Supporting a Local Cause

On July 16, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Craft Beer1 Comment

Regardless of where you are, supporting a local cause is a great way to do something good and make yourself feel good in the process. When that support comes in the form of attending an event, then it is even better. Over the weekend, we went to an event called Pints for Paws Brewfest with the proceeds going to the local Humane Society. Several restaurants and breweries provided food and beers and there was a local band providing festive music as well. The cost of the event was reasonable and the cause was certainly worthwhile.

Pastrami Sliders from Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar

We have always been firm believers in getting a rescue animal if you are interested in getting a dog or cat as a pet. We have had several dogs and a cat that were all rescue animals throughout the years, although we don’t currently have any pets as we aren’t home enough to take care of them properly. Our last puppy lived to be 17 years old and we have very vivid memories of going to pick him out. At the time, our youngest daughter wanted to get a dog and she was hoping to get a golden retriever. We went to the animal shelter and there were a couple of retrievers, but they had a long list of names of people wanting to adopt them.

We kept walking around and then a cute little black and brown dog caught our eye. Our daughter knelt next to him and he raised his paw to give her a high-five. His description listed him as a Rottweiler Mix, but he was much more of an Australian Cattle Dog. Unlike the other dogs where we would have had to wait before we could take them home, he was available immediately, most likely due to people being fearful of adopting a dog that had been labeled a Rottweiler. He was one of the most loving and loyal dogs that we have ever adopted.

We had a great time at the event, tasting food from Ted’s Montana Grill, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, and P. F. Chang’s. It was a hot day, so tasting beers from Bristol Brewing
Company, JAKs Brewing Company, Black Forest Brewing Company, and Trinity Brewing Company. In addition to the beer, there were also a couple of wineries, Avanti Winery and Vino Passarelli, with wonderful wines to taste as well as a tent with Colorado Moonshine from 3 Hundred Days of Shine. We were pleased to see a good turnout to support the Humane Society and enjoy some lively music while enjoying excellent food and drinks. In many ways, it is like going to a local festival in Europe only the money goes to a worthwhile cause. If you find a similar event in your area, you should definitely take advantage of it and participate.

Black Forest Brewing Had a Wonderful Mango Habanero Wheat Beer

Seven Falls and the 1858 Restaurant in Colorado Springs, Colorado

On July 5, 2018July 5, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking10 Comments

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Seven Falls and the 1858 Restaurant. All opinions are our own.

The View from the Front of the Restaurant

We were invited to come to Seven Falls and to have dinner at the 1858 Restaurant, which are both operated by The Broadmoor. There are many beautiful places to see when visiting Colorado Springs and Seven Falls should definitely be one of the top sites on your list. Not only are the falls themselves beautiful, but the entire canyon that creates the backdrop for the waterfalls is truly gorgeous. Having lunch or dinner at the 1858 Restaurant, which sits at the base of the waterfalls, is a perfect way to end a day of hiking around the park and climbing the stairs along the falls.

During the summer months, to get to Seven Falls you catch a free shuttle from the Norris Penrose Event Center, which takes about 15 minutes to drop you off at the entrance. Once inside and having purchased your ticket, you can either walk the .8 of a mile to the base of the falls or for an extra $2, you can catch a tram. As long as you are relatively fit, we would recommend just walking up to the falls and enjoying the beautiful scenery. At the base of the falls, you will find a souvenir shop, restrooms, as well as the 1858 Restaurant. There are two ways to see the falls. One is to climb the stairs or take the elevator to the Eagles Nest, which is a platform with wonderful views of the cascading falls and also has a gift shop. The other is to climb the 224 steps that will take you up close and personal to the series of falls that make up Seven Falls.

Climbing the Stairs Next to the Waterfalls

In addition to viewing the falls, there are also a couple of hiking trails, one that is about a half hour round trip and the other is about an hour round trip. The longer trail will take you to Inspiration Point where you will be rewarded with wonderful views of Colorado Springs and the plains beyond. The other will take you to Midnight Falls, which is another small waterfall. If you are truly adventurous, you can also zip-line inside of the park where you can soar high above the canyon below. Having zip-lined several times in the past, we decided not to do so on our visit to the park.

After visiting the Eagles Nest as well as climbing the 224 steps that took us to the top of the waterfalls, our legs were quite exhausted. Especially if you are not acclimated to the altitude of Colorado Springs, give yourself plenty of time to scale the steep steps and take time to stop and rest. We were definitely ready for dinner after climbing and hiking inside of the park. The 1858 Restaurant offers a fine dining experience in a casual atmosphere with reasonable prices. We had the Chicken and Dumplings as well as a Rocky Mountain Trout with Chile Verde Sauce. We also had spicy Wild Boar Green Chili and a side of Macaroni and Cheese. Everything that we ate was absolutely delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. We would recommend to anyone to visit the restaurant even if they didn’t want to climb the steps to the top of the waterfalls.

Seven Falls should definitely be on the agenda of anyone visiting Colorado Springs and we truly enjoyed our time in the park and at the restaurant. It is a great way to see some of the best scenery in the area without having to spend hours hiking our driving miles outside of the city.

Looking Down at One of the Seven Waterfalls

Boulder Scrambling

On July 3, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking, Photo Challenge3 Comments

If you go hiking on some of the more difficult trails, you are likely to reach points in the trail where you end having to scramble over the boulders. Scrambling is when the trail requires you to use both your hands and feet to climb over boulder fields and steep inclines. For the most part, it is actually easier going up then coming down when vertigo can make finding your footholds more difficult. Although we don’t scramble as much as we used to, it is still often worth the effort as you are usually rewarded with amazing views. Needless to say, trails that require you to scramble across boulders are usually less frequented, so you will likely have the trail to yourself. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is Piles or Stacks, so we have included some photos of boulders piled up to try and deter us from moving forward.