Denver, The Mile High City: 10.7-10.10.12

People complain about having to go to airports.  You have to stand in so many lines, there's nothing to do, blah blah blah.  I don't mind airports generally because it means I'm going somewhere (although Terminal A in VA's National Airport leaves a lot to be desired...).

So when I got the itch to go somewhere over the summer, I looked at a couple of different places, like Philadelphia, which is close enough to where I live that I could drive to it in under four hours.  But then everything hit me:  I wanted to fly somewhere.  I wanted to see mountains.  I wanted to go somewhere I hadn't been before.  So I started looking at Denver; flights here were very well priced, so I couldn't pass it up ($265 roundtrip, non-stop via Frontier).  I was looking at going in August, but when I saw that a band I liked was playing in Denver (and not DC--I'm a little bitter about this) in October, during a week when I already had a day off, I thought, "I can wait.  What's a couple more months?"

Now admittedly, I did some legwork for this trip but had no solid plans day-to-day.  On the one hand, this leaves a lot of flexibility.  On the other hand, I had more downtime than I feel I should have.  Add to that the fact that I didn't e-mail Susan, an acquaintance from college who lives in Denver, more than a few days prior to my trip, and I feel very disorganized.

That said, I have done some cool stuff.  I flew in on Sunday, got a car, and drove to my temporary digs that I'd found on Airbnb.  In March, I used Airbnb to secure two nights in an apartment for me and three friends in NYC and that worked very well (well, most anything would have worked better than paying hundreds of dollars for a hotel), and decided to give it another go, as Denver hotels were too expensive and hostels were out of the way or just didn't work for me.  The apartment was comfy with everything I needed and the host, Brian, is cool.  He'd put together a list of decent restaurants and things to do in Denver, and on the list was a burger joint called H Burger.  I looked it up online and saw that they also had milkshakes (of the non- and alcoholic variety) and all-day happy hour on weekends.  I felt the need to investigate immediately.

I ordered a small Nutella Marshmallow shake (sans alcohol, although they do have an "adult" version of it) and a quarter pounder that came with fries.  I enjoyed both (although the taste of the Nutella didn't come through much in the shake), and marveled at the rest of the menu, which includes a full-on bar menu and items like fried jalapeños with Sriracha-ranch sauce and cilantro sour cream.

On Monday, I covered beer and botany, although not in that order.  First, I went to Snooze for breakfast; it had been recommended by one of my host's previous guests and was near enough to walk to.  Don't let the name fool you; this place is far from a snoozefest.  Not only do they serve things like breakfast margaritas and platter-size pancakes, the place is crawling with people.  I waited 15 minutes for a seat at the bar--a short wait, really, and definitely worth it.  I had the Fluffernutter S'mores French Toast, which was pretty amazing, and a breakfast margarita.  Yes, you read that right (the margarita comes in spicy and regular).  And they were both as delicious as they look.

I went back to the apartment and took a little time to formulate a plan.  I decided to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens--it was going to be around 70 degrees and there was hardly a cloud in the sky, so the weather would be perfect for a stroll.

I couldn't have asked for better weather at the Botanic Gardens.  It was ironic that they had already begun decorating for Christmas considering how warm it was outside.  Of course, not many things were in bloom, but I still managed to get some really great pictures.

I had a tasty Cuban panini at the cafe near the entrance (the only food vendor that was open) and perused the gift shop before thinking about how I wanted a beer.  I decided to check out Great Divide Brewing.  Three samples later, I left feeling a bit disappointed--I enjoyed one of the samples enough to finish it, but was turned off by the Yeti and Oak Aged Yeti.  I dig dark beers, but these were far too bitter for my taste.  I took solace in the fact that the samples were only $3 for the three ($1 per sample after) and all proceeds go to charity.  I chose not to stay for the tour, which happens at 3 and 4 p.m. on weekdays.

