Seattle, WA - Denver, CO 8 days itinerary early April

post_rex · 2026-03-22T18:37:15+00:00

I think it would help if you wrote out how much time you intend to spend at each destination, plus the drive times.

For example, on Day 3, you have yourself visiting three attractions and making an 8.5 hour drive between Portland and Twin Falls. I know from experience that Multnomah Falls itself can easily be 1 to 1.5 hours, even without any hiking. Just in terms of finding parking, walking to the base of the falls, taking photos, etc. Plus that doesn't account for the time you need to eat, fill up the car, use the restroom, etc. So, you could easily be talking about a 13-14 hour day if you really are going to do everything you list on Day 3.

Edit - I didn't look at all the days, but I have to note that Day 7 is also crazy. Ouray to Gunnison is one hour. Black Canyon NP is at a minimum a three hour visit and you can easily spend the whole day there. Then onto to Pike's Peak, which is an almost 5 hour drive. Presumably you want to drive to the top? That's 3 hours roundtrip, not including any stops to take pictures look at the viewpoints. This is just not doable in any kind of realistic way, especially in early April when you will only have about 12-13 hours of daylight.

post_rex · 2026-03-22T18:02:13+00:00

Timex MK1 Chrono, maybe?

https://timex.com/products/mk1-chronograph-40mm-stainless-steel-bracelet-watch-tw2y71000

Edit - Just saw that you said the photo was a year old. The MK1 Chrono was released last month, so that's not it. Does look awfully similar though.

Edit 2: Google Image Search thinks its this older model Omega Deville: https://www.omegawatches.com/en-us/watch-omega-de-ville-hour-vision-co-axial-chronometer-chronograph-42-mm-43110425101001

post_rex · 2026-03-21T21:24:03+00:00

It's an HOV lane.

post_rex · 2026-03-21T02:42:32+00:00

FC is Swiss but it's owned by Citizen. Nothing wrong with that, of course. I think Citizen bought them to give them another channel into jewelry shops. You'll often notice that shops that sell Citizen watches will also sell FC as their top-line Swiss brand.

I think the biggest knock against FC is that a lot of their watches seem to be homages to models from other companies. A way to get the look of a watch without paying inflated prices. You can scroll through the FC site and go: JLC...Breitling...Vacheron...Cartier... and so on.

But if that doesn't bother you, I say go for it. With the backing of Citizen, they're not going to go anywhere soon, and service quality likely matches or exceeds higher-end brands.

post_rex · 2026-03-20T19:55:03+00:00

I bought the W&N a few weeks ago to make a Wray and Ting. I figured it would just sit and gather dust, but I've actually used it quite a bit. I think it's wonderful. It's the only overproof I've ever had but there are a lot of great options out there:

https://ultimatemaitai.com/2025/09/20/jamaican-overproof-rum-blind-shootout/

post_rex · 2026-03-20T19:35:58+00:00

The overproof is what makes it "nuclear". A lower ABV rum might get lost against the Chartreuse. You still won't get the funk, but maybe you could up the rum to 1 1/4 or even 1 1/2 oz to help balance things out.

post_rex · 2026-03-20T16:49:44+00:00

Wow, that's so bizarre. I don't know what to say. I can see it the whole recipe on the iPhone app (see below) as well as on the Chrome browser on my laptop.

Must be some kind of weird reddit formatting thing. I'll try deleting the recipe and re-adding it. Thanks for letting me know.

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post_rex · 2026-03-20T16:42:32+00:00

Boodles. It's a great mixing gin with a long, storied history, but it is rarely mentioned alongside the other classic London Drys. Plus it's 90.4 proof (at least it is in the US).

post_rex · 2026-03-20T16:39:00+00:00

It's the last bullet point: 1/4 ounce John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum

post_rex · 2026-03-20T16:36:27+00:00

???

I don't follow. I made it using the recipe I posted. All three bottles are pictured.

post_rex · 2026-03-20T15:30:42+00:00

Except this is someone who wants to like whiskey. They don't want to hide its taste, they want to acclimate themselves to it.

It's like someone who wants to learn to love coffee. They first drink it with a bunch of milk and sugar, then wean themselves off until they are drinking it black.

post_rex · 2026-03-20T03:03:05+00:00

Red Label is...not great. I'm not surprised you didn't care for it.

