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

Salmon with a Capers and Honey Sauce

On June 20, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes5 Comments

Salmon is a wonderful fish to have throughout the year. It is strong enough to hold up to a variety of flavors, so we decided to do a variation of a sauce that we saw on a cooking show. We had so many similar style dishes when visiting the Mediterranean regions, we only wish that we could have been sitting on a beach while we ate. It is a combination of sweet and savory and can be used on a variety of proteins from chicken to other types of fish. Having salmon with a light and refreshing sauce such as this makes for a wonderful weeknight dinner or it can be dressed up for a special occasion. We decided to bake the salmon, but you could just as easily pan fry it if you would like to create a crispy skin. It certainly made for a wonderful meal and is something that we will likely make again and again. This recipe is for two, but can easily be adjusted to serve more.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb Salmon – cut into 4 oz filets
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Capers – rinsed
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Dried Dill
2 tbsp Dried Tarragon
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Brush the flesh side of the salmon with olive oil and then sprinkle them with salt, pepper, the garlic powder, and a pinch of the dill and tarragon. Place skin side down on a pan that has been covered with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes for medium-well or cook to your desired temperature. In a blender, add the vinegar, honey, capers, and remaining dill and tarragon. Blend while slowly adding olive oil until it reaches the desired thickness (you may not use all of the olive oil). Remove the salmon from the oven and drizzle with the desired amount of sauce, about 2 to 3 tablespoons per filet.

Enjoy the Salmon with the Capers and Honey Sauce

Chicken Curry

On June 13, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India, Recipes8 Comments

Indian food is something that can be found in countries throughout the world. It is interesting that we can find curry powder in stores, but true curry dishes are based upon a variety of spices, of which the proportions can be adjusted to change the flavor profile. This was our own personal creation and it is a little spicy, but quite delicious. We enjoyed eating a variety of dishes when we were in India and one of our favorite memories is of visiting a friend who lived in Chennai and eating fish curry at her home. Typically, this would be served with white rice or bread, but we decided to pair it with long grain rice instead.

INGREDIENTS

2 Large Chicken Breasts – cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup Flour
2 tbsp Medium-Hot Chili Powder
2 tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Turmeric
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the cubed chicken and keep moist. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, the paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp turmeric. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and add to the oil, cooking until the chicken is a nice golden brown, approximate 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Add the chicken broth and whipping cream to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in. Add the remaining chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and turmeric and bring the liquid to a low simmer. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat together until the liquid becomes creamy. Cook rice according to the package directions and serve the chicken curry over the rice.