Zephyr Trip: Day 3

Denver to Boulder

After an 80-degree Day 2 of the trip, we were hoping to continue the nice weather and do some Rocky Mountain hiking on Day 3. The morning started out warm and sunny as we made our way to St. Elizabeth of Hungary for Mass. A church used both by Roman Catholic and Russian Byzantine parishes, a hinged screen near the altar allows for differences in the services.


By the time we got outside again, the wind had picked up and dark, heavy-looking clouds had begun rolling out of the mountains to the west. Uh-oh. On the drive to my sister's place, the first raindrops began to fall. After consulting with the resident Denverites, we had to give up our dreams of hiking [snow was on the way, since the temperature was rapidly falling too].

Free tea!

Instead, we set out for the Celestial Seasonings factory just outside of Boulder, Colorado. The free tours take off hourly, and you gather in a room full of the framed art that their packaging is famous for. You are also given a small cup, and can try the 75+ types of tea they have to offer- also free. Oddly the cups do not have handles [which can be trouble if you're slow getting your hot hot hot tea to a table], but who can say no to free tea?

Step right up

The tour itself has a to-be-expected video to kick things off, with a brief history/philosophy/business spiel. Then the group heads into the factory itself [which was quiet due to it being a Sunday afternoon]. You will pass by sweet-smelling boxes of raw ingredients, and learn a few more facts about Celestial Seasonings and the tea trade. The highlight of the tour is when you're invited to step into the mint room, which has been sealed off from the rest of the factory. This is because the potent herbs would dominate the air with their scent; as soon as you step into the room, you can feel the menthol interacting with your tearducts/sinuses/throat. While refreshing, it is also a little disconcerting.

A few teas available for purchase...

The tour exits into their Gift Shop, which has all of their varieties of tea for sale. Good for some cheap, tasty souvenirs. You can also find tea-flavored lip balm, various sweeteners, and dozens of styles of ceramic cups.

Beerhall ahoy

We left the factory and headed into downtown Boulder, which is situated at the base of the Rockies' foothills. Of course, the low clouds/rain made them impossible to see. Boulder is home to the University of Colorado, and also gave birth to the Craft beer movement in America. This means that there are plenty of small beerhalls to visit, and we chose to try the Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery. After a free sample, we all ordered a round. I went with their Java Stout, which was dark, smooth, and had the coffee-aftertaste I love my porters to have. Yum.


By the time we returned to Denver in the early evening, a heavy snow had begun. We settled in for some tomato soup & grilled cheese at my sister's place, then watched the 2000 version of Jesus Christ Superstar. This may have been a mistake, as we would have those songs stuck in our heads for the next leg of our Amtrak journey.

Also managed to swing by Fabric Bliss

Wandering the streets of Boulder

You can almost see the Rockies behind us...