Tag: Denver

Anastasia Takes on Anastasia and Gets Ready to Go Back to School

Once upon a December, your gal (that’s me) was ordering tickets for a show coming to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. That show was Anastasia, the new Broadway musical based off of the 1997 cartoon Anastasia. I love that movie by the way. I intended to order tickets for Sunday, August 18th (today) but somehow managed to mess up BAD and ordered tickets for last Sunday, the 11th. I didn’t realize that until my family and I were already driving down for the show today at 2 o’clock. I don’t think I’ve EVER messed up that bad in my entire life. My parents keep telling me not to worry but I feel HORRIBLE about the situation. I’m typically not the type of person to make that kind of mistake…

When we arrived at the DCPA, I was already in tears because there goes $400 and great seats to a great show, but fortunately, we were able to snag four tickets at half-price to sit in the balcony and still get to see the show. We ended up going to the 7:30 show instead of the 2 o’clock show and had to spend practically the entire day in Denver waiting, but that’s okay!

My family and I killed time by walking around the Denver Pavilions in addition to the 16th Street Mall, which has gotten SO WEIRD. There’s plenty of excitement along that strip, let me tell ya. One of my friends from school was actually at the 2 o’clock show that my family and I were supposed to be at and we had plans to get gelato after it finished so once her and her family got out, we went and got gelato with them. If you’re looking for good gelato in Denver, Amore Gelato is the place to go. Good flavors and it’s a very cute little shop!

By the time we had chatted and eaten gelato, it was time for my family and I to head back to the theater to actually get into see Anastasia. Our seats weren’t the greatest (in comparison to the seats in the mezzanine that I had originally selected), but we still had a good view of everything and my family and I really enjoyed each other’s company.

The costumes were absolutely gorgeous and the show was just phenomenal. If you have a chance to see it while its on its national tour or even on Broadway, please do. You will not be disappointed. Russian history and culture has always fascinated me and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I might be kind of biased in that my mom’s side of the family comes from that part of the world, haha. The fact that the last Russian grand duchess and I also share names is pretty cool too. 🙂

I hope you all have a fantastic week and remember to double and TRIPLE check the dates and times for tickets you decide to purchase. You do not want to make the same mistake I did. Tomorrow, I head back up to Fort Collins and my summer will officially be coming to an end. Before I know it, I’ll be sitting in my organic chemistry class wishing I was out on the tennis courts again!

This summer has been a great one, and I hope that you all have had great summers too. If you’re moving off to college or helping your kids or friends move off to school, best of luck to you. Have a great week everyone! 🙂 See you next Sunday.

August 18, 2019
Spring Break 2019

Just like that, another break goes by. I don’t get it. I’m at school for a week and it feels like five months. I come home for spring break and it feels like three minutes. Time flies when you’re having fun! And it also flies when you’re not worried about chemistry 24/7 (gotta love being a bio major for that one!).

My spring break started last weekend after Colorado was hit by that interesting bomb cyclone. I got two snow days as a result of that one. Haha thanks Colorado State University and a big thank you to my biology professor for postponing our exam this past Thursday!

There was a lot of tennis played and it felt so good to get back on the court again. I had the opportunity to watch my sister win her first match at 1 singles for my old high school too which was really fun. Go Allyson! 🙂 Hitting with my dad was really fun as always, and I had the opportunity to hit with some of the ladies at the country club my family plays out of.

Being with my doggies again for a longer amount of time was also wonderful. And of course, being with my bird was also a lot of fun. All of the the animals in the Horvath household were happy to be with me again.

I also babysat for two of the days during my spring break. Watching a two year old can be exhausting but man is it fun! Being with kids is just so much fun, even if they can be a bit too crazy and too energetic sometimes. It was really nice to make some money this spring break and it was also just really fun to hang out with a super adorable kid. He always makes me smile and I love that family.

By the time my spring break was coming to a close, my aunt from New Mexico came to visit to celebrate my sister’s birthday a bit late and also just to spend some quality time together. It was a bummer that my uncle couldn’t get work off to also come visit, but I know that I’ll get the chance to see both of them again very soon, like in May when Allyson graduates high school. Woohoo!

This past weekend with my aunt was spent eating (we ate SO much food, I’m not even kidding), more tennis, and good company. We went to Denver to get lunch at BurgerFi and I got to try their chili cheese fries which I TOTALLY recommend. My sister also gave us all a tour of Regis University, which is where Allyson has decided to go for college. The campus was super pretty and super cute. I’m happy she decided to go there. We also walked around Denver a little and got to show my aunt the new premium mall that was just built not too far from my house.

Great weekend, great spring break, and just great people. I feel so lucky to be able to have the opportunities and experiences I do and be with all of the people that I am around in my life. Spring break may be over and that does make me sad, knowing that I have to get back to the books now, but summer will be here before we know it! Have a good week everyone! 🙂

March 24, 2019
I’m Addicted to BurgerFi

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good burger and fries! This weekend, Allyson had a tennis tournament at a new tennis facility in Denver and after her first match, we made a trip to my favorite burger joint in Denver, BurgerFi.

