I’m starting to bounce off the walls just a little bit, as my husband & I are gearing up for a long weekend mini-vacation. This is the first trip we’ve gone on since our honeymoon that is not for a) a wedding, or b) to visit family. It’s also to a location that we’ve both never been to before (unless, of course, you count the layover my husband had at DEN when traveling for his best friend’s bachelor party in Vegas). We love our friends and our families dearly, and love to visit our favorite destinations, but it’s time for a vacation!

This trip has been brewing, no pun intended, since February. Fall football & fate, even with teaching in two school districts, is permitting me to go on this trip. We’ve been saving extra spending money, and Hubs even requested that his birthday present be the purchase of tickets to the Great American Beer Festival (birthday is in May, tix went on sale in August).  We’ll be attending two evenings at GABF and thus these two homebrewers are stoked!

In case I haven’t mentioned, we homebrew. Or rather, my husband homebrews and I assist. We brew via all-grain style, and keg most of our batches. It is Hubs’ true hobby and he is really, really good at it. Since we’ve started on this adventure together, we’ve become somewhat of a pair of connoisseurs – drinking/brewing for the taste, and not the alcohol (even though you have to admit, some days it’s an added bonus). Thus, our trip to GABF is meant for us to be able to sample and experience some beers that we otherwise would not be exposed to in Ohio & Michigan, let alone the Midwest.

The Weather Channel is forecasting perfect weather for our excursion. My dear old friend Robin will be giving us a tour of Boulder during our trip as well. I’m hope to blog bits and pieces from our trip – especially restaurants and our GABF experience.  I have LOTS of lesson planning to do this week, but as of 3:05pm Wednesday, I’ll be off the school grid.

SO – for those of you who read this blog, who have ever been to Denver, or leave near Denver, etc. – what cool things are there to do out there? Any awesome must-sees? Great restaurants? Tourist traps to avoid?