Time for a travel list!

It’s a secret goal of mine to one day write a travel book. The big problem here is that I don’t really want to write about the things that tourists should see as essentials. I want to write about the silly things that make a place re-visitable. Or the top 5 things I learned in a day there (I learned in Prague that you can sweat from the front of your knee. Did you know that?) Since I highly doubt that’s publishable, I’ll stick to blogging about my vacations and the places where I live.

Today I was reminded of how much I love Colorado. And here’s why…

1. We have buffalo. I was AMAZED by this on my first visit. I’ve been here over a year and I’m still not over it. I went to Daniel’s Gate Park last week and saw some by the road and still, like a goobery tourist, I pulled over to take pictures on my cell phone. (Then I went home and ate bison chilli. Should I feel weird about that?)

2. The Pack Man wall. I don’t so much think it’s really called this, but if you go to down town Denver and head east on Market street from 21st, there’s a wall painted with hills and these silly blue monsters that look like the ghosts from Pack Man. Whenever I have visitors, I really want to drive them by my favorite wall, but somehow I don’t think other people like to see a wall that much. It was the highlight of my morning commute when I worked in LoDo.

3. Snooze. The AM eatery. I LOVE a good breakfast. This restaurant serves ONLY breakfast. And it’s fabulous. Best bloody mary’s you’ll ever find. And they serve pancake flights! You can pick 3 different kinds of pancakes (pineapple upside down, s’mores, sweet potato, black cherry chocolate, banana cream etc.) and they’ll bring you one of each! Can it get any better??? And the biscuits and gravy… Do not get me started. (Also, it’s only a few blocks from the aforementioned wall). 2 birds, 1 stone. Love it.

4. 45 minutes to Rockies, 45 minutes to prairies, 45 minutes to suburban sprawl, 45 minutes to hip down town (with a hidden awesomeness just waiting to be discovered in it’s music and art scene). Tell me where else you can get that? I’m from California, and they might tell you that people can go to the beach and then ski on the same day, but scouts honor, the water is too cold, and the snow is too slushy when you pull that kind of shananigans. You can travel the distance, but that don’t make it pretty, people… Don’t buy the hype. (Ok, I give, the beach is nice though). Point is, geography like ours just doesn’t exist anywhere else. We are the champions, my friend.

5. Toll booth kindness. Have you ever been through the toll booths on C470 and met a toll booth cashier who wasn’t just the nicest person ever??? I mean, sure maybe they have an off day now and again, but really, for having what might possibly be the most boring job of all time, they are the sweetest people! My first day here I got off the plane and knew it was a good state because I was actually smiled at by not one, but ALL of the toll booth attendants on my drive to i25. ALL 3 of them. They pass out happiness like it grows on trees! After a drive like that, who wouldn’t want to live here? Right? Honestly…

So there you have it. Issue #1 of “Why Lacey Loves Colorado”. Maybe someday you’ll get to see some flash backs to “Lessons Learned Down Under” or “Why Prague Needs Nation Wide AC”.