"Wicked" Awesome Vacation to Denver!

Rob surprised me with tickets to WICKED (something I've wanted for years and years) in Denver, Colorado for my birthday last January (and for his birthday and our anniversary last February). We planned a weekend getaway for May 3rd-May 6th. This trip was something we had SO been looking forward to for months! 

Four whole days with just the two of us! Yes, Please!

And it did NOT disappoint. We had such an amazing time! 

We dropped Drake off at my parents house and left Thursday afternoon. 

Cafe Rio at the SLC airport was the first sign that this trip was going to be incredible! :) 

I actually love flying and we had a great, quick flight there. 

When we exited the plane we met Sherry from the Biggest Loser Season 9. Rob and I are huge fans of the show so it was kind of like meeting a celebrity! She was so sweet and gave me a huge hug. It was a fun start to our trip!

A highlight of our trip was spending time with one of Rob's best friends Kolton Erickson who actually lives in Denver. We spent a lot of time with him and his fiance. It was great to catch up with him and to get to know Amy who we both love.

It was also really nice to have some experienced "locals" to show us around and to TAXI us around which we really appreciated.

After we checked into our hotel on Thursday and had a quick nap, we got all gussied up for a nice dinner. 

Kolton & Amy took us to the most amazing place for dinner this night. I wish I could remember the name of it, but it was really nice! 

The next morning they picked us up for breakfast at a sweet outdoor crepe shop. Mmmm...it was delicious and a really fun environment in downtown Denver.

Left pic: Rob snapped a picture of me outside of our hotel before dinner Thursday night; Middle & Right: Crepes on Friday morning!

Friday afternoon was spent on the golf course. Honestly, this was not my ideal way to spend the day (18 holes!), but Rob and Kolton love to golf together so I was absolutely fine with tagging along in the golf cart and enjoying the sunshine. It was a chance to visit more with Kolton & Amy as well. 

The driving range at this course was pretty awesome--

It was a gorgeous day for golf! 

Who's that good lookin' guy below?

I would have played too, but the price was a little expensive for two golfers, so I just enjoyed watching and keeping score.

Such a great couple! We really loved spending time with them and are looking forward to their wedding in September. We'll be back!

Later Friday evening, Rob and I headed into downtown Denver to enjoy the evening. We were told by many that the 16th Street Mall was a place we definitely wanted to visit. It's an outdoor mall similar to Gateway but TEN TIMES BIGGER! Blocks and blocks of all kinds of stores, restaurants, bars, street performers, homeless people (sleeping on the ground in cardboard boxes), horse and carriage rides, bikers, and much more. It was a crazy, fun environment that had me holding onto my hubby a little more tightly. We loved it though!

I loved the architecture and colors...

We walked around for about an hour just enjoying the atmosphere and when we saw The Cheesecake Factory, we just couldn't pass by- it's one of our favorites! (and there was no waiting time to get in, very much unlike the 2 hour wait for this restaurant in Salt Lake)

It's always fun to eat outside and people watch...

Toffee for dessert.

What did Saturday bring?

WICKED!!!! WICKED!!!!

I'm sure you are wondering what I thought of it right??

YES, I (we) thought it was beyond incredible!

YES, it was everything I (we) hoped it would be!

YES, I found myself in tears several times!

YES, it's just as good as everyone talks it up to be!

YES, I (we) want to see it again and again and AGAIN!

The music was completely amazing, I was captured by the story-line, and I loved our 4th row seats (husband of the year!)

So...I'm kind of in love with this show! Can you tell?? haha

I've been listening to the soundtrack every single time I'm in the car since we got home.

Rob and I were just saying yesterday that now that we have seen the show, we are just dying even more to see it again! 

We "have been changed For Goooooooood!" (imagine me singing this) :)

Since the theater we were at was very near the 16th Street Mall, we decided to spend the rest of our day there again since we'd had such a great time the night before and hadn't had time to explore all of it. 

So off we went to do more sight-seeing in beautiful Downtown...

Denver is beautiful and extremely diverse. It wasn't at all what I expected, but I really loved it!

This is us in a little carriage being pulled by a biker. It was a fun way to ride through the city.

We shopped, had dinner, and then saw Avengers 3D. Good thing it was a great movie because it cost us $28! Then we meandered back to our hotel room and packed for our early flight the next morning.

Sunday we took off for California to meet my family and Drake for the beginning of our next vacation- a cruise in Mexico! More on that to come...

This trip was seriously so much fun!

I strongly believe in taking vacations together as a couple. I think it's so important to have some alone time every once in awhile. Rob and I both really needed some time away from work, home, and our other gazillion obligations. We needed some time together to just be us and to just enjoy each other. It was wonderful and I'm so thankful to my husband for planning this vacation and for spoiling me!

I love this guy...thanks babe!