Grab a friend and sit under this cool chandelier. Denverspeax, 2015.
It’s true – we’ve been holding out on you.
City, O’ City is a restaurant that we visit on the regular, and have never written about. There are numerous factors that make up our decision to return repeatedly,… and part addiction to their Udon. Read on, my foodie friends! Continue reading
At least once per day, I think about Summer Camp growing up.
I went to Summer Camp every summer in New Orleans, LA, as both of my parents worked. My younger sister, Cat (pictured with me below), older brother, Walker, and I (Kirsten) hung out at Little Farms Day Camp in River Ridge, Louisiana, for nearly three months every summer for about a little over half of a decade. Continue reading
Last year, we spent a lot of time at Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. This year was totally different; thanks to a friend passing along 4 tickets, we were able to see one Bronco’s game – Broncos Vs. Raiders in Game 10. Oddly enough, we saw the Broncos play the Raiders last year; maybe we should just start a tradition?
Games can be frustrating, and for many more reasons beyond terrible runs and hurt players. We recognize this, and made a list of Helpful Hints & Tips for when you, your family, and friends head down to Mile High Stadium to watch the Broncos play. Of course, a lot of these can be applied to any sports game or concert viewing…
Click for Black Shirt Brewing Website. Source: BSB Facebook
Here at Denverspeax, we have always been drawn to people who are passionate. We recently had the opportunity to interview one of the most passionate breweries in town: Black Shirt Brewing (BSB). Our first visit to Black Shirt Brewing was on the Slow Roll Pub Crawl a few weeks back. We really enjoyed the beer and vibe in the short time we spent there, and wanted to experience more. We were given the opportunity to sit down and explore the mind of Chad Miller CEO and co-founder of Black Shirt Brewing. Continue reading
Did you know that the Denver Public Library hosts tons of valuable classes and events for free? Yes. Totally free. You can learn how to crochet, speak Spanish (and other languages), meet new authors, and even how to write code on your computer.
Need a creative refresher? Check out the DPL’s events and classes to recharge those creative batteries. Image Courtesy of Google Images – please click to visit the blog this was copied from. DenverSpeax, 2014.
They offer a ton of different classes and events for adults AND kids at all of the different branches of the Denver Public Library. Continue reading
Saturday, September 13th, marked the day of the 8th annual Babes in Bikeland event, bringing over 400 women / transgender / femme bike riders together to roam the streets of Minneapolis.
Take care to note that this was a 20+ mile bike race, the distance depending on the efficiency of your mapped route. With both a manifest of destinations and a time limit provided, how you finished (or mapped your route) was up to you! This is no small feat for even those familiar with the territory of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. So, you may ask, what made so many individuals want to participate in this annual race? What makes this race so special?
The answer to that definitely presented itself before the day of the race. Continue reading
As a recent graduate of the 20’s, here’s a reflection of my (Kirsten’s) 30th birthday.
Welcome to the 30’s – so far, so good. Pictured: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
A Few Things that I Learned in my 20s:
Trailhead sign for Mount Bierstadt. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014.
Last Friday, a few co-workers and I received a random day off. With summer coming quickly to an end, we decided to hike Mount Bierstadt, a Class 2 difficulty, 14,060′ mountain in Colorado. This only being my second 14er, I was just as anxious as the first!
Out of the three of us who hiked, 2 of us were on our second 14er and for one of us, Bierstadt was the first. I would definitely recommend Bierstadt for first-time 14ers for a few reasons: 1) lower class of difficulty, 2) no incredibly steep inclines, 3) the trail is clearly defined and consists of wooden planking (beginning), dirt, and boulders – you get a taste of everything! 4) if you can park in, or close to, the parking lot at the trailhead, it is only about a 7.5 round trip. For directions to Bierstadt, click here.
Luckily, the weather last Friday was incredible! We had a few scary clouds once we hit summit, but no rain or hail the entire afternoon. Amazing, right?! It was nice to hike on a Friday and beat the weekend crowds also – if you have the chance to go on a weekday, take it!
A hidden lake during mile 1 of Bierstadt. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Sunshine and a two-track trail – how beautiful is that view?! Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
We began hiking the trail at about 7 am and made our way across the two-track path; wooden decking also consumed a portion of the trail early on in the first mile, leading us over marshy land and through tall grass.
Beautiful meadows and wildlife. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Beautiful meadows and wildlife. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
The views of the valleys and meadows were breath-taking. Beautiful wildflowers are present along the majority of the trail until about the 3rd mile (guess-timate). Marmots and little chipmunks were everywhere! It was really fun to see wildlife in addition to the beautiful plant life on our hike this time.
Check out how far we’d come! Looking back at the trailhead below somewhere between mile 2 and 3. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Although the trail is pretty tame, the last mile or two are definitely more rough. The higher up, the rockier it gets!
View from somewhere around mile 3. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Rough terrain in the last mile. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Check out the sweet “Stairway to Heaven” pic from summit:
Cassy summitting Bierstadt. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
The views from the top were incredible, but with the clouds rolling in we were only able to stay up there for about 10 minutes.
View from the top of Mount Bierdstadt. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Just enough time to get a picture with the conveniently placed, home-made signs that are waiting for you at the top!
Kirsten at the top of Mount Bierstadt. Photo Credit: Cassy H., July 2014
Lonely backpack at the top. Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, July 2014
Something we need to mention – 14ers are hard. They truly test your physical and mental abilities to the max. When I hear people say “It’s an easy 14er” or, “Hey, that one’s an easy one!”, it annoys us as this is not necessarily true for you and your abilities. Know your limits. Yes, the 14ers are classified, and this is a good guide in order to pick out which mountains to start on and which mountains will be more challenging than others; however there are no “easy 14ers”.
Research your mountain before you go – 14ers.com is an amazing site with a TON of information including classifications, directions, trailheads, and pictures. Figure out which mountain is going to be right for your skill level. There are 54 to choose from! We definitely recommend Bierstadt as a first-time 14er, but remember that it is still a physical feat to accomplish! There’s no doubt in our mind that you can do it. 🙂
Have any questions or want to accompany DenverSpeax on an upcoming 14er? Comment below, or email us at denverspeax@gmail.com.
Another reason why Denver is the coolest – the annual Chalk Art Festival on Larimer Square a few weekends ago (May 31 – June 1st). Free for all ages, artists gathered and created replicas of photos that were often displayed next to their work in the Square.
Here are some shots of our favorite moments and works from the festival:
Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, June 2014.
Not only were there 200+ artists creating these beautiful works of art, live music, food, and beverage tents were also a part of the festival, much of which supported by Colorado businesses.
Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, June 2014.
Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, June 2014.
Many of the artists are local students competing for cash, backed by local businesses. Check back on the Denver Chalk Art website to find out who the winners are.
Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, June 2014.
Chalk art, or street painting, dates back to the 16th century in Italy – it’s amazing this tradition is still prevalent all over the world today.
Photo Credit: Kirsten Ebey, June 2014.
Yet another spectacular event in downtown Denver. We love having so many things to do and see downtown – it’s what makes the city great! What Festivals are you looking forward to this summer? Let us know!
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