Here is Zoo in front of the Brown Palace. Not laughing.

Last night out... It was rainy early on as we headed to dinner, and just plain wet when we were done. Note to all: New cowboy boots are slippery onwet stone block (and 16th street is ALL paving blocks!)

Tons of photos after the jump.

Appaloosa: Good food, good beer, good music

October 5, 2008on the roadMatt HillComment

Tonight, Zoo Broker and I ate at Appaloosa. We heard from a certain source that someone we met 1 1/2 years ago here in Denver was working there... It turns out that yes, this certain someone works here, but worked the lunch shift. Alas... what were we to do but enjoy ourselves anyway? Deets after the break.

First off, some Queso Dip and I had a really spicy and good Chicken Lasagna.

I had my first (and second) pint of White Rascal - a Belgian-style white beer made in Boulder. Damn fine beer.

Next up we had a neighbor that Zoo realllllllllly liked.

Than the Clam Addys took the stage

Do yerself a favor if you're in town and they are playing - go see them. Great singer, harmoica player... Aw, heck they're all fantastic.

Good bar, good times. Thanks, Denver!

Exceptional Bar: the Blake Street Vault

October 4, 2008bars, colorado, on the roadzoobroker1 Comment

I've been to a lot of bars in my life. Few have had the right mix of music, atmosphere, women and decor.

The Blake Street Vault is one of those places that just got it right. The owners, who have owned 14 bars previously, overlooked no details in putting this place together. After finishing dinner across the street, we spotted the beautiful lighting and just walked into what was to become a fantastic evening.

More pictures and commentary after the break ...

These are the owners, Carol and Jim. Wonderful people with a great story and a great bar.

After a few massive chalice-sized beers, Carol invited us to taste whiskey. The owners went down to the Jack Daniel's Distillery and selected a barrel of "Single Barrel", a super-fine whiskey, individually crafted, signed, which produces 240 bottles, which are labeled with the owner's name and bar. Carol allowed us to taste the Single Barrel along side the standard #7 and Gentleman Jack. I think it speaks to our palattes that Spammer and myself both preferred the standard #7 ... but it was a great experience. Carol gave us the whole history of the Single Barrel and even more. We love people who are enthusiastic about their trade.

This is a shot of the bar from above. It's only been open for 5 weeks, so there was still room to move. Expect that to change.

We did miss a clear picture of the custom-installed and absoutely gorgeous tin ceiling. You can just make it out above, but it's one of the many touches that the Blake Street Vault employs to make it one of the most beautiful bars that I've seen.

We didn't get to taste the food, but if the passion and attention to detail that we saw in other aspects of this place are put into dining as well, I have a feeling we will be eating a lot of meals here in the future.

Virtual Graffiti

October 4, 2008on the roadzoobrokerComment

We wanted to leave our mark on Cheyenne, but since we are generally law abiding citizens, we chose to apply our graffiti virtually. long exposures using sparklers instead of spraypaint. "cheyenne" - spelled wrong.

"spam"

"zoobroker":

Day Shots: Roaming in Wyoming

October 3, 2008from the road, on the road, photography, SpamZalot, wyomingMatt HillComment

We had no side trips today, except for a little celebration we'll post separately. So, this is a small collection of photos that can be taken from Route 80. I gotta say, I had no idea that Wyoming had such diverse terrain, and a humongous canyon (that we did not visit - we would have missed our steaks tonight!)

So, without further ado... photos after the break:

Night Shots: Salt Lake City from a Bird's Eye View

October 2, 2008on the road, photography, SpamZalot, utahMatt HillComment

Sure, I was lazy last night. I shot from the balcony of my hotel. But, I think I made the right choice. SLC isn't very photogenic up close, so I backed it off. One pano of downtown and a few shots of isolated moments in the night.