I was invited to a bridal shower where every person was given a theme idea to bring as a gift (cool idea for a bridal shower). My assigned theme was date night (okay, I kind of badgered the hostess for that particular theme - I'm bad that way). I have to tell you I was so excited about my idea (probably seen somewhere on Pinterest and it embedded in my reptilian brain because reptiles are known for their awesome crafting skills and then kind of made it my own).
So here's what I did: I figured out 52 different things to do in Colorado, ranging from free to expensive. Some needed planning, some could be done spur of the moment. I printed each idea out and glued them on card stock and the tied the cards together with ribbon. Jason, who must have had some excess estrogen coursing through his veins for like a minute, suggested I tell the bride-to-be to take a picture of each date and attach it to the back of each card. Have I mentioned how brilliant I think my husband is at times? Then he suggested I include condoms in the picnic and when I replied they want a baby pretty soon, he told me to include the condoms after I poke holes in them. So much for the estrogen and brilliance (hmmm, is their a correlation?) I then packed a picnic basket with a waterproof blanket, some picnic yummies, and sparkling water.
And Yay, she loved it. Of course I couldn't contain myself so for the past couple of days I kept telling her how excited I was about her gift, so given how nice she is, there's no way she'd say she didn't love it. I also texted picture of said gift to my best friend, who gave me a whopping approval - again because I couldn't contain myself and had to share with someone. But again, she's my best friend, so her exuberance might have been more about being my friend than the brilliance of the gift.
Whatever, because I'm still super excited about it, I'm blogging it and sharing it with my readers. All 3 of you.
Here are the pictures:
1 Date a Week –
Colorado Style
52 Date Ideas
1.
(Specific to Autumn low cost) Look on line when
the best Aspen-viewing weekend is -drive up 285 toward South Park and drive
over Boreas Pass. Take lots of pictures and enjoy a hike. End up in
Breckenridge. Take a walk around town and eat lunch/dinner at the Motherloaded
restaurant.
2.
(Specific
to the Christmas season – some planning – low cost, the permit is only 10$) At
the beginning of October get a permit to cut down your own Christmas tree in
Pike National Forest. Take some snacks and a thermos of hot cocoa. Spend the
day hiking through the forest looking for that ‘perfect’ tree and cut down your
own Christmas tree.
3.
(Moderately costly) – Dinner at the Buckhorn
Exchange – first restaurant in Denver to get a liquor license. Great ‘western’ cuisine. Walk around the
restaurant and check out the history.
4.
(Free) St. Mary’s Glacier hike
5.
(Nominal cost/ free) Take a drive to a ghost
town and look around
6.
(Moderate cost, some planning) River rafting the
Arkansas river (near Royal Gorge, best trip)
7.
(Weekend getaway – expensive) Go to Glenwood Springs,
stay at the Denver Hotel (Roosevelt’s ‘White House’ of the West.) Have fun
exploring the town, & take a dip in the Springs. Leave early in the day and
hike Hanging Lake on your way home (just outside of Glenwood and a beautiful
hike).
8.
(Low cost) Take a tour of the Molly Brown House,
have lunch at Angelo’s Pizza on 6th avenue (locally owned and has
been there forever – at least since I was a kid) and go home and watch Titanic
and/or the Unsinkable Molly Brown.
9.
(Moderate Cost) Have dinner at the Melting Pot
(warmer months better) sit outside in the courtyard and take a walk around Old
Littleton.
10. (Low
cost) Take a day trip to Estes Park, walk around the Stanley Hotel, have lunch
in a local restaurant and come home and watch the Shining together.
11. (Summer
– low cost) Pack a picnic lunch. Go to the city zoo in the morning and then
have a picnic lunch in the Gazebo at the City Park Lake.
12. (Moderately
expensive) Have “Tea” at the Brown Palace the walk around 16th
street mall and people watch.
13. (Low cost) Stand in line at VooDoo Doughnuts,
people-watch. Order an outrageous
doughnut, then go to the Museum of History and Science and spend the day at the
museum.
