a weekend of fall color and cozy mountain vibes
I just got back from a quick weekend getaway to Colorado with my husband to visit some friends and do some leaf peeping and boy, was I blown away by the food and views?!! Here is a recap of the weekend and some of our favorite highlights.
Denver Kickoff: Pizza + Cocktails Done Right
We flew into Denver on Thursday afternoon and met up with our friends for dinner and drinks on Tennyson Street in the Berkeley neighborhood — an area that feels both laid back and buzzy in all the right ways.
First stop was Hops and Pies for dinner.
We started with a Caesar salad and I knew it was going to be fire when I saw that it was served with an anchovy on top. I was right, it hit the spot!
Since it was a Thursday, the special was $7.50 personal Detroit style sourdough pizza and za za zing these were so good!
We split two personal pies and both were excellent choices.
- Italian Sausage + Fresh Basil
- Cupping Pepperoni + Jalapeño + Hot Honey
After we wrapped up dinner, we walked over to The Tatarian. The Tatarian is touted as one of the best cocktail bars in Denver so we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to check it out.
The Tatarian is a contemporary cocktail bar focusing on the craft of modern cocktails centered around the use of unique herbs, roots, and spices. Every cocktail created at The Tatarian pays homage to the roots of the Berkeley neighborhood, symbolizing a thriving, healthy, and connected community.
The cozy atmosphere was sleek and modern and all of the drinks on the menu are named after different types of trees so the nature-lover in me was super happy.
Here is what the group ordered:
- PERSIMMON PREPARED WITH
- woody creek vodka, mekhong, clear orange cordial, cinnamon, clove, allspice
- VELVET ASH PREPARED WITH
- roaring fork vodka, lemongrass, lime leaf, pandan, carbonation
- HANGMAN’S ELM PREPARED WITH
- widow jane paradigm rye, primo rosso vermouth, amaro sfumato, rosemary, clove, allspice, rhubarb, angostura cocoa bitters
The Persimmon was unanimously the group favorite – warm, spiced, and cozy. Think old fashion vibes for the Hangman’s Elm and the Velvet Ash was bright and herbal, kind of like a spitz that studied abroad in Asia.
You can truly taste that attention to detail in every sip. I don’t think you can go wrong here – these guys know what they’re mixing up!
Friday: Hiking + Beers in Golden
Friday morning, we woke up early and drove out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park and hit the Mule Deer + Raccoon Trail loop to Panorama Point. It’s about a 5-mile round trip hike that took us approximately 2.5 hours.
The hike was full of stunning views and so many yellow leaves to start off our weekend of leaf peeping. We were in heaven here. The yellow was so yellow it didn’t even look real. Pics definitely don’t do it justice, but if I close my eyes I can still hear the leaves of the aspen trees whispering in the wind.
After the hike, we refueled with some beers and nibbles at New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden, CO.
I had a hard time narrowing down which beer I wanted because there were a ton of beer options that sounded really good, so naturally I went with a flight so I could sample several.
Here’s what I sampled in my flight:
- La Nómada Mexican Lager — crisp and citrusy
- Suntrip Belgian Wit — citrus + spice
- Desert Runner Cactus Fruit Gose — prickly pear, dragon fruit, pink Himalayan salt, coriander
- Forbidden Isle P.O.G. Sour — passionfruit, orange, guava, lactose
- Mirage Dry-Hopped Mosaic Sour — pineapple + grapefruit
Check out what they’re serving up in the taproom here.
The brewery had a couple of food trucks for us to grab some lunch after our hike. Our group shared the Grilly Idol (steak grilled cheese that changed my life), the Free Bird (turkey sand), Frito Pie, and fries from Bandwagon Sandwich Co. I haven’t stopped dreaming about the Grilly Idol since.
The Scenic Drive to Steamboat Springs
That afternoon, we hit the road toward Steamboat Springs, and the drive itself was part of the magic.
The aspens were in full color — the leaf peeping on the drive there was INCREDIBLE. We are super blessed to have timed the trip perfectly to catch peak fall color. If you can time your trip to Colorado during peak fall color, do it.
Once we got to Steamboat and unloaded at the condo, we called it an early night to rest up for our big hike the next day.
Saturday Morning: Hiking to Gilpin Lake
We woke up early Saturday morning and drove about an hour to Mount Zirkel Wilderness to hike the Gilpin Lake Trail — an almost 10-mile out-and-back with just the right mix of challenge and reward. The lake at the top was jaw-droppingly beautiful — think mirrored water, pine trees, and mountain peaks all playing nice together.
