One of the reasons that I haven’t been around these bloggy parts, besides school and life things, is I’ve been traveling a lot for work. It’s fun travel but it’s also long days. By the time I eat dinner and get back to my hotel room, I’m ready to watch an episode of Shameless (about to start season 4!) and go to bed. For the first time in a LONG time, I really like the project I’m on and my team. We actually like to hang out with each other, so we’re pretty good about having an evening of fun each trip and doing something local or seeing the sights if time permits.
Our first trip was to San Antonio. We were working 12 hour days and not getting lunch breaks, so we mainly ate at the restaurant next to our hotel every night because it was there and we were starving. It’s called 54th Street Grill and I noticed a few of them around town, so maybe a local chain? I really liked it, so I didn’t mind eating there a lot.
Anyway, when we’re traveling, there are usually four of us. Myself, Robin (who likes to avoid the camera), Greg (who likes to get in every picture), and Bulldog. Yes, that’s what we call him. It’s his Air Force call sign. I think only his wife calls him by his real name?
Anyway, since we had many trips ahead of us, it was important that I establish a “work husband.” So I made Greg and Bulldog compete for this position that they did not ask for or want. Please know this competition had rules that I made up as I went along and they did not know them ahead of time. Basically, I was looking for the person that complimented me the most and did what I wanted. Greg was leaning at the tape but then Bulldog pulled through at the end.

Bulldog would not love that I posted that picture. But that’s what he gets for being a winner. Plus, he posed for it so it’s basically fair game.
As you might have guessed, our night on the town in San Antonio was at The Alamo and the Riverwalk. That’s Greg looking at his phone and ruining my supermodel pose (minus one work husband point).


I don’t know why, but I was expecting The Alamo to be in the middle of nowhere with dust storms and tumbleweed everywhere, but it is smack in the middle of the city. We didn’t go inside because they were closing soon and we were starving, but I was still there and it counts.
After The Alamo, we walked over to the Riverwalk and got down to business.


We pretty much ate at the first place that wasn’t busy and had easy seating by the river. The restaurant was called The Original Mexican Restaurant and Bar and I’m sure it wasn’t the best The Riverwalk had to offer, but when you have three hungry people, you make sacrifices. (Bulldog stayed back at the hotel because he’d “seen the Riverwalk a million times before.” That guy cracks me up.)
During dinner, we spotted this poor crooked-necked duck, but he seemed to be the boss of all other ducks so we didn’t feel sorry for him long. That little dude didn’t let his handicap get him down and I respect a duck for that.

After dinner, we had a beer at an Irish pub, met some high-faluten horses on the side of the street, and caught The Alamo lit up at night.


It was a short and sweet night because we had to catch a morning flight home, but we all absolutely loved the Riverwalk. Please note that Robin was our DD and we are responsible adults.
Our second trip was to Denver. I was actually flying in from Las Vegas, but I’ll leave that for another post. Anyway, giant sky penis welcomed me to Denver.

As you can imagine, sky penis got me very excited for the possibility of snow. And snow I got!

Dirty, dirty curb snow.
We were actually working in Pueblo, which is about a two hour drive from Denver. One evening, Greg found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and bar that had great reviews on Trip Advisor, so we tried it out. Apparently in Pueblo, “the slopper” is a thing. So we made the slopper happen.

The slopper is a burger with the bottom half of the bun only, covered in green chili, and the burger toppings are put on top of the green chili. It was really good and I’d do it all over again if I had the chance.
That night, oddly, a hunchback woman came up to our table and tried to sell Robin and I a pair of jeans. She only had two pairs with her, and I guess we looked like the right fit? I have no idea. I do know that I can now say that a hunchback tried to sell me jeans in Pueblo while eating a slopper. Not everyone can say that. But…I can.
While we were there, we also discovered that Pueblo has a Riverwalk. After San Antonio, we did not have high expectations, but of course we had to check it out.
So far so good…

We had no real plans so we ate at the first place we walked by – a place called Twenty One Steak. And it was freakin’ delicious. It was on the more expensive side and was the type of place that had a la carte sides, but it was worth it.
I’ll have to say, the Pueblo Riverwalk was SUPER cute. It wasn’t very big (in comparison to SAT) but it was very charming.


Again, we were leaving in the morning so it wasn’t a late night, but we had a few drinks and Robin drove us safely home because she’s wonderful like that.
The next morning, we left extremely early to catch our morning flight. We had a two hour drive to the airport, had to return the rental car, and of course be two hours early for our flight so there was no freaking out on anyone’s part.
Greg allowed Robin and I use his legs for our comfort on the shuttle to the airport (plus 1 work husband point).

Our next trip was back to San Antonio. I was super excited to go back to the Riverwalk. We ate at The Esquire Tavern this time. I found it on Trip Advisor and it was delicious. Everyone loved it. The only difference between this trip and the last two was that our team lead, Aimee, came with us instead of Robin. She was a champ at taking over DD duties. We stopped for a giant margarita again and look who we saw! Our crooked-necked duck taking a snooze.

We also made our way around The Alamo and into The Alamo gift shop.

Again, it was an early next morning so also an early night.
Our next trip is on Monday to Sacramento. I have four more work trips until all my travel is finished for the year (I think). But then I have several other trips planned for summer and the fall, so it will be a travel kinda year. I’m looking forward to it!