Catamount Trail in Green Mountain Falls

On June 19, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking2 Comments

The weather was beautiful this weekend, so we decided to get up into the mountains and go for a hike. We drove to the quaint town of Green Mountain Falls to hike the Catamount Trail, which is a trail that we haven’t done before. You aren’t able to park on the road where the trail starts, so you have walk about a mile on a very steep road to reach the trailhead. Walking up the road was almost as hard as hiking on the trail itself.

The trail is considered to be moderate, but anytime you go hiking in the mountains, it is likely to be fairly difficult and this trail is no different. The entire trail is about three miles one way and the first two miles are steep switchbacks with a lot of rocky steps. At the start of the trail, there are a couple of wonderful waterfalls where you can stop and enjoy the beauty of nature. There is a reservoir at the end of the trail, but we didn’t make it all of the way to the end on this hike, but we will definitely return another time and complete the hike.

The scenery was absolutely stunning, especially as you near the summit where you are rewarded with incredible views of the valley below. There isn’t much to the town of Green Mountain Falls, it is really just a community of homes for people who want to live in the mountains and don’t mind having to drive a ways to do their shopping. It must be a relaxing way to live, but we’re not sure that we would want to be that isolated.

This was our first real hike of the season, so climbing the steep switchbacks took its toll on our legs and we decided to keep it to a two-hour hike and turned around after making it a little over the halfway point. For us, hiking is all about getting out into nature and getting some exercise, which made this a wonderful hike. Although it was our first time doing the Catamount Trail, it most certainly won’t be the last time we hike there.

A Taste of Las Vegas

On June 7, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Las Vegas, Recipes2 Comments

As we mentioned before, our latest trip to Las Vegas was really about getting some down time and relaxing. When traveling to Las Vegas, food is always a highlight of any trip and this trip was no different. We went to a few of our favorite places to eat, but also purposely chose to go to some places that we hadn’t eaten before. Obviously, there are a plethora of celebrity chef owned restaurants, each one having multiple restaurants in several casinos, but there are other choices that are not as expensive.

One of the places that we returned to was The Yardbird at the Venetian, a restaurant specializing in eggs and chicken. We had fried chicken with hot sauce, chilled spiced watermelon, and a fresh baked biscuit. Another place that we returned was Jardin in the Encore, which has an open-air feel overlooking the pool area as well as some creative meal choices. We also went back to Gordan Ramsey’s Pub in Caesars, which offers traditional British fare and a nice variety of beers and ales.

One of the new places that we ate at was a Mexican restaurant called El Segundo, which is at the Fashion Show Mall and features wonderful food at reasonable prices as well as happy hour margaritas. Another new restaurant for us to eat at was Morels in the Palazzo where we had quiche and a very large omelet as well as two for one drink specials.

We always love a good deal on Oysters, so we even had a dozen oysters at the Oyster Bar in Harrah’s, which was nicer than restaurants in Harrah’s used to be. All in all, we enjoyed a wonderful variety of food and even found a few bargains along the way. The buffet seems to be making a comeback as several casinos offered them as well, but since we aren’t heavy eaters, it doesn’t make sense for us to sit down at an all you can eat buffet. Las Vegas has so many food options that you could spend a month on the strip and never eat at the same place twice, although you might go broke in the process.

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria in Las Vegas

On May 31, 2017 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Las Vegas, Recipes2 Comments

There are a lot of restaurant choices in Las Vegas, many of them coming with a fairly hefty price tag. On a previous trip to Vegas, we found Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria in the Venetian and since we love New York style pizzas, it has become a favorite place for us to stop when we are in town. The atmosphere is casual, the prices are very reasonable, and the staff is extremely friendly.

Inside of the Restaurant (Sorry, It is Dark)

Obviously, the food is what is most important and Grimaldi’s pizza is definitely a worthwhile treat. The original restaurant is famous in New York City and their coal brick-oven pizzas have a distinct taste and flavor. Obviously there are plenty of other offerings such as calzones, salads, and traditional Italian dishes, but we chose to have one of their traditional pizzas with extra mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms.

We sat at the bar where we had a couple of glasses of wine with our pizza and watched some sports on the television. The bartenders and waiters who came up to the well for their drinks were all very nice and quick to start a conversation, crack a joke, and genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs. We even recognized Eric, one of the bartenders, from a trip to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. If you want to get out of the casinos and have good food at a price that won’t break the bank, Grimaldi’s is an excellent choice. Don’t have time to sit down for a meal, you can also order the pizzas to-go and take it back to your hotel room.