travel for TASTE

My favorite part of planning a family vacation is coming up with a game plan for the food. I love researching the local food scene of whatever destination we’re traveling to, scouring menus, poring over pics of the food on social media and checking online reviews. Finding unique local eats and avoiding chains is one of the most delightful parts of any trip.

During my family’s RV trip to Colorado last summer (which you can read about on p. 76), I collected a wish list of restaurants in a big spread sheet for every spot we were visiting. But one of our favorite meals of the entire trip was a spot we came upon by accident. We’d been exploring Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, a site known for its enormous and gorgeous rock formations that make you feel like you’re on another planet. It was a dreary and chilly day with a sky full of gray clouds, and we’d worn ourselves out trekking through as much of the park as we could. When we were ready to go and get food, we were all a little hangry. We decided to head to one of my pre-researched dining destinations just down the road. It was a Mediterranean restaurant, and it sounded excellent. But when we got to the parking lot, we noticed a Mexican restaurant right next door. It had a disco ball hung over the bar that was throwing light all around the dining room, and my then-5-year-old daughter Eloise pointed at it and said, “Is that a party in there?”

It made me chuckle. “Not a party,” I told her. “Just a disco ball.” But the kids were intrigued. What was this disco ball not-a-party party place that was hurling fun energy at our tired, hungry, cold little family? My son wanted to know, although he didn’t use those words. “It’s a Mexican restaurant,” I told them. “Tacos and stuff.”

Eloise needed to get to that disco ball. Oliver needed a taco. Eli and I admitted we needed a margarita. So we bypassed the Mediterranean spot to warm up and fill up at the taco joint. It was delicious. The perfect ending to our day, and a total unplanned accident.

If you want to find a food-centric road trip for your next adventure, read our Dining Day Trips cover story starting on p. 66, and be prepared to get hungry.

Katie Pollock Estes Editorial Director | editor@417mag.com

My Favorite Page, 79

I love this page because it has a picture of one of my favorite humans (my daughter Eloise) in one of my favorite places (the beautiful campsite where we spent several nights near Estes Park, Colorado). I dream about waking up to that mountain view again one of these days.

To send us feedback or story ideas, email editor@417mag.com

Best Of 417 Feedback

It’s outta the bag again. We have been granted the highest local special award by the people who mean the most to us. Thank you all for participating in being from the 417 area, supporting small businesses and appreciating all the hard work we all put into making it worth living here. We are proud to have been voted best bar every year since we opened in 2016. We promise to continue to give you a unique cocktail and eating experience for the rest of our existence. Much love. See you soon. Oh, and btw, we are a rum bar, not a tiki bar.

Golden Girl Rum Club

Thank @417mag! What an honor to be listed among so many greats of 417-land. I’m gushing, blushing, and crying a little. What amazingly kind words. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

417 Cocktails

These are just two of our awesome Best of 417 winners that were featured in the February 2023 issue. Golden Girl Rum Club won a Readers’ Choice Award for Best Cocktail Menu, and 417 Cocktails won an Editors’ Pick for Best Place to Find Unique Cocktail Supplies. To see the rest of the winners, visit 417mag.com and click on Best of 417.—Editor

Correction

In the March 2023 “Hidden Gems” cover story, an error during layout and editing led to the wrong description being printed for Cottage Consignments. The description has been corrected at 417mag.com, and we regret the error.

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