I finally responded to Susan's e-mail on Monday, and she mentioned two magical words:  Red Rocks.  Why this hadn't crossed my mind before, I don't know.  About 30-40 minutes outside of Denver, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre hosts a slew of good concerts every summer, as well as other events such as movie viewings.  Artists like U2, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, The Clash, The Eurythmics, Blues Traveler, Jason Mraz, Deadmau5, James Taylor, Carole King, and a host of others have played here in its 60-some year history.  I defy you to find a more scenic concert venue.  And when they have such great bands, who wouldn't want to come here?

It was cooler Tuesday than I'd anticipated, and naturally I neglected to bring a hat and gloves on my trip, since I expected it to be 70 every day.  So I ducked into the Ship Rock Grille at Red Rocks for a hot lunch.  They had no hot chocolate or dark chocolate torte, and my Eldorado Elk Sliders lacked flavor and looked less and less appetizing the longer they sat on my plate.

After perusing the more expansive (and more touristy) gift shop at Red Rocks, I made a plan to head back to Denver.  I drove to Cheesman Park (right by the Botanic Gardens) but didn't get out of the car because the weather was beginning to look a bit like rain and I wasn't dressed as warmly as I'd have liked.  I can definitely see the park being a great place for frisbee or football in the summer, as it has lots of green space.  Susan had said the parks in Denver were definitely worthwhile and had recommended Cheesman Park because of the surrounding architecture.

I drove back to the apartment to regroup.  Susan and I had made plans to go to Vine Street Pub for dinner at 8.  I was really glad we went here, because the food and beer were great and reasonably priced (be aware that the place is cash only).  Plus, I'd passed D Bar Desserts on the way, which was very serendipitous.  Susan said it was really good but couldn't make it, so I walked a few blocks back.  My chocolate hazelnut souffle was good, but the best part was the little donut-hole-sized bites that reminded me of churros that had chocolate icing in the middle.  I got two truffles, each of which were $2 (even truffles in DC aren't that expensive!), but the waiter and I had chatted and he gave me his favorite, passionfruit, because he thought the other two looked sad in the package by themselves.

At dinner, Susan had told me about this amazing muffin shop in an alley by a bike shop in a less-than-lovely part of town.  But come Wednesday morning I would not be deterred, considering how highly she had spoken of Martine's Muffins.  The owner and namesake was very pleasant as she walked me through all the many choices there were, highly recommending that day's special scone, the pumpkin cheesecake (I'm not a fan of scones, but I kind of wish I'd gotten that).  She noted that she didn't recognize me--I think she must have a lot of regulars.  I got the chai tea muffin, the sausage quiche and a big chocolate chunk cookie, all for $6.50.  The muffin was surprisingly light and airy, the cookie a bit harder than I'd anticipated, and the quiche decent.  I wasn't over the moon about any of the food, but I'm still glad I went.  Before long, I was packing up my stuff and on my way to Boulder.

Now I found Denver to be a rather odd place.  To me, it made no sense as an urban area.  As someone (probably Susan) explained it, the city wasn't planned out, which seems like an obvious reason for why there are skyscrapers scattered throughout the city amongst much smaller buildings as opposed to being concentrated in one area.  That said, there were some impressive and very cool modern-looking skyscrapers.  I was also caught offguard by the very visible homeless population, something very unexpected.  There were panhandlers everywhere.  Walking to Snooze, I passed a block where maybe 20 or 30 people had congregated.  I never felt unsafe or anything; I was just surprised.

Check back soon for my post about Boulder!

Flying Solo in Asheville, NC - 11.19.11-11.21.11

It was a short trip designed around the fact that I wanted to see Lykke Li and had missed her DC show because it was sold out.  Also, I wanted to see the Biltmore in all its Christmas glory. I couldn't talk anyone into going with me, so I just said, screw it, I'll go it alone.  It was my first trip alone, and Asheville proved to be a good place for such adventures--a very manageable, small, walkable city, albeit with a lot of hippies.

I flew US Airways from Reagan National to Asheville via Charlotte.  I remembered having been through Charlotte very briefly (literally running from one terminal to another) and thinking that it looked really nice, and it lived up to that memory.  There are rocking chairs, real trees, a piano, and a giant mobile sprouting from a sushi joint in the main area between the concourses.  There's some decent shopping to be done if you have time, some good restaurants, and even a spa.

