Cupcake Cruiser in Northern Colorado

Amber — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:42:53 +0000

In my quest to find the best cupcake in Fort Collins, I have been disappointed more times than I’ve been satisfied. Bakeries and cupcakeries have sprung up all over town, but most serve cupcakes leaving much to be desired.

That is, until I discovered the Cupcake Cruiser!

For months the Cupcake Cruiser has eluded me. I’ve seen it parked in various lots throughout town, but never at an opportune time for me to stop and sample the intriguing cupcakes. The stars finally aligned this weekend and I experienced the delicious bliss of the Cupcake Cruiser.

I was greeted by a smiling cupcake employee who enthusiastically reviewed current cupcake flavor offerings and deals. Each cupcake is $2.75, but she was offering four cupcakes for $10. I’m not one to turn down a deal (or four cupcakes!), so I sprung for the box. She even offered to throw in a FREE cupcake since it was my first time and I was clearly ridiculously excited. Flavors vary daily, but here are the goodies I sampled: the Happy Hippie, Chocolate Loves Vanilla, Vanilla Loves Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Pancake, and Root Beer Float (adorably garnished with a bendy straw!).

Cupcake Cruiser’s cupcakes are perfectly soft and dense, not overly moist and not at all dry. They are topped with just the right amount of frosting and garnished with treats to intensify the flavor. Truly delectable! I couldn’t stop saying, “mmmmmm” after each bite.

For locations, check out the Cupcake Cruiser calendar or “like” them on Facebook. Definitely give these cupcakes a go – they are so sweet!

Day Trip: Salida

Ashlee — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:00:04 +0000

Raise your hand if you start to go stir-crazy about this time of year! Alright, that’s a few of you.

If you’re like me, you take just about every sunny day in winter as a sign to get out and go somewhere. It’s too easy to be cooped up inside when the weather is bad. With temps in the 50′s today (downright balmy), we decided to get out of town and drive 45 miles up-river to the artsy town of Salida. Known for it’s prime location (downtown is on the Arkansas River) and its plethora of artists, Salida is a fun place to visit when you’d like to window shop, consignment shop, or just sample some of the local cuisine.

Maybe it was the sunshine, but bikers (mostly families) were out in droves today. Stopping into stores, cruising along the river, or just getting from point A to B, two-wheeled commuters were everywhere. Salida is very bike and dog friendly; you’ll notice the abundance of bike racks and dog water bowls outside of shops.

Salida also has a few interesting restaurants to choose from. You can stop by the ever-present Amicas for some pizza and micro-brew, or stop into Mama D’s for standard burger and fries fare. When I saw the sign for Little Cambodia, I had to stop in. I’ve never tried Pho (pronounced “fuh”), and thought that today was as good a day as any. It was awesome! We had a small pho with tofu and a spring roll with beef for about $11.00, and it filled us both up. It was the perfect quick lunch for a windy day.

In the spring, we’ll have to come back and tackle Tenderfoot (aka ‘S’) Hill to check out the views. Though the road was closed to traffic today (sorry, seven months pregnant and not about to hoof it), it will re-open in the warmer months. Until then…

Ride the Royal Gorge Route Railroad

Amber — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:40:20 +0000

When winter hits Canon City and the Arkansas River it too cold for rafting, another great way to experience the Royal Gorge is a scenic ride on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad.

The two-hour route winds through the canyon alongside the raging river. The views of the river, canyon, and bridge are simply breathtaking! While the train offers a variety of seating classes (from the less expensive coach seats to pricier upper level dome seats), the best view is offered by the open-air car. In the summer time, wave down to the river rafters; in the winter, keep an eye out for wildlife.

The train offers meals and snacks to purchase and a beverage service (though I would avoid the hot chocolate!). Tickets may also be purchased to include lunch or dinner. The train even features special events for Easter, Mother’s Day, Oktoberfest, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s. But the ride in itself is quite a special treat!

My recommendation is to save your money: buy a coach ticket and step out into the crisp, fresh Colorado air for the two-hour ride. The view from the open-air car is unbeatable!

For more information on the Royal Gorge Route Railroad and purchasing tickets, visit royalgorgeroute.com

Welcome to the new and still improving I Heart Colorado!

