Fort Collins, Colorado.

According to the interweb Fort Collins is the largest producer of beer in Colorado and the state is ranked first in the country in volume produced by breweries. There is a large Budweiser brewery, but littered all over the town are some really cool micro/craft breweries - check them out here. 

Greg & Shelley were really kind and happy to show us  around the town. Prior to our visit I read up a little about the place, but I guess my attention struggled to move on from the beer facts - the town has SO much more to offer than just breweries - it is charming with some really nice walks, ghost signs to check out, and of course great places to eat. 

Here's a family selfie with our cool cousins:

Bren, Ike, Greg, Shelley & I

They bought a really nice place in a nice part of town - only a few minutes walk from the town center:

In front of their house

On the way to one of our many walks in town

View of their back garden with veggie boxes 

Their garage which triples up as Shelley's office / spare bedroom

Greg about to throw in the towel in this round of wrestling

Like I said - Brenda's cool cousin!

The wood delivery guy showed up at the same time we arrived from the airport on Friday. Good timing if you ask me ;-)

I was glad to quickly help out with the carting & stacking of these potential fossil fuels which was put to good use when Greg tanned us a bison steak on it the Saturday night  - American buffalo taste great - very similar to normal cows found on the African continent. 

Like I said, the town of Fort Collins is really AWESOME. It is so refreshing to walk around in a  place where it is clear that the government is actually spending tax dollars on what it should be spend  - making the place better for all and not for some. I wish the developing world will also develop into countries that will have places like this . . .

The old town features a pebbled street that was converted into a walkway and in and around it are just some cool, beautiful shops, bars, restaurants etc that are pleasing on the eye:

  

Onwettige Piet se plek

mmmm - what will it be?

Baby Ike tasting his good stuff at Odel Brewing Co

New Belgium Brewery's Fat Tire Amber Ale - quickly moved  to close to the top of my list of favorite beers

Patero's Creek Brewing

Coppermuse distillery

Fort Collins' own 'Myhandlebar' - what a good idea!

Compass Cider

Baby Ike deciding which fermented apple juice should get his nod

Various cider and pear ciders for tasting

Greg's favourite

Saison & Tropic King. Or was that Raspberry Provencal and Deceit?

Even Brenda, our resident flexitarian, started to enjoy the good stuff!

Funky Fort Collins alley with a signature open air piano

Random art - but its crochet!

The Horse statue in the old Town Square in front of a ghost sign

even the graffiti looks nice . . .

Of course we had to taste some chocolate at The Chocolate Cafe

Baby Ike enjoying the chocolate too

GSBN (Ghost sign by night)

Its simply a-maize'n

Greg & Shelley's street after sunset