14. (Expensive
– Weekend Getaway) Go to a winery on the Western Slope to tour. Find a bed and
breakfast and have an adventure.
15. (Low
Cost) Go to the Art Museum and then have lunch at Le Central (Denver’s
affordable French restaurant),
16. (Free-
to low cost - Friday night date) – First Friday of each month is the Art Walk
in the art district on Santa Fe in Denver. Walk around, look at different art
shops, studios and have dinner at one of the food trucks.
17. (Low
Cost) Tour the Air force Academy, & the Olympic Center and then go to lunch at http://www.solosrestaurant.com in
Colorado Springs.
18. (Weekend getaway – expensive) Weekend in
Pagosa Springs. Go to Mesa Verde, hike the ruins.
19. (Low cost) Take the Celestial Seasoning tour
in Boulder. Walk around Pearl Street and stop for ice cream.
20. (Low
cost) Take the tour of Coors Brewery and have lunch at Bob’s Atomic Burgers.
21. (Low Cost) Wild Animal Sanctuary
22. (Low Cost) Spend the day going to antique
stores on Broadway, have dinner at the Imperial Chinese Restaurant
23. (Expensive) See a burlesque show at Lannies Clocktower
Caberet, dinner at Panzano’s.
24. (Low Cost) Colorado History Museum and
Racine’s restaurant, if it’s warm, take a walk along the Cherry Creek path off
of Speer.
25. (Almost
free) Go to Tattered Cover Lodo, have some coffee, walk around LoDo, Tour the
train station, and take a walk around Confluence Park.
26. (Almost
free) hike Castlewood Canyon
27. (Free) Check out the Southlands free concert
series, pick one and go
28. (Winter
– almost free) Ice skating Southlands, have warm pretzels and walk down the
mall and then sit by open fire pit.
29. (Low cost) Grab some Cuban sandwiches and
pastilitos from Cuban Bakery on Chambers and Mississippi (SW corner), take them
home and watch Scarface.
30. (Free – July 4th weekend) Cherry
Creek Art’s Festival. Have lunch at Zaidy’s Deli (low cost – the blintzes are
way yummy)
31. (Low
cost – Fall) Octoberfest – Larimer square
32. (Moderate cost) Rockies game – dinner after at
Wynkoop Brewery
33. (Expensive)
Pick a play to watch at the DCPA, dress up, have dinner at Texas de Brazil
34. (Low
cost) Aquarium
35. (Low cost) Four Mile Historic Park – take a
picnic
36. (Low cost) Visit the Plains Conservation
Center – off of Hampden and Picadilly -
Picnic lunch
37. (Moderate cost – Fall-Winter) go to either a
home CU or CSU football game.
38. (Moderate
cost) – spend the day at Elitch Gardens
39. (Free)
Visit Garden of the Gods – hike and eat a picnic lunch
40. (Free) Hike Meyer Ranch off of 285 take a
picnic lunch
41. (Day trip – moderate to expensive) – Take the
old cog train up to Pike’s Peak. Go to Cave of the Winds (if you’re brave – do
the swing off the canyon)
42. (Low cost – takes planning) - visit the capital building and the Denver
Mint (need to request permission about 6 months in advance)
43. (Free) take a picnic lunch to Redrocks and
walk the steps
44. (Expensive)
Go to a concert at Redrocks
45. (Moderate
to expensive) Take in an Avalanche game – have dinner at Domo Japanese Country
restaurant afterwards.
46. (Free-Expensive depending on what you buy --
June 6 or 7th 2015) People’s Fair – Civic Center Park
47. (Low
Cost) Spend the day at Botanic Gardens, on your way home, take Colfax and eat
at Tommy’s Thai for dinner.
48. (Expensive)
Dinner at Trapper House – Parker, CO
49. (Low
cost) take a cooking class together
50. (Free)
spend a morning walking around Mile High Flea Market
51. (Low
cost) Pick a 5K and run/walk it together
52. (free
– unless you make a baby then it will be the most expensive date ever) Stock up
on your favorite drinks and food and spend the day in bed.
Linking Up
