For Colorado natives like myself, Denver has changed a lot in the last few years. Heavy population growth and rising home prices are both a good and a bad part of living here, ultimately resulting in a much longer commute into the city. I work downtown and live about 30 minutes north of the city. Depending on the day my commute into work could be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
While Colorado is working hard to improve public transit options, we have a long way to go. If I want to take a bus or train I have to drive to the station and can only get within about a mile of my office. With the possibility of our office parking lot turning into a new building, finding a good way to commute is becoming more and more important.
When I attended CES in January I had a chance to visit with the folks at the Razor booth and learn a bit more about their electric scooter options. Razor has a scooter share program already in place here so I knew that the scooters existed but I didn’t realize that they also have a number of options for people to buy and own.
Being able to hop on a scooter and jet from Union Station over to my office makes commuting so much easier. What would normally be a 20 minute walk turns into a 5 minute scooter ride and there’s no need to worry about being gross and sweaty for the rest of the day.
I’ve been testing out the new E Prime Air Electric Scooter and it hits all the marks for everything I need for a commuter scooter. With the ability to go up to 15 mph and a battery that lasts 40 minutes on a single charge I can easily get to and from Union Station downtown without needing to worry about charging during the day. The scooter itself folds up, so when I jump on the bus or train I don’t have to worry about storing it securely or keeping it locked up.
Just so you are aware, 15 mph is pretty fast! It doesn’t seem like it inside of a car but when you are on a scooter you can feel the speed. Having a good helmet and proper lighting so cars can see you is important both for your safety and those around you.
Both the throttle and break are thumb operated making it easy to speed up or slow down depending on the flow of traffic. In Colorado electric scooters are allowed to use marked bike lanes, so being able to easily stay with the other vehicles in that space is really important for safety.
The E Prime Air is perfect for getting to class
In addition to being a great option for getting to work, both college and high school students would love the E Prime Air for commuting to class.
My sister Emily is starting her first year on campus at CU Denver (Go RAMS – It hurts me too) and she’s living in the dorms. Her classes are throughout the downtown campus so being able to get there quickly is really important. My cousin Kerry is in her second year at Metro and together she and Emily both are attending classes on the same campus. Kerry was amazing enough to help show me around campus and share how a scooter is perfect for students!
With the E Prime Air it’s easy to zip from the dorms to class and fold up the scooter before going inside. It becomes as compact as a skateboard so you can safely tuck it under a desk and not need to worry about finding a place to lock it up between classes.
Overall I love the E Prime Air and have been really enjoying spending more time outside, and less in a car! The added value of lowering the amount of times we have to use a car makes having an electric scooter a no-brainer way to work towards protecting the beauty of Colorado!
Razor E Prime Air Electric Scooter
Shop – Amazon | Facebook | Instagram
Disclaimer: I received a demo product from Razor to facilitate this review. All photography and opinions are my own.
Interested in other product reviews? Check out my experience with Ring Doorbell!
One of my favorite things about traveling is food. Ok, one of my favorite things about LIFE is food…. During our last trip to London we found a few resturants that we absolutely loved and I was excited as we started planning our anniversary trip to London and Scotland to find more places that we’d talk about for the next couple of years.
Historically the UK gets a bad rap for cuisine. Baked beans, mushrooms and meat, everything is brown and beige. While thats usually true of an English breakfast the rest of the day is a stark contrast from what we are accustomed to in the US.
Instead of aimlessly wandering with the hope of stumbling across good food we signed up for the East End Food Tour with Eating Europe. Lasting four hours the walking London Food tour starts at Spitalfields Market and covers a history of both the cuisine and the development of the area.
Historically the East End has been a hub for immigration, starting with the Huguenots fleeing France in 1685 to to the Jewish community from the 1880s and beyond. As a result the area is a melting pot of cultures, making the options for dining out endless. We visited this area on our last trip as part of a Jack the Ripper Tour (the East End also home to his hideous crimes), we didn’t get a chance to experience the rich culture that you see during the daytime.
A Walking London Food Tour
Our London Food tour group met up at the Huguenots Gate and started off the day with a Bacon sandwich from St. JOHN Bread and Wine. Know for their ‘nose to tail’ cooking style, we enjoyed a traditional Bacon Sandwich. Served up on thick fresh made bread with house ketchup the simplicity of the dish showcased the rich flavors of the bacon without overshadowing it through additional toppings.
