In May 2014 we drove 1,950 miles through 6 different states (California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado). We went to 5 national parks/landmarks, went to 4 museums, took 2 factory tours, rode a train through the Rockies, went on a boat cruise of Lake Tahoe, took a walking tour of San Fran, hiked the tallest peak in Salt Lake City, saw real dinosaur bones in Colorado, survived the highest altitude we’ve ever been at (11K feet), ate countless memorable meals, and had one Guy Fieri sighting. Check out our route:
Day 8 began with delicious bagels – like most days on this trip! Definitely one of our food trends (along with chai tea lattes!).
We took one last long look at Steamboat Springs before getting on the road for the day. What an adorable quaint little ski lodge of a town. Look at all of those cute cabins nestled into the mountainside!
We had a 2 hour drive to our first destination of the day – Georgetown, Colorado. The drive was full of steep upward roads but the views of the lush green valleys below were stunning. It was about here when we hit the elevation high of the trip – 11,000 feet! Tough on us sea-level Boston folks!
We arrived in Georgetown around noon. We checked out the visitor’s center, had a hasty lunch, and headed over to the Georgetown Loop Railroad for a train ride.
Built in the 1880s as part of the Colorado Central Railroad, the Georgetown Railroad boomed during the silver mining era. Georgetown grew exponentially during the time period and was the fastest growing community in the Rockies.
The steam engine train ride was 2 miles long, gained over 600 feet in elevation during the ride, and passed over Devil’s Gate High Bridge.
Overall the ride was pretty lackluster (wouldn’t repeat or recommend actually) but the views from the bridge were cool.
From Georgetown we completed the final leg of driving for the entire trip: 1 hour to Denver, our final destination.
We arrived in Denver in the late afternoon, checked into our hotel, and vegged for a while. The views of downtown Denver from our room were pretty amazing.
We started to get hungry and ventured out to Work & Class for dinner. This was, hands down, my favorite dining experience of the trip. We were seated at the counter in front of the kitchen and had an amazing view of the chefs all night. Definitely the way to dine here! About 15 minutes after we arrived it started pouring like I have never seen before. It added to the cozy atmosphere and was downright entertaining to see how the staff creatively reacted and accommodated all the folks eating outside. The food was excellent too, with the highlights for me being a ridiculously good Shirley Temple and the Peppers 5 Ways dish (bacon wrapped jalapeños, fresno poppers, grilled shishitos, pickled peppers, and pepper jam with gluten free bread) – it was unique and playful, with all the flavor to boot.
After dinner it was still early so we headed over to the Lodo neighborhood which is home to a bunch of great bars, nightlife, and Coors Field (where the Rockies play).
We went to The 1Up – a barcade full of vintage video games, excellent 90’s music, and $2 PBRs. It was a total dive but so much fun! Somerville really needs a barcade, it would make a killing.
Stay tuned for Day 9 where we conclude the trip with one last day in Boulder and Denver, Colorado!
Domestocrat 
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