Sunday, March 15, 2015

One Date a Week - or 52 Date Ideas - Colorado Style




NOVEMBER? I haven't posted since November. Good lord, I'm the worst blogger ever. I have to tell you since going part time last November/December, I've actually worked more hours than when I worked full time.  What the hell is wrong with me? I took on a teaching job at a local Nursing College and was working part time doing the social media for my husband's company, BookFuel (a self-pub company). I'm reigning it in. I told my mentor I didn't want to teach anymore (turns out, not quite as fun as I thought it would be. In fact, it stressed me out terribly. It was like being in nursing school all over again) and they are looking for a full time social media person at BookFuel so I can step down. I'm also thinking of going into hospice and getting out of floor nursing all together (more on that on another post -- maybe in June?). The reason for THIS post is because I got all creative (rare now, see above as to why) and wanted to share.

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:


Here's a list of the date ideas -- if you don't live in Colorado (and if you don't, so sorry, best place on earth here nestled in the Rockies) you can adapt it for the cool unique places in your neck of the woods.

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.


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