I got into Asheville about 5 hours before the concert Saturday night, so I got my rental car, pulled out my GPS and was on my way.  I got my car through Enterprise (hurrah for work discounts) and although I had asked for a compact car, I got a Chrysler 200.  As soon as I sat in it, I decided I liked it.

My GPS, although it has outdated maps, led me to the Asheville Hostel and Guest House, a place I had very serendipitously found on Google Maps while plotting out potential things to do in the city.  It's downtown, walking distance from a bunch of cool stores and restaurants (Asheville has at least three chocolate shops, although I only visited one, as well as a champagne bar/used bookstore, Battery Park Book Exchange and Champagne Bar (is there a greater concept?  I think not)).  I met up with the hostel's proprietor, BJ, who suggested a bunch of great places to eat, such as Asheville Brewing Company, literally one block over, within sight of the hostel.  I'm not much of a beer drinker, but occasionally I do venture into that realm, so I did a flight of five beers along with my delicious and very garlicky Greek pizza.  I did manage to finish three of the small glasses of beer.  I walked back to the house, glad to have leftover pizza for breakfast the next morning, then walked a few blocks over to the Orange Peel for the show.

A number of venues, such as DC's 9:30 Club and Richmond's The National, seem to have adopted the "standing room only" idea, and the Orange Peel is yet another.  I felt a bit out of place with all the hipsters at the show, and since some of them were even taller than me, I did have a little difficulty seeing the stage well at times.  The show was enjoyable and the venue seemed all right, despite reviews I'd seen online stating that staff were at best apathetic to concertgoers' needs and wants.

I was up early the next morning so I could be at the Biltmore as soon as it opened.  My parents visited the Biltmore last year and had really nice things to say about it, which had spurred me to want to visit.  My mother recommended the audio tour, so I paid the additional $10 and was glad that I had; the provided booklets are interesting but not nearly as detailed and in-depth as the audio tour.  The sheer size of the building is itself a shock; it's the largest residence in America.  Not only is the mansion big, but the whole Biltmore premises is spread out; the Antler Hill Village, where the winery is, is a four-mile drive from the parking lot for the house, which is itself a few minutes' walk or shuttle ride from the parking lot.  The house was indeed gorgeous, all dolled up for Christmas.  To give you an idea of how big the house is, the library is enormous but doesn't hold all of the 23,000 books contained within the house.  I was told that it would mean reading six books a week for 80 years to finish them all.

After I finished my tour of the house, I perused the garden and the conservatory.  I had seen a weather report stating that it was supposed to be in the upper 60s and sunny on Sunday, but when I had set out that morning, it had been overcast and I worried that it wouldn't be very warm.  Fortunately, the clouds did dissipate after a little while and the weather did warm up--after all the walking/hiking I did (there is much walking to be done, and proper hiking if you so choose), I was sorry I had worn long sleeves.  The flowers in the conservatory were lovely, and I am a sucker for orchids, of which they have a number of different and wonderful plants.

I required lunch before I endeavored any further onto the Biltmore grounds.  I had wanted to have brunch at a restaurant at the Inn at Biltmore Estate, but when I realized it was four miles away and had a dress code--nice pants and blouse for women, something I wouldn't want to wear all day--I figured I would eat somewhere near the mansion itself.  I ate at the Stable Cafe, literally situated in the old stables (you can tell by looking at the inside).  I enjoyed the Carolina barbecue (it would be wrong to go to NC and not have barbecue), but enjoyed the chocolate cake even more.  The chocolate cake was in celebration of the Tiffany exhibition (also at the Antler Hill Village) that goes through the end of January 2012.  The cake was delicious and came with a piece of white chocolate decorated with a Tiffany-style dragonfly.  I hope this cake becomes a permanent addition to the Biltmore menu and doesn't leave with the Tiffany exhibit.

After lunch, having already visited the gift shop by the mansion, I was curious to see the statue of Diana at the top of the hill in front of the house.  The hill is a tiny bit of a hike (well, it is if you're in less-than-wonderful shape, as I seem to be), but it is so worth the view.  The hill would be splendid for rolling down or sledding in the winter, and the mountains behind the house and the trees surrounding frame the mansion so perfectly.