There is just something about burgers containing antibiotic-treated and hormone free meat them so different and SO GOOD. Wow. The double cheeseburger is my personal favorite but their chicken sandwiches are also very yummy, and I have my sister to back me up on this one! Their fries are also to die for, in my opinion and are probably the best fries I’ve ever had in my entire life. Great food, great service, 10/10 recommend.

Haha, and my sister’s tournament still continued today and unfortunately she lost her match. She played well though. And guess where we went for dinner tonight? Based on the title of this post and the entire mood of it, I hope you guessed BurgerFi. I’m honestly very glad that the closest BurgerFi to me is in Denver otherwise, I’m pretty sure I would beg my parents to take me there wayyyyyy too often or I would drive myself there and get what I want. That’s how much I like the food and restaurant overall!

If you’re in the Denver area around the Denver Art Museum looking for a place to eat, BurgerFi is a good place to try. The food may be on the more expensive side of things, but you’re paying for some high quality food so it makes sense. I really think that it’s worth it.

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and Day and started 2019 off on a good note. Have a great week and I’ll see you all next Sunday! 🙂

January 6, 2019
A Little Adventure in Downtown Denver

It’s honestly been a while since I visited Denver and I live like 45 minutes from it. So this weekend, my family and I took a little day trip to Denver and caught up on our history at the Colorado History Museum, saw the work of Edgar Degas at the Denver Art Museum, and then wrapped up our day with burgers and shakes at BurgerFi.

I’ve never been to the Colorado History Museum, but I’ve walked past it a bunch. It was awesome to finally see the building from the inside, haha. The Colorado History Museum covers everything from Colorado before it was a state to Colorado in the Civil War to Colorado now in all of its glory. The museum was extremely interactive and a lot of fun to mess around in. Allyson and I played in this little barn and went down a couple of slides. (Yes, I’m actually five). We got to “drive” a Model T around which was really cool too and watched a short documentary about Colorado during the Dust Bowl. The special exhibit they had this time around was about baseball and its beginnings. They had Babe Ruth’s bat and some of his merchandise as well as Jackie Robinson’s bat and some of his stuff. It was pretty cool to see. This museum is very hands-on and so much fun so if you’re ever in Denver and wanna learn about Colorado’s history, please come visit!

Now it was time for the Denver Art Museum. Personally, this was my favorite part. Currently on display, they have the work of Edgar Degas, a French painter, sculptor, and just brilliant artist in general. We a lot of his pieces including “The Star”, “After the Bath”, “Dancer With Bouquets” and much more. In addition to Degas’s work, we saw a lot of abstract and weird art as well as some really pretty and just amazing work. That’s the fun thing about art museums, all types of art and every medium is covered. I really enjoy being around art because it’s very peaceful and calming. It makes you think about all types of things and you come out inspired.

After all of this, my dad took us to this AMAZING burger place that’s maybe five minutes from the Denver Art Museum called BurgerFi. Honestly, just sitting here and writing about it makes me hungry. BurgerFi is an all-natural, grass-fed beef burger and hot dog restaurant that I also think has the best fries ever. Their food is just so good I can’t really explain it. What’s cool too is that they “brand” their burgers with the BurgerFi logo. I also got an Oreo milkshake and that was very yummy as well. The service was great and the food was even better and this was a great way to end a very fun day.

April 15, 2018
Top Ten Things to Do in Colorado
I absolutely love my home state of Colorado and I think that if you’ve never been to the Centennial State, you should make an effort to stop by sometime. Living here my entire life, I would say that I’m comfortable giving suggestions on what you should come do.

10. The Cherry Creek Mall. The Cherry Creek area of Denver is definitely a more upscale area and it’s always fun to wander around the Cherry Creek Mall. They’ve got a variety of great stores to shop at and some really great food places at the mall and around it. If you get a chance to, you should definitely stop at the Cherry Cricket. They’ve got great burgers and it’s an iconic restaurant in the area.

9. Butterfly Pavilion. If you enjoy seeing bugs and being around them, this is a great place to visit. The Butterfly Pavilion has a large variety of creepy crawlies and cool little bugs for all to see. You can even pet and hold Rosie the Tarantula if you want to. I think the coolest part of the Butterfly Pavilion is the big pavilion where all of the butterflies are actually held. You get to walk into this giant room and you’re surrounded by butterflies. Just be careful not to step on one! They’re literally everywhere.

8. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. I’m going to be honest here and let you know that I have yet to go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but I’ve had enough friends go to tell me that it’s a great zoo. I’ve heard the exhibits are great and you even get to feed giraffes if you want! That would be a lot of fun.

7.Red Rocks. Red Rocks is another beautiful place to visit in Colorado. Concerts are held at Red Rocks frequently and in the mornings they even have work-out sessions and yoga sessions if you’re interested. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure they even have movie nights at Red Rocks. Red Rocks is one of the most stunning venues in Colorado and I highly recommend seeing a concert of some sort here.