It took us around 6 hours total to hike to Gilpin Lake and back, although that includes about an hour of time we spent relaxing and soaking in the views at the lake and stopping to take photos.
This hike was exactly what I needed. Fresh mountain air, challenging but exercise, and incredible views… it really doesn’t get much better than that!
Post-hike and catching our breath, we hopped back in the car and drove back towards our condo in Steamboat Springs to freshen up for dinner and our evening out.
Saturday Evening: Unofficial Steamboat Food Tour
Since we only had one evening to explore and dine out in Steamboat, we decided to create a little food + drink tour of our own through the downtown area rather than a traditional dinner at a single restaurant.
We had a reservation at Besame and were really looking forward to checking it out, but we spent more time hiking than originally planned and had to cancel unfortunately. This will definitely be at the top of our list for places to visit next time we are back in the Steamboat area.
Stop 1: Salt & Lime
Happy hour margs and tacos?! Yes, please!
We started our food tour at Salt & Lime with their Loaded Guacamole for the table, which was made with fresh crushed avocado, cilantro, serrano chili, lime, olive oil, topped with salsa roja, charro beans, queso fresco, crispy bacon. Never have I ever had loaded guac like this before and never ever will I be the same. I’ll be recreating this at home for sure. Thanks for the inso, S & L!
Taco order rundown:
- Al Pastor
- Pescado Fresco (beer-battered)
- Carne Asada
- Barbacoa
The fish taco with the pineapple pico and slaw was my favorite and the Carne Asada was my husband’s fave.
This was the perfect pit stop to kick off our unofficial food tour of Steamboat Springs.
Stop 2: Yampa River Icehouse
Next up we walked over to Yampa River Icehouse to catch some rooftop sunset views while we sipped on a few cocktails.
I needed a little pick-me-up after an early morning and the 10-mile hike so I went with an expresso martini.
The weather was perfect and made for ideal conditions for relaxing and chatting with our friends up on the Icehouse rooftop.
Stop 3: Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails
After the sun went down, we worked our way over to Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails. I walked in the door and had that “honey, I’m home” kind of feeling. This place had it going on!
Here’s what we ordered off the menu:
- Hash made with brussels sprouts, house bacon, goat cheese, and crispy onion
- Crispy Potatoes made with truffle parmesan, pistachio pesto, and black pepper aioli
- a bottle of Tempranillo to share with the table
We just ordered light bites here, but based on that experience I’ll definitely be coming back for a full dinner!
Stop 4: Saffron Indian Cuisine
We ended the night with a to-go order of chicken tikka masala and garlic naan from Saffron Indian Restaurant that we took home to enjoy in our comfies with a night cap. Peak contentment achieved for sure.
Sunday Brunch + Scenic Sendoff
Our final morning of the trip, we had a brunch reservation at Yampa Valley Kitchen. Y’ALL. This place is so cute and such a gem with its lush patio garden tucked right in the heart of Steamboat. It felt like brunching inside a secret garden.
I went for the French Omelet and my husband got Biscuits and Gravy.
Sitting on this patio, drinking a fresh-squeezed lemonade and refueling with some wholesome food was exactly what we all needed after the work we put in the last few days hiking. I can’t recommend this place enough!
After we finished up at brunch, we wandered around the main strip of downtown to check out a few local shops and pick up souvenirs before hitting the road back to Denver.
We took the scenic route back towards Denver, passing through Winter Park. THE LEAVES WERE INSANE. Luckily, we had enough time to pull over a few times to snap some pics and soak in the final fall color some more before heading home.
Final Thoughts
This trip made me fall hard for Steamboat Springs – the food, trails, and feeling both grounded and energized at the same time. I cannot wait until we have the opportunity to visit Steamboat again!
Travel Notes + Links
- Stay: we stayed with friends this time!
- Eat: Hops & Pie, Salt & Lime, Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails, Yampa Valley Kitchen
- Drink: The Tatarian (Denver), Yampa River Icehouse
- Hike: Mule Deer + Raccoon Trail at Golden Gate Canyon State Park + Gilpin Lake Trail in Mount Zirkel Wilderness
If you’ve been to Steamboat, drop your favorite recs below — I’m already scheming our next trip.