I drove over to Antler Hill Village, the location of the winery and more shops and restaurants.  A wine tasting is included with your ticket to the Biltmore (by the way, if you go to the Biltmore, buy your ticket online at least seven days before you plan to visit--you'll save $10), and you can taste as many wines as you want from the ones on the extensive menu.  The store at the winery sells the wines, hats, cookbooks, food, and various other Biltmore- and non-Biltmore-related tchotchkes.  I bought a cookbook for the sale price of about $18, having envied the one my mother bought last year (many of the recipes were quite tantalizing).  The lines were incredibly long because tour buses had dropped off visitors--the lines were so long that they didn't get to leave on time.

Originally, I had planned to do the Red Wine and Chocolate tasting as well as the Biltmore Bubbles tasting, but I decided I'd had enough to drink and had spent enough time on the premises.  My tickets couldn't be refunded, but I was given a gift card for the value of the tickets, which I promptly blew at the confectioners' shop back at the mansion.  (Not all of the chocolate was for me, thank you very much.)

I was eager to get back into Asheville, and even though I knew the hostel was walking distance from downtown, I didn't feel like walking anymore.  I finally found public parking for $3 across from French Broad Chocolate Lounge, one of the places in Asheville I'd wanted to visit.  (FYI:  French Broad is a river near Asheville, not a derogatory slang term for a woman from France.)  The line was long, so I figured I'd come back later since they're open until at least 11 p.m., even on Sundays.  I had seen a used music store nearby and wanted to see what it had to offer, and realizing it was mostly records, I moved on and found another one just a couple doors down, again with not much of a CD collection though (I am not cool enough to own a record player, and it's not like I could have fit any vinyl in my already over-stuffed carryon bag).  I wanted a burger, and when I spied the menu at Boca, it sounded promising, as all the burgers I saw were about $8 and sounded delicious.  I stepped inside, not realizing that it was just before the restaurant actually opened at 5:30, but a waitress was nice enough to seat me and get me a menu before finishing up the staff meeting I'd interrupted.  Unfortunately, burgers were not on the dinner menu, but I was intrigued by some of the things I saw there.  The waitress was kind enough to bring me some complimentary jalapeño-cheddar cornbread, something I had spied on the appetizer menu but hadn't ordered; I was glad I had received it free, as I felt it was lacking the jalapeño heat I was expecting, although it wasn't bad.  I enjoyed the blueberry-braised pork shoulder taquitos I ordered--I figured I would branch out and get something a bit different.  My waitress boxed up the remainder of my dinner and I wandered over to Downtown Books and News across the street.  It's kind of a hole-in-the-wall that hipsters would love, and had a great selection of books on any topic you would hope to find in a proper bookstore.  I picked out a current magazine to read while in the airport/on the plane the next day before heading back to French Broad Chocolate Lounge to pick out a few pieces of chocolate, all of which I found enjoyable.

I had planned to spend Monday morning walking around downtown Asheville, but many of the places I wanted to visit didn't open until 11 a.m., and since I'd seen a bit of downtown Sunday evening, I decided to throw the plan out the window.  After heating up the leftover taquito in the microwave in the hostel's kitchen (there are also free supplies for making coffee and pancakes), I drove aimlessly for a bit, winding up at the Starbucks by the Biltmore entrance, then I drove over to the enormous Western North Carolina farmer's market, thinking it was just something like the ones in Northern Virginia, where I could walk through in half an hour or less.  Not so.  There were several large aisles of stalls, aisles big enough to drive cars through, with oodles of fruits, vegetables, and other standard market fare.  I drove on to the North Carolina Arboretum, which serendipitously happened to be right by the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I'd decided that I liked my Chrysler 200 rental so much that I wanted to take it for a proper drive, not just commuting around town, and I'd passed under the Parkway going to the hostel from the airport.  Parking for the Arboretum was $8 and I could come and go as I pleased.  Being that it's November, there wasn't a whole lot to see, although the Bonsai exhibit was unexpectedly very cool.  It's outdoors, and fortunately the weather wasn't too cool.  I explored both buildings of the Arboretum and the path between them in about an hour, so I drove onward to the Parkway.  I drove south for about an hour, stopping frequently to take pictures of the view.  Many of my pictures probably look the same, and I tried to discipline myself not to take so many and just to see the view for what it was, not through a lens, something Lykke Li had chastised some concertgoers for at her show Saturday night.