After learning the history of the area and the market (Spitalfields coming from the word Hospital) we were off to around the corner for a morning ‘pudding’ at The English Restaurant. This was one of the few locations we sat inside to enjoy our dish and the interior is cozily decorated to feel like you were invited into a friends house for a bite. In England most desserts are considered puddings and served with extra custard this individual serving treat did not disappoint. Made using a thick bread and soaked heavily in a rich flavorful custard I could have eaten both mine and Drew’s dish if he had let me!
We continued our walk around the corner where we learned about council funded living before stopping for a bit of cheese and bread at Bedales. Thick crusty french bread was the perfect compliment to blue cheese and cheddar. Unique from the bright orange ‘American Cheddar’ we are used to in the states this cheddar cheese was more of a light yellow and didn’t have the sharp edge of flavor that you might find state side. Blue cheese is always my favorite so I had both my portion and those belonging to the other guests who don’t understand how mold can taste so good. The creamy texture and edge of flavor is everything I look for in a blue cheese.
A quick walk took us back through Spitalfields and over to Poppies Fish and Chips. Open since 1952 the interior of the restaurant evokes the feeling of a classic 50’s diner and each serving came wrapped in Poppies own food safe newsprint. While Fish & Chips were served in newsprint for decades food safety and the predominance of lead and other chemicals has changed the presentation of this iconic British dish. We enjoyed our portion with a serving of mushy peas, intended for dipping the chips in. Fried up with a fluffy yet not heavy batter the fish needed only a bit of vinegar to pull out the full flavor of the fish.
Our next destination took us through conserved block of 17th century architecture, including a quick whispered point toward the home now occupied by ‘High Sparrow’ of Game of Thrones fame. This area was once occupied by large families and considered low-income housing but today is home to multi-million dollar renovations and properties.
As the walk evolved the path changed from well manicured historic homes to a more modern art experience as we entered the block known as Brick Lane. Famous for being the home of the best Bangladeshi food in London, we enjoyed a wide array of street art as we made our way past countless resturants each calling themselves the purveyor of the best curry on the street.
Our journey stopped at Aladin Indian Restaurant where we journeyed inside for a serving of three incredibly flavorful dishes. Here we enjoyed the London made tikka masala alongside a spicy lamb and vegetarian veggie curry. The lamb option was my favorite and I could have happily swung back by here for an early dinner if I had any room left to eat after the end of the tour [I did not].
We continued down the block where the road transitioned to a more modern and hipster spin. Here we walked past several ‘Beigel’ shops until we made it to our intended destination ‘Beigel Bake’. For those wondering about the difference between Beigel and Bagel the item is the same, but the word itself has become Americanized. Baigel is derived from the Yiddish word Bajgiel.
These Baigel’s were similar to what you expect [round with a hole in the middle] but that was where the comparison stops. Freshly made each morning these were light and fluffy and not at all the carb-gut-busting heavy you expect in the United States. Our portion was served as a salt beef sandwich (corned beef) and the combination was amazing. This was Drew’s favorite stop on the tour and we did strongly consider coming back here more than once throughout our trip.
What floored me the most was the price point. A dozen bagels (no flavoring) came to just 3.60 sterling or roughly $4.25. A salt beef sandwich would have been 5.00 sterling / $6.00. Even with the extra cost of being in a big city this was a steal!
While we didn’t have any room left for more food there was one more stop on the tour. We took the scenic walk back around the Brick Lane area and landed at Pizza East for dessert. We each received a slice of salted caramel tart alongside a pot of english tea to help wash down the day’s delicacies. The last time we visited London I learned that salted caramel is the best thing ever created so I knew I was going to be a huge fan of this dessert.
Each slice was on the smaller side, making it perfect for enjoying after an already full day of eating but what I really loved about this stop was the tea. Tea is not something you have a hard time finding in London, but this tea was really really good. It could be that it had steeped a bit longer or it was the tea leaves themselves that made the tea the ideal rich compliment to the sweet creamy texture of the tart.
After five stops I couldn’t possibly havent eaten anything else so we called it a day and headed back through the Spitalfield’s Market to explore before heading back to our hotel in Westminster for the night.
