Rincon | Road to Happieness

in order of appearance part 1

1. our Airbnb's gorgeous pool + lush backyard
2. Road to Happiness | Route 413
3. [Steps Beach]
4. happy hour @ The Beach House [perfect for sunset]
5. Sandy Beach! [surfers in high season]
6. dinner @ Roots Restaurant in Rincon Center
7. mornings @ the Airbnb - tummy time
8. afternoons - pool + hammock time
9. La Copa Llena 

in order of appearance part 2

1. look ma, no stiches! [crash @ full speed into a table outside Rincon Beer Co.]
2. and speaking of crash...we ventured to Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla
3. Aguadilla is north of Rincon. Crash Boat Beach is a scene; lively and crowded!
4. a stroll down our street, Princesas Path
5. Rincon Bakery - get some yummy baked goods/beer/provisions
6. strawberry daquiri @ Rincon Beach Bar
7. Coconuts Ice Cream - it's the pointed toe for me
8. The Wandering Bagel food truck - just across the street from our place, so good!
9. mofongo @ The Red Flamboyan
10. brunching @ The English Rose 
11. stunning brunch views + the pool @ La Rosa Inglesia

not pictured but much love

1. outdoor oasis of pizza and sports on tv @ Mi Familias Pizzeria
2. Rincon Town Beach
3. tasty brunch @ Cafe 413
4. rainy afternoon @ Rincon Beer Company

Russ & Daughters Cafe | Lower East Side, NYC

From the legendary, century-old Lower East Side Jewish food shop on East Houston Street comes a shiny, fresh faced with retro vibes café serving Jewish comfort food. The bathed in white space gets pops of color from the food products in the light box wall shelving. Carrara marble table tops, comfy vinyl booths, a baked-enamel counter, herringbone floors, and vintage photographs set the scene with which I was completely enamored. 

This weekend in its entirety I was in a constant state of: New York City's Lower East Side - where have you been all my life?

Bob, Leah, Alex and I stayed in the neighborhood at my friends one bedroom + lofted office + roof accessible 6th floor walk up. We scored a free parking spot (thank you Passover), had a beer on the roof deck with sweeping city views, spent the night with friends at various speakeasys and hidden-past-the-kitchen back bars, all while ensuring the night didn't get the best of us (in bed before 2 am). The next morning we were hangover free. Strolling around in the sun soaked streets as the neighborhood awoke, (with a Jewish Deli in mind) we wandered upon Russ & Daughters Café. After a 45 minute wait, we thoroughly enjoyed a feast of everything quintessentially Jewish. Fluffy potato and caramelized onion with pungent mustard Knishes ($8). Blintzes ($8) with sweet fruit compote and tangy sour cream. Perfectly sliced, luxuriously oily Gaspe Nova smoked salmon on The Classic Board ($16) (bagel, cream cheese, tomato, red onion, capers) and the Scottish smoked version among poached eggs, hollandaise and spinach over Challah on the Eggs Benny ($18).

Russ & Daughters Café
127 Orchard Street (nr Delancey)
 New York, NY 10002

A-Basin & Silver Plume | Colorado

Rise-n-shine!

Today's adventure consists of none other than my all time favorite sport: skiing!!

We left Boulder around 7:30 am in a two car caravan embarking on an hour long road trip to the town of Dillon. We made a quick stop at Einstein Brothers Bagels to fuel up! My toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with plain cream cheese hit the spot.
We journeyed from the flat lands of grazing cows through the town of Golden - home of the Coors Brewery and eventually hit the mountains in all their glory. Here is a look at the variety of landscapes we experienced.

Colorado = home of the Rocky Mountains!

I spotted lots of wildlife on the drive, specifically the Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep!

Eventually the snow capped mountains appeared. We climbed to higher and higher elevations on the winding mountain roads.

I spy ski trails! Around the other side of the mountain you descend into the basin.

Arapahoe Basin to be precise.

A-Basin to the locals.

Here are some of the views from the ride up the Norway double chair - climbing to elevations upwards of 13,000 feet.It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be skiing.I was able to shed my winter coat after a few runs. And after a couple more we took a mid-morning beer break at The Beach. From the A-Basin website: The infamous "Beach" scene cannot be replicated by any other ski resort in Colorado. The Early Riser parking lot is home to a stretch of prime real estate known as the "Beach." The Beach backs up to the three lower mountain chairlifts, snow and great skiable terrain. From personal experience: The Beach is the party scene. You bask in the sun, you grill, you make friends and you drink beers. This is what it's all about!! 

We I met up with another UNHer!

Lisa and I go way back, she was one of my roommates Sophomore and Junior years of college. She moved out to Keystone a few years ago.

This is the life! Eventually we got back out there again.
Après ski we stopped at the Continental Divide @ Loveland Pass. Elevation 11,990 feet.

On the way home we pulled off I-70 into a historic mining town called Silver Plume. 

This is Downtown.

Main Street 

Silver Plume, Colorado 80476

This is the Post Office.

These are the houses.
And this is Sopp and Truscott Bakery. Elevation: 9,118 feet

Situated on a dirt road surrounded by a backdrop of mountains, a single green chair next to a bread box sits out front and antique appliances line the shelves inside. All of their breads and pastries are baked fresh daily. I purchased a decadent Naughty Bar ($2.50) with coconut flakes, walnuts, pecans and chocolate chips in a brown sugar filling with a flaky butter crust.

This place is a real gem. This whole town is!Experiencing a little slice of Historic Colorado was the icing on the cake of a perfect day.

Bye Silver Plume. 

I adore Colorado! I hope there are many more trips to this incredible state in my future.