Merri Beth and I were heading to Colorado to see the Dirty Heads at the Red Rocks. But before the big show, we had an open plate to explore. Our first day in Colorado included lots of travel, our flight to Denver and then driving to Colorado Springs. Of course there were a few snacks and food sampling at a few breweries along the way. Let’s dive into the specifics and see how a mostly unplanned Saturday afternoon turned out for us.

We had a great flight to Denver on Delta Airlines. On our first leg to Atlanta, we got to fly first class. Nice! Then, on our second segment to Denver, we were upgraded to Delta Comfort. Thank you Red Hat for allowing me travel and rack up some status. We finally arrived in Denver, got our rental car, and were on our way.

We were heading to Colorado Springs for a few days. On the way on south I-25, we stopped in Castle Rock (about halfway between the airport and Colorado Springs) for a snack at Rockyard Grill. We shared a few appetizers and I got flight of their beer. As we approached Colorado Springs, we grabbed some dinner at Colorado Mountain Brewing before we checked into our hotel.

MB and I were pretty exhausted from traveling most of the day, but were still eager to explore. We decided to check out at least one brewery before crashing for the night. And one of the top breweries in Colorado Springs was Goat Patch Brewing.

We drive down a few exits on I-25 and made are way to Goat Patch. And of course, one of the bartenders went to NC State. I happened to be wearing a Raleigh shirt. She asked us if we were from NC and then explained her situation. We chatted for a few minutes and enjoyed our time at Goat Patch. This is a place I would recommend and go back to. Great beers, a chill atmosphere, and some nearby food options.

When we got back to our hotel room we realized that we forgot to ask for a sticker for the beer fridge, but regardless, we had a good time. We’ve got a full day tomorrow, including a wolf tour, more breweries, and some hiking with fossils.