Amber — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:37:07 +0000

As promised, I Heart Colorado is officially back in action as the one-stop resource for all things Colorado! Today we unveil the new I Heart Colorado as the unofficial exploration guide for unique and truly local Colorado experiences. You can expect to read about:

- Vacation and Staycation ideas for day trips, weekend excursions, and week-long adventures
- The best local shops, food & drinks
- New and well-known places to hike, bike, run, walk, raft, play, and more!

We plan to show you how to really experience Colorado.

And who might “we” be, you ask? I’ve ~~added~~ convinced a new writer and fellow Colorado aficionado to join the fun!

Meet Ashlee:

After spending her childhood in California, Ashlee finally heeded the siren call to Colorado, where she worked as a whitewater raft guide for six summers. She and her husband live near the Arkansas River, where they love to raft in the summer, hike in the fall, and play with their two dogs year-round. Ashlee teaches middle-school English and enjoys bringing her travel experiences to her students.

A big welcome to Ashlee!

We are still working on improvements to make I Heart Colorado a useful, easy-to-navigate resource to help you fully experience and explore what makes Colorado wonderful. In the meantime, we have exciting new experiences to share.

One last note: We’d love to hear from you! We have our favorite Colorado places and spaces, but we love to scope out new nooks and crannies of this great square state. If you have a town, activity, restaurant, shop, etc. that you’d love more information about, let us know! We’ll check it out and report back.

So let the adventures continue! Thank you for reading I Heart Colorado and remaining loyal to our beloved home state!

Amber & Ashlee

Sweet Side of Sunshine

Amber — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:57:30 +0000

Hello again! Thanks for tolerating the brief work in progress. I’m hoping to have regular posts resume next week. I’ve even added a new regular writer who has guest posted several times here on I Heart Colorado! (I’ll provide a full introduction in the near future.)

As I continue transitioning the blog back to a Colorado-centered site, I want to invite you to visit my personal blog. If you enjoyed my posts on recipes, personal health, goals, 30 Before 30, gift ideas, friends, and family, check out Sweet Side of Sunshine. If you’re here solely because you HEART Colorado, stay right where you are! CO love will return soon!

Amber

Just you wait and see!

Amber — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:32:04 +0000

Hello dear readers! Don’t worry, I haven’t fallen off the face of the Earth. I’m currently in the process of refocusing I Heart Colorado and taking it back to the roots I intended: a blog about the wonderful things to do in Colorado. I’ll be moving more of my personal posts to another blog and streamlining the current information to more accurately reflect the changes I’m making.

Hang in there, I’ll be back soon with a new style and a new view of this beautiful square state I call home.

Thanks for understanding and Happy New Year to you . . . → keep reading

Seasons Greetings

Amber — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:04:31 +0000

Happy Christmas!

May your holiday be filled with peace, love, and joy!

‘Tis the Season for Traditions: Chop, Chop!

Amber — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:46:04 +0000

In my world, holidays are all about traditions. I cherish traditions from my childhood like decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, opening a present on Christmas Eve, and watching favorite holiday movies. But it’s important for couples and new families to start traditions of their own. One of my favorite new holiday traditions is chopping down our own Christmas tree.

For the past few years, Ian and I spend the first weekend in December up in Canyon Lakes Ranger District hunting through the sale area for the perfect tree for our little home. Last year, the sun was shining and the weather was beautiful! This year, it was a wee bit chilly, and even snowed a little, but the cold made our tree hunt feel very festive.

Our tree chopping tradition grows more important to me each year. We get to spend a cherished day hiking around in the snow and working together to pick out a tree we both love. I so enjoy watching other families and couples joyfully hike around in search of the perfect tree. There is such a sense of camaraderie and holiday spirit. It’s really a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

(And yes, we have matching hats. Total cheese, I know!)

Trees are just $10 and the sale runs through December 11th. If you have children, or if you’re a big kid yourself, you can even meet and take pictures with Smokey Bear! Dress warm, pack delicious snacks and a thermos filled with hot cocoa, and don’t forget a saw or ax! Most importantly, enjoy an opportunity to spend time with the ones you love, help out the National Forest, and start a new family tradition!

