For something completely out of the ordinary, we went to a Salt Spa in Boulder on Saturday.  K saw an advertisement, bought a Groupon and called to make an appointment.  We made the short drive to Boulder for our appointment at 1100am.  It was a small, typical doctor’s office from first appearance, but we had no idea what to expect…  We both did a little bit of research on the salt spa and it seems to be helpful for people who have chronic respiratory problems like allergies and also for some types of skin issues.  We spoke to another patient there who suffers from chronic bronchitis. She is very much into holistic medicines, so this is right there along those lines.  People also go to meditate and relax.  The salt is brought in from the Dead Sea in Israel and is broken into large chunks.  These different sized chunks are then ground into a fine sand, or coarse powder like substance.  This is then blown very lightly by a machine that ventilates it throughout the room.  An article from 5280 magazine (The Denver Magazine) that was framed on the lobby wall quoted the doctor as saying it is “East meets West” medicine. She stated that Western medicine is great for emergencies and saving life and limb, but lacks in the area of treating chronic diseases. Click here for another article from The Daily Camera in Boulder.  It is not a one-time cure-all, as these patients come regularly.  It was our turn to enter the salt room and we were given plastic booties and a hair net before we went in.  There was an area before you enter where you can store your shoes and coats and there’s room enough to put on your highly fashionable foot and headwear.

I think we were both surprised when we entered the room. It was covered on all four walls and the ceiling with what looked like ceiling popcorn, but it was salt.  The floor was covered in pebble sized pieces of salt and there were 7 very nice leather recliners on either side of the room.  We took our seats and awaited the 45 minute session to begin.  It was requested that no one talk while the session is in progress, as some people like to meditate and sleep.  The lights went dim and some peaceful eastern type music began playing.  I reclined and closed my eyes, as K read a magazine.  You could hear the slight drone of the fan, which was blowing in the salty air.  There was no odor and you really could not tell anything was going on.  Good thing we weren’t gassed, we would have had no idea…

After the 45 minute’s had passed the lights came back on.  I looked at my shirt and you could see a very fine dusting of white, which was the salt.  As we walked out and gathered our belongings, we were told to drink plenty of water throughout the rest of the day.  K and I got in the car and “reflected” on the salt spa.  We laughed at the whole experience going in not knowing what to expect, but we both felt like we could breathe better and it actually was very relaxing.

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It was about time for lunch, so we decided to try a restaurant that Guy Fieri had given two thumbs up to on “Diners Drive-Ins and Dives”, The Sink.  The Sink was originally the Sigma-Nu fraternity house at the University of Colorado, but has been a restaurant since 1923.  The current owners took it over in 1992 and didn’t change much, except maybe improve on the menu.

It is a very cool place and from the outside looks like your typical college street corner restaurant. When you walk in, the first thing you notice, is the low ceilings and the paintings on the walls. Patrons are allowed to write on the ceilings, if you can find a spot.  There are no pictures on the walls; instead, there are murals which were started in the 1950’s and additions are still being made.  Robert Redford played baseball at CU and even briefly worked at The Sink.  They have an impressive beer selection and are proud of the Colorado craft beers that they have available. The Sink is a “green” restaurant and they are 100% wind powered.  They also compost, recycle, use low flow water receptacles and feature local grass-fed beef and organic produce.  K ordered Herbies Combo, which is basically the original Sink burger and I ordered the Stuffed Blue Cheese Burger. The Blue Cheeseburger is marinated in a red wine and cracked pepper sauce and topped with crispy spinach and was excellent.  Nothing compliments a burger better than beer, so I had an Old Jubilation Ale- (Avery Brewing Co. Boulder, CO).  If you are in the area, check it out, we will definitely be back.

Click here to watch the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives episode on The Sink.

Salute!

Mmmmmmmm, grass fed beef.

The good stuff.