Day 5: Exploring Denver & Fort Collins

This was our last day in Colorado, and even though it was sad to think we didn't have much time left in this beautiful state, I was still grateful for all of the experiences!

- We started our last day with another delicious breakfast at the Regal Bakery and Cafe. This time, I tried their breakfast burrito bowl which had scrambled eggs, peppers, onions, potatoes, bacon and cheese. It was delicious!

- Next, we took a drive to Commerce City, a neighboring city to Denver, to visit the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. This was about a 15 minute drive from our Air BnB and it was free!

- We opted for the Wildlife Drive which was perfect because the weather was overcast with some light rain showers.

- The beginning of the drive was bleak, with a rare sighting of a Lark Bunting, the Colorado state bird, prairie dogs, which were fat and adorable, and the occasional deer grazing. It wasn't until the end of the Wildlife Drive that things got interesting...

- Yup, that's a herd of bison! And there were a lot more not pictured! These mammals are HUGE and glorious. The refuge website says the bulls can weigh about 2,000 pounds and the cows about 1,200 pounds.

- While we were parked and watching them, we saw that they move slow and were very engrossed in eating. In fact, they are called the "natural lawn mowers" of the refuge. They hardly paid attention to the cars lined up to watch and photograph them. Luckily, we didn't have any tourist fools get out to touch and be close to them. All I could think is that if someone did, they would be in serious trouble. These bison looked like nothing to mess with!

- After finding out that the Bison Road was a dead end, we got the car turned around and bid ado to these massive mammals.

- Next stop: Denver Cat Company, Cat Cafe! Tim and I have always wanted to go to a cat cafe and we found one in Denver. We took off to enjoy a cup of coffee alongside some sweet cat friends.

- There were 13 cats in the cafe and all were up for adoption! Most of them were friendly and enjoyed cuddling or playing with toys. It was a real treat to experience a cat cafe!

- Tim's excitement was pictured while he held this sweet girl. She was petite and shy but so soft and loved to be pet. She had the best seat in the cafe - the secluded bathroom window!

- After our time at the cafe, we took off to Fort Collins where we me up with our ranger pal and local friend for some dinner! We parked in the nearby parking garage (only $1!) and ate at Beau Jo's Colorado Style Pizza. They had an amazing menu and plenty of gluten free options! We all ordered drinks (I had a delicious strawberry basil cider) and shared a plate (more like a tray) of their nachos. Their queso was not gluten free, so I delicately ate the chips that were spared from the queso sauce.

- Not being quite satisfied, we then ordered two gluten free pizzas to share. The first pie was called Firecracker and featured hot-sauce, hot chicken, jalapenos and monterary jack cheese and we added cream cheese which was perfectly paired with all of the spice! The second pie was called Yukon and featured artichoke hearts, tomatoes, Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese and provolone cheese. They both were so good!

- After a fun dinner spent with friends, we hit the road to return to our Air BnB in Denver. Having to wake up at 3:30am to catch a 6:15am flight, we spent our last evening (which by then, it was about midnight) packing our things for our early departure.

- It was sad to say goodbye to such a beautiful state, but I am glad I got the opportunity to visit and explore. I really look forward to our next trip out west! This has certainly sparked a wanderlust energy in me.

- Abbie

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