6. Mesa Verde. I haven’t been to Mesa Verde in a long time but the last time I went, my family and I had a blast. Mesa Verde is a national park and it was the former home of the Anasazi Indians. They built beautiful structures and homes into the rock and what’s left of them is absolutely amazing. Mesa Verde is a place that does require a lot of hiking and even climbing so I would recommend bringing your good walking shoes here. The views are breathtaking and I think you’ll be impressed with all that Mesa Verde has to offer.

5. Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As a child, I spent hours on end at both of these places and with them being right next to each other, I felt like they had to be a package deal. The zoo is AWESOME. Not too long ago, they added an Asian tropics complex which is now home to the elephants and several other animals. In the past few months, they also added a sweet new tiger exhibit. Our zoo has a lot to see and exploring the zoo is a fun way to spend the day. The Museum of Nature and Science is also a lot of fun with a variety of exhibits ranging from dinosaur bones to a bunch of animal exhibits to a fun health and discovery zone and much more. Every so often we have special exhibits which travel around the nation and those are a lot of fun to go through. In the past we’ve had special exhibits on the Mongols and Genghis Khan, the Mayans, pirates, and most recently Vikings.

4. The Denver Botanic Gardens. There’s a lot of pretty places in Colorado and I would say this is one of the prettiest. The botanic gardens are home to a HUGE variety of plants and exhibits. The gardens are all gorgeous and this is a fun place to relax and take a scenic walk. I think the rainforest dome and building is the coolest, partially because some of the plants are so big plus there’s a cool tree house to scope out the area.

3. The Denver Center for Performing Arts. The Center for Performing Arts hosts a variety of shows from big shows off of Broadway to symphonies to operas and also ballets. The complex is beautiful and the theaters themselves are pretty as well. Definitely see a show if you come to Denver.

2. Boulder, the Flatirons, and the Pearl Street Mall. Ok, Boulder can get a little weird, I’m gonna warn you. For the most part, Boulder is pretty great though. I would recommend spending time walking around the Pearl Street Mall which has a good variety of shops and places to grab some food or a sweet dessert, like the Cheesecake Factory. Boulder is a beautiful city in that our mountains are literally right by Boulder and the view is absolutely gorgeous. If you have time while in Boulder, you should try and squeeze in a hike to Chautauqua Park which is absolutely beautiful.
1. Garden of the Gods. Garden of the Gods is the most amazing park in the state of Colorado, well at least in my opinion. The landscape is beautiful and the rocks themselves are magnificent and gorgeous. I would recommend walking throughout the park and if you do this, make sure to bring lots of water, good walking shoes, and a jacket, just in case the weather takes a turn. Also, bring your camera or phone to take plenty of pictures, because you’ll definitely want to take pictures.
Truly, this is just the tip of the iceberg in all that you can do if you visit Colorado. If you’re interested, you could also visit the Capitol building, Mile High Stadium, Coors Field, and really the list goes on. There’s so much to do in Colorado and I hope you come to see the beautiful Centennial State! 🙂
July 2, 2017
A Murder Mystery Night

Last night, a couple of my friends and I plus our moms had a girls night out and went down to Denver for a murder mystery show plus dinner. Here’s a little bit about that.

The show/dinner was called The Dinner Detective and it’s one of the biggest murder mystery dinner companies in the United States. Tickets can be pretty pricey for this show, but deals through Groupon might help bring it down. That’s how my family and our friends bought our tickets.

When you arrive at the place, you have to check in, grab your ticket for dinner, and then create your alias, or your codename. This was really fun because the codename you gave yourself, was what you went by over the course of the night and you developed a character based on your name. After we checked in, we got to take pictures using fake murder weapon props. When waiting for the host to call us into the dining area, hor d’oeuvres were served and the chicken quesidillas with guacamole were my favorite. That might be because I LOVE avocados and guacamole (which are basically the same thing)… As we snacked, everyone was asked to start interrogating everyone and that was pretty fun because

At 6 o’clock, we were all called into the dining room to eat. First came a salad and some bread rolls. The salad had been sitting there for a while so the lettuce and other greens were kind of warm and limp, but the salad still tasted decent. Right before our entrees were served, a man was stabbed and died! Suddenly, several detectives ran in and the case begun.

As the night went on, my friends, our moms, and I had to figure out how the victim died and who killed him. There were a series of clues that came with each break in between our salads, entrees, and dessert. The food was alright, but it definitely could have been better. The carrot cake at the end was probably the best. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

The story behind the murder was exciting and creative and the actors were hard to discern from the rest of the audience, which helped make it more fun and challenging to figure out who did it.

The Dinner Detective was definitely interesting and I enjoyed myself. It was different and it felt great to try something new. The Dinner Detective is one of the highlight shows in Denver, so if you’re visiting or ever looking for something to do when you come to Colorado, come see it!

January 15, 2017