A Truly ColderBolder 5K

Amber — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:13:27 +0000

I’m sitting with a warm cup of cocoa, topped with marshmallows and cinnamon, a welcomed warm-up after a cold and snowy ColderBolder 5K this morning! Snow was steadily falling when I went to bed and continued through the night. I was pretty nervous about the conditions when I woke up this morning, but I wasn’t about to let a little snow ruin my plans to run. That’s what running tights, hats, and gloves are for.

My racing buddy Lindsey and I met at packet pick-up inside the CU Fieldhouse. It was so nice to spend pre-race inside a heated building and use actual restrooms rather than port-o-potties. It’s the little things! Lindsey and I both confessed that we considered wimping out on the race due to nasty weather, but I’m sure Lindsey would agree that the snow made the race a little more adventerous! And we both did surprisingly well given the snowy/icy conditions.

The 5K started outside on 18th street and looped around campus with the finish on a dry straight away inside the Fieldhouse. It’s been a while since I last visited my Alma mater, so I enjoyed the little ~~stroll~~ run down memory lane

Originally, my plan was to take it slow and steady to avoid slipping/falling on ice patches. But once I got going, I quickly overcame my anxiety about the ice and found a comfortable pace. When I hit mile 1, I checked my watched and was surprised to see that I had run the first mile in under 9:00! That gave me all the motivation I needed to pick up my pace. That and I really wanted to beat the little girl running neck-and-neck with me.

I kept a lookout for mile 2, but I couldn’t find a posted sign. I kept checking my watch thinking, I must have past it by now! Finally, I overheard someone behind me say it was back at the water station, so I kicked it up another notch and gave the last mile my all! According to my watch, I came in right around 28:00, which was a big shock! I totally thought my time would bomb with the snow and ice on the ground. I was pleasantly surprised. Lindsey rolled in a minute or two behind me all smiles.

Ian wasn’t able to get a steady shot of either of us finishing because the light wasn’t cooperating, but he did capture good ol’ Saint Nick running the race. How very festive!

I absolutely LOVED the ColderBolder and will definitely do it again next year. This was my first ever winter race, and I am surprised by how much fun I had, even in the cold. I thought that I hated cold-weather running, but I think I proved myself wrong today.

After the race, Oskar Blues congratulated runners with a nice cold beer after the oh-so-cold run. For some reason, even on a super cold day, a post-race brew always sounds good! I enjoyed Mama’s Little Yella Pils, the perfect mix of refreshing and light – a great post-run beer.

After cheering on the last few finishers, Ian and I headed up to Longmont for a scrumptious, filling lunch at the Pumphouse. We split the garden wrap and a basket of regular and sweet potato fries and I washed it all down with a well-spiced bloody Mary (my favorite!).

I’m feeling very inspired to sign up for another race, possibly in February or March. Anybody have a recommendation for a fabulous spring race in Colorado?!

Buy Local Week!

Amber — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:50:41 +0000

While I’m writing, writing, writing to finish my NaNoWriMo story by midnight on Wednesday, you should get out and hit up your local shops for buy local week!

Supporting local businesses is a great way to spend your hard earned money, and boost our economy. I don’t usually talk politics (and I’m not about to start now!), but I absolutely believe it is important to shift our shopping away from big corporations and toward local businesses. Colorado Local First provides more information on how you can support local businesses and why buying local is a fantastic idea.

I spent Saturday afternoon strolling around Old Town Fort Collins visiting my favorite local shops. My family is keeping Christmas very low key this year, so I’m only shopping for a few very specific gifts. One gift I’m particularly excited about is part of a new tradition Ian and I are starting this year: an ornament exchange. The ornament exchange involves buying each other an ornament that represents the past year. We realized that many of our ornaments are hand-me-downs from my family, which we love, but we decided it’s about time we started our own ornament collection. I stopped by The Cupboard, White Balcony, Perennial Gardener, and Ten Thousand Villages scoping out ornaments. There are many options to choose from, so I certainly have my work cut out!

Buy local week continues in Colorado now through December 2nd. Visit your favorite local shop and know that you will be buying unique gifts for your loved ones this year and supporting a worthy cause! Happy local shopping.