and look at Christmas lights around the city before headed home.

Happy coffee drinking Dad

Mom opening her new Camera from
me and Alissa

On Christmas Day we skyped my sister so she could open gifts with us even though she wasn't home.  My sister and I got my mom a new camera.  I didn't know how badly she needed a new camera till she came out the weekend before.  I got my Dad a Keurg coffee maker.  I went out on Black Friday with my mom and purchased the coffee maker from Kohls.com while I was standing in Younkers.



Later that day we went to my Grandma's for Christmas with my Mom's side.  We ate so much food like always and had a wonderful afternoon.  After Christmas at my Grandmas we went to some family friends for a few drinks and a couple more deserts.  Again we skyped my sister.  It is sad to not have her home for the holidays but Skype does help make it better.

Grandma's Santa collection

Its beginning to look like Christmas?

The Tree at Daley Plaza at
Christkindl Market

On November 19th I went to the Lighting of Michigan Ave with a few friends and a little beverage ha!  These are the pictures I got there.

Adrianna, Nikki, Amy

Pioneer Court

The next day was friend-giving which my friend Danielle hosted.  I was supposed to go to Rachel's friend-giving the week prior but I was home visiting with my sister who was in town from out West.

Michigan State Tree as seen from Michigan Ave

The day before Thanksgiving I went to Grand Rapids to go out with my friend Kristin.  It was the first time I have ever really gone out in Grand Rapids and I must say I was pretty impressed and I wouldn't mind going back soon.

Thanksgiving was spent at home with my mom and dad.  A few people on my dad's side came over to celebrate with us.  After thanksgiving was over the three of us went and saw Hugo.  I really impressed by this film.  After the movie I went on my first ever true Black Friday shopping trip at midnight.  The shopping part was easy it was the paying that was a pain in the ass.  During the weekend I was able to hang out with some friends and go to the MSU Hockey games.  After the game on Saturday we went out with the neighbors from the cottage.

Michigan State Tree in front of the Capital

While I was home I went Downtown Lansing a couple times.  Once just to go and look at the State Christmas Tree.  The tree came from Houghton Lake on West Shore Drive just down the way from the cottage.  The part I find most enjoyable about the State Christmas Tree is that it ranks #8 in the World of most fabulous Christmas trees.

Capital in Lansing

Once I was back in Chicago I went with my friend Mattie to Kuma's Corner.  This place has been on my list for a long time of places to try.  It ranks in at #5 of the top 100 cult restaurants.  I have now been to 5 of these locations:  Hot Doug's, Sultans, Kuma's, Crisp, and Umami Burger (in LA).

Barbara, Sheila, John, Nikki, Me, and Heather
at Two Door Cinema Club @ The Vic

To kick off December I went to Two Door Cinema Club at the Vic.  I had never been to Vic before which is sad because it is just around the corner from my house and a very nice Venue.

Two Door Cinema Club

Me, Denise, Chris

I kept December going by joining up with my Amy and her family at Lincoln Park Zoo Lights before running the Santa Hustle the next morning.  It rained right up until the race started and then the sun even tried to peak through the clouds before the rain came back at the end of the run.

Holiday Train pulling into the station

Totally decorated interior of a standard
CTA Train car.

Holiday Train

After three years of living here in Chicago I finally found out you can look up the CTA Holiday Train schedule so you can purposely ride on it.  I made it on the train once before but out of complete luck.  I have sort of been stalking the Holiday Train this year.  Took it from Wellington downtown and then back up a little later.  In between Ashley, Nikki and I went to Christkindl Market and drank Spiced wine out of boot shaped mugs.  A week later I took the Holiday Train again but this time I took it home from work.

Santa rides along on the Holiday Train!

Outside is totally covered in lights

It had been a long time since I went down to The Garfield Park Conservatory.  It was my first time down there since the hail storm in June which destroyed most of it.  It was nice to see a lot of the conservatory was back to normal but there still is a long way to go.  It was very refreshing to just get a small change of climate and be in a tropical world.

On December 10th I joined a few friends and about 10,000 strangers on a giant bar crawl across Wrigleyville.  It is called TBOX or The Twelve Bars of Christmas.  It was a long day but actually a to of fun.  I never got too drunk just stayed a constant buzzed.  The people watching might have been the best part of the whole day.

All of us at Brittani's for a little pre brunch

Cereal!!!  Nikki and Theresa

Love the look Marsha.  Creepy Santa came over
to say hi.

Nikki, Amy and Myself

Now if only it would snow already.  This rainy dreary cold is just getting annoying.