As I drove back from the Parkway toward the highway (I forget which one), I saw a mall and decided to stop in search of food.  Note well:  Don't ever go to Biltmore Square Mall.  It is a sad, depressing place and there is no joy to be found there, especially not in their awful Christmas music.  I drove further, bypassing a probably local place calling itself a tavern in favor of a Wendy's that may or may not have been out of my way.  There was also a Dairy Queen at the local gas station, so I decided to have a mini Blizzard as a celebration of not accidentally filling up the Chrysler with diesel.  (Because I hadn't already had enough junk food to eat that weekend.)  Fun fact:  The Dairy Queen had the highest cleanliness/sanitation score of the restaurants at which I observed the scores; all received As, but the Dairy Queen had gotten a 99.5 (I'll assume out of 100) and was actually rather nice for a DQ.

I arrived at the airport shortly before 2 p.m., two hours before my flight.  I was somewhat sad to return the car.  I got through security after having my bag scanned at least twice (I'd forgotten about the unopened canister of hot chocolate mix) and bought some bottled water, as I'd planned to settle in a bit while waiting for my flight.  Fun facts:  There are only seven gates at the Asheville airport, which is a half-hour flight from Charlotte.  I got to my gate just in time to have a woman working for US Airways offer to let me get on the flight that was literally leaving any minute, and I very happily boarded.  With my original flight schedule, I worried that my one-hour layover in Charlotte might not be sufficient to get to my connection to Reagan National if my flight from Asheville was late, so this worked perfectly for me.  I could wander around the Charlotte airport a little more, having gotten to know it rather well from traversing the whole thing during my two-hour layover two days before, and get a meal before boarding.  Oddly, there was an earlier flight to Reagan, leaving about an hour or so before mine, and when I asked if I could board it, I was told it would probably cost me $50.  I was surprised and ultimately decided to just camp out at Charlotte--besides, a friend had already committed to picking me up from the airport around 7 p.m. anyway.  I hunkered down in Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, which was adjacent to my gate.  I had a delicious turkey "burger" with brie and bacon and probably the best sweet potato fries I've ever had (complete with chipotle ranch dressing) as well as a couple drinks (the large glass of wine is nine ounces, which doesn't sound like that much...).  The only reason I held back from getting a spiked milkshake was because I'd had Dairy Queen earlier in the day.  There are two Bad Daddy's locations outside the airport, both in Charlotte.

More notes about the hostel:  It was great, rather clean and in great proximity to downtown; bathrooms are communal, but I had no problems with availability or anything.  There's a communal computer as well as free WiFi.  The hostel was certainly more economical and much closer to town than the hotels I was looking at.  It's a bit bare and maybe the tv doesn't work, but you're probably not going to be there all that much anyway, right?

The trip was good, and while there were plenty of places I wanted to go in Asheville that I didn't get to, I'm not quite in a hurry to go back, although I would love to see the Biltmore and the Arboretum in the spring/early summer.  Hopefully I'll do that in the coming years, since Asheville is relatively close by and inexpensive.

Lykke Li:  http://lykkeli.com
Asheville Hostel and Guest House:  http://avlhostel.com/
Asheville Brewing Company:  http://ashevillebrewing.com/
The Orange Peel:  http://theorangepeel.net/
The Biltmore:  http://biltmore.com
French Broad Chocolates:  http://frenchbroadchocolates.com/
Boca:  http://bocaasheville.com/
Downtown Books and News:  http://www.downtownbooksandnews.com/
Bad Daddy's Burger Bar:  http://baddaddysburgerbar.com/Home/