Steamboat // #Dreamboat

My weekend in steamboat was seriously one of the high-points of my summer. From the moment I arrived, I was greeted with not only the biggest and best hug from my bestie beth but also by my favorite champagne! Beth and I had friday night to ourselves and we made the most of it by hopping around town for steamboat's first friday art walk and then cocktails + dinner at aurum... oh and also a full dose of laughs, conversation, stories and smiles.

Beth's boyfriend hunter worked late on friday but was up and ready to join us on saturday. We went to one of my favorite breakfast spots (from previous visits to steamboat) freshies to fuel-up before we hit the trail-head for a hike. Just as I remembered, freshies did not disappoint and I even got to enjoy some fresh chanterelle mushrooms in my scramble that were forged right in steamboat. Excuse me for a moment while I geek-out on this.

We headed out to sarvis creek, an off-the-beaten-path area between steamboat and stagecoach which was covered in hiking trails. Our 5 mile hike was a bit muddy starting out due to the intense rain fall in steamboat over the past few weeks but dried up after the sunshine made its way in. The trees are just starting to change colors too which got me excited for fall. Hints of orange, yellow and red were hiding all along our hike and just made me smile.

Saturday night we attended a farm-to-table dinner hosted by butcherknife brewery and harwigs, a local restaurant in the area. The 6-course dinner featured ingredients that were 100% raised or grown in steamboat and each course was perfectly paired with a brew from butcherknife. Beth, hunter and I had an amazing time and the evening was awesome, down to the smallest of detail. We even got to take the stunning flower centerpieces home with us which was an event in and of itself. After dinner we wrapped up the evening with drinks at some of beth + hunter's favorite places, the laundry and barley. Seriously, the night left me with a full belly, a smile on my face and an extremely full heart.

I didn't want sunday to come as I knew this meant my departure from not only a beautiful town that I got to see from a completely different perspective than any visit before, but it meant I would be leaving my best friend. I sat at the counter in the kitchen as beth put together an awesome breakfast and just soaked in every last minute, conversation, laugh and smile with her before I had to leave.

Friends like beth make you feel alive and whole, like when you are together, everything just makes sense; I think that is the hardest part about us not living in the same city. However, the recharge to my system after a few days together, was exactly what I needed and that is what I focused on during my drive back to denver.

Steamboat, you were good, real good and I will hold this trip near to my heart for a very long time.