This London Food tour was hosted by Eating Europe and we experienced the East End Tour. Eating Europe has two other London Food tours and offers similar experiences in Italy, Amsterdam and Prague. I loved getting to check out places I would have never found on my own and enjoying the day alongside other tourists provided the opportunity to make new travel friends at the same time.
If you are interested in booking a London Food tour (or any other city tour) with Eating Europe our amazing guide Josie provided her discount code to pass along for 10% off your booking! Use JOSIE at checkout and the discount will be applied automatically,
Disclaimer: I received a discounted experience to facilitate the writing of this review. All opinions and photography are my own.
Interested in other travel tips? Check out my posts on how to travel to London with just a backpack or vacationing in London as a couple.
The Instant Pot has been a game changer in my house. With how easy it makes getting dinner on the table I wanted to try out some options for other meals – like breakfast. Recently I’ve been loving the Garden Lites Frittata’s from Costco for a quick and easy breakfast but unfortunately they aren’t an item that is sold year round.
I heard that it’s super easy to make Frittata’s using my instant pot so I set out to find a few recipes. To cook these up easily you need to pick up an egg bites mold and you’ll be on your way to a quick and easy breakfast in minutes (or as soon as Amazon delivers).
Continue Reading…
Growing up just north of Denver summer the highlight of the season was always heading to the water park owned by the city. As a child I assumed that every town had a local water park for the kids to play at. Once I realized that wasn’t the case it became obvious how lucky my community was to have such an amazing parks and recreation team creating attractions like Water World for us to enjoy.
Water World is a 70 acre park featuring 48 attractions throughout the park. This summer the park celebrates 40 years and of those, I’ve probably experienced 15-20 summers as a park goer.
One of my best friends father’s worked as an EMT at the park during the summer, so as soon as we were old enough to explore on our own we were able to spend long days in the sun getting tan while floating around the lazy river. Once I was a bit older my friends started working at Water World, meaning on their days off we’d again spend hours hauling tubes up hills and snacking on dip’n’dots.
As an adult getting to spend a day at Water World is a special occasion that makes reliving childhood a real and tangible experience.
My favorite way to start the day is by heading directly to the Voyage to the Center of the Earth. This ride opened around the time that I was first allowed to visit Water World by myself with friends. I love the dark tunnels full of animatronic dinosaurs and the surprise of water falls just as you float around the corners of the ride.
After Voyage the next stop is Storm. Storm opened a few years after Voyage and the line is never as long. Fully enclosed, your raft goes through fast-paced twists and turns while water comes from every angle.
When these two rides are through I like to go back to the Thunder Bay for a snack and to reapply sunscreen. Thunder Bay is the large wave pool with a single tidal wave that floods the area every 15 minutes or so. As a child there was a video on PBS that showcased exactly how the wave worked. I honestly can’t remember the details, but I do remember watching the video over and over again so apparently the partnership worked!
Thunder Bay is surrounded by lounge chairs and areas to lay out on a towel for a rest. I like to set up my towel in this area because it’s centrally located. One of the best things about Water World is being able to pack in a picnic for the whole family to enjoy. I like to fill up a cooler with snacks, sodas and water with the plan to pick up lunch at one of the concession stands.
After filling up on treats there is no better time to float the day away in the Lazy River. This is always one of the most popular areas in the park so it might take a while to snag one of the communal tubes floating by.
Following Lazy River I like to head to river country where tube rides for both family rafts and individuals can take up a huge chunk of the day! Each ride requires picking up the corresponding tube at the bottom of the hill and bringing it up to the top to start the ride.
Once my calves are burning from the hills it’s time to head back to Thunder Bay to snag lunch from one of the concession stands. Water World is known for their affordable concessions so it’s easy to feed the whole family for less then $20.
With 72 acres of rides, its nearly impossible to see them all before it’s time to head home but after lunch I like to grab a ride on the Gondola out to the Fun House. With several areas for clowning around in the water the best part about the Fun House is if the Gondola gets drenched on it’s ride in. This is the furthest south area of the park and there are more slides before walking back up towards the rest of the park to call it a day.
I love that this amazing amusement park is just in my own backyard and something I can share with family and friends when they come to visit. Summer just isn’t complete without a trip or two to Water World!
Disclaimer: I received complimentary park tickets to facilitate this review. All writing, photos and opinions are my own.
Welcome to My Bliss
