Hi! Welcome! On Cyber Monday we purchased tickets to Denver for a steal! When the tickets were purchased we had no idea where in Colorado we were going, but we had tickets lol Winter Park ended up being our choice since it was fairly inexpensive (compared to places like Vail) and we hadn’t been before.
Today I’m sharing pictures from our trip and a bit of a diary style day by day recap. Later I will write a more formal “travel guide” in case anyone is thinking of going.
The travel day started early with a flight at 5:40am! Of course when we landed in Denver we made a stop at Snooze. It’s our favorite place for brunch. Luckily they have expanded their restaurants and have locations in Texas too. Now if they’d just open one in The Woodlands I’d be over the moon. hint hint Snooze š
Before leaving brunch we asked the waiter what he recommended seeing before leaving Denver. He said the Red Rocks Amphitheatre was a must since it was such a clear, beautiful day. We swung by Coors Brewery first. The tour and tasting are free! Then headed to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It was breathtaking! Including physically haha the thin air and hike to the top was hard, but completely worth the views. So many people were exercising on the stadium style seating. I think they’re all nuts. Mostly because I feel like I would pass out trying to run “Rocky style” up those tiers!
After taking in the views we headed for Winter Park. Our hotel was in Fraser, just minutes from the Winter Park Resort.
Day 2Early morning snowmobiling tour with Grand Adventures. Our guide, Aubrey, was fantastic. The temperatures in Colorado have been higher and snowfall less than usual so the trees weren’t snow covered š It was still gorgeous though. We spent the afternoon exploring Winter Park Resort.
Day 3Headed back to Winter Park Resort to check out the Coca-Cola Tube Park. We loved tubing when we were in Breckenridge and knew we wanted to do it again. It was fun, but Breckenridge (technically Frisco) was better. It ended up snowing that night and everything was beautiful. I shared a lot of videos on Snapchat and IG stories. Hope you caught those!
Day 4Our last full day in Winter Park we opted to tube again, but at a park across the street from our hotel. Ironically there were two tubing hills right next to each other. We asked the hotel staff which was better and Colorado Adventure Park was the winner. We got there when it opened and had the best time! The hubs also got to play with his new drone and was in heaven. Videos coming soon, including my tubing crash haha
After tubing we went back to the Winter Park Resort to have lunch and watch the skiers/snowboarders. On the way back to our hotel we stopped in at Idlewild Distillery. We had seen their products in a local liquor store and asked the staff if the distillery was local and had tours. The store staff said we had to go because it was a great atmosphere and drinks and food. It certainly didn’t disappoint! We met the master distiller, Jeff. He was so nice to take time out of his afternoon to talk to us and show us around their production. Can’t wait to see his business grow because their products are amazing!
Travel day back to Houston. Overall it was a fantastic trip. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there, the food was great, and the people friendly!
Thanks for visiting the blog to see our travel photos. Come back soon to see a formal “guide.” Until next post…xoxo Becca
This post has been a long time coming! The family and I went on a Christmas trip last year to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. When I published my recap post in January I promised a follow up post on restaurants to check out aaaaaand here we are in late November finally putting that post together lol I thought some people may visit Jackson Hole this winter and this post might come in handy.
Located in the Town Center, the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is easy to spot. After a long day of travel our group stopped in for a quick drink at the famous bar with saddles as bar āstools.ā The bartender was super nice and the drinks were excellent. We ordered at the window and they brought our food to us at the bar. I had the buffalo burger and it had great flavor. I also got a side of fries and there were plenty to share! The onion rings had a delicious sweet batter, highly recommend them. The chili was very good and so were the wings.
Since we’re from Texas and the Gun Barrel Steak & Game House name was taken from the small east Texas town of Gun Barrel City, we had to go. We made reservations for a late night dinner. Wouldnāt recommend having a late dinner, they had run out of 3 cuts of steak/buffalo by the time we got there.
Our waiter was very friendly and let us take our time looking over the menu. With so many wild game options it is a lot to take in. We ordered a round of drinks and started the meal with fresh bread and butter. I could have made a meal off the bread alone, it was very good. The favorite entree was Buffalo Sirloin (tender buffaloā top sirloin, mesquite grilled and served with Cajun onion straws). The vegetable of the day was snap peas and they were also a hit.
For dessert we ordered the Creme Brulee and Double Barrel Cheesecake (Our NY has a hint of Amaretto, topped with a Chambord raspberry sauce), both are worth mentioning. They were delicious and the perfect end to a great meal!
After a day of snowmobiling we were starving and had heard positive things about Snake River Brewing. Located in a building which was previously the base of operations for a Coca-Cola distributor, the brewpub is warm and welcoming with an industrial feel. There was no wait when we arrive near the end of happy hour (4:00pm-6:00pm). Sometimes restaurants associated with bars or breweries fall short, but this one did not. Every dish ordered was a hit. I recommend the fire roasted nachos, cobb salad (comes with chicken), french onion soup, and the classic pepperoni pizza. We took some of the pizza to go and it was great cold too š
As far as beers, we sampled several, but were most interested in the Rum Buck. It’s an ale aged in a Jamacian rum barrel. What an interesting idea! It was out of the ordinary, but well liked.
Inspired by bakeries in France, we initially went to get our hands on fresh baguettes and croissants. One of the drink specials that day was a spiked hot chocolate which was delicious. We also grabbed a jar of strawberry preserves with rhubarb and vanilla. I’m sad we did not purchase more before heading home. While we only stopped in to purchase a few bakery items and get warm for a minute, it seems like the perfect place for brunch or afternoon tea. Especially in the spring and summer š p.s. Some gluten free options available.
I hope this guide was helpful and you enjoy your time in Jackson Hole. We loved spending time there during Christmas and hope to go back one day.
Disclaimer:
This post is not sponsored by Jackson Hole, WY or any of the companies/organizations, shops orĀ restaurantsĀ I featured. All purchases were made with personal funds and these are my own opinions.
Becca
born and raised Texan
Hi all and welcome to my cozy little place in the blogosphere. My name is Becca and I'm a born and raised Texan. After college I got married. Got a puppy. Got a house. And then I decided I wanted to share daily life, struggles, ambitions, and everything in between.