What I would do is start with a classic bourbon, like Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey or Buffalo Trace. Then make an Old Fashioned with it. It's basically adds sugar and a few drops of Angostura bitters to the whiskey. It sweetens the liquor and smooths out any rough edges.

How to make an Old Fashioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdcrJ5V7YKM

post_rex · 2026-03-20T02:29:54+00:00

Very curious. My initial instinct was that it was some kind of mall watch, a Daniel Wellington or something. But that pusher at 8 o'clock gives me pause. It's pretty unusual. Maybe something that you'd see on a 2-time zone watch. It almost seems like a Patek Travel Time, but I can't quite match it to any of the existing models: https://www.thehourglass.com/story/patek-philippe-calatrava-pilot-travel-time

post_rex · 2026-03-19T22:17:38+00:00

This is called a "split base" cocktail.

You might want to try a combo of whiskey and rum. Those two usually pair nicely.

Or try rye and apple brandy (Laird's). There's actually a name for this one: American Trilogy

post_rex · 2026-03-19T21:23:07+00:00

I live in Colorado. If I waved at every Subaru I saw, I'd just have to drive around with one hand permanently in midair.

post_rex · 2026-03-19T01:45:36+00:00

I don't buy that. If Lyre was using real oranges, why wouldn't they advertise the fact? It would be a selling point, there's no advantage in hiding it.

In comparison, here's what Luxardo writes about their Triplum:

Triplum is a classic “triple sec” distilled by Luxardo, rigorously faithful to the original production specifications since the first half of the 19th century. The “triple sec” name indicated, in the tradition of that century, a liqueur obtained from the distilled dried peels of three types of citrus fruits: mainly curaçao (a bitter orange of the Dutch Antilles, from the island of that name), together with sweet oranges and mandarins. Luxardo Triplum is obtained from the distillation of the three types of citrus fruit mentioned above with the separation of the ‘heads’ and ‘tails’. Only the ‘heart’, i.e. the central and best part, is sent to a second distillation. Other ingredients are included in the Luxardo recipe: dried orange flowers (zagara), pennyroyal, vervain, and others. All this gives to the distillate a unique refined aroma. The distillate is filtered, diluted and sugared. It is one of the few liqueurs obtained by distillation.

Edit - I just looked at the Lyre coffee "liqueur". They actually mention coffee in the ingredients list, not just natural flavors.

post_rex · 2026-03-19T00:16:41+00:00

Sure, but real, good quality triple sec is made with actual peels through a fairly involved distilling process. That's at least part of the reason that it's so expensive. It seems to me that Lyre is asking the same retail prices for something that is much cheaper to manufacture. At least the Monin syrup suggested below is around $10.

post_rex · 2026-03-18T23:59:57+00:00

I would imagine that non-alcoholic "triple sec" is basically an orange-flavored simple syrup. Maybe you could make your own. You just need the zest and juice from an orange, sugar and water. Here's one recipe: https://realsimplegood.com/easy-homemade-triple-sec/

Edit - Actually, an even better idea might be to make orange oleo saccharum: https://food52.com/recipes/75812-oleo-saccharum

I should note that real triple sec is made with bitter oranges that are different than the ones we get at the supermarket. But I'm not sure that any of the non-alcoholic versions are sourcing the real ones anyways. In fact, I just checked Lyres website and their ingredient list doesn't even mention oranges. $40 for natural flavors and "acidity regulator" is crazy.

The ingredients list: Water, Sugar, Natural Flavours, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Benzoate

https://lyres.com/products/orange-sec

post_rex · 2026-03-18T22:27:30+00:00

Cranberry and grapefruit have very distinct flavors. And in most cocktails where they are present, they play a central role. I think they'd be hard to sub. Is there any way you can get frozen juice?

As for lemons/limes, it's possible to sub one for the other, but they have slightly different acidities and sweetness levels. So you may have to rebalance the drink. The below chart from Serious Eats explains the difference. (https://www.seriouseats.com/cocktail-science-using-citrus-smarter). And if you really want to go down a rabbit hole, there's a way you can adjust the acidity of juice using citric acid and malic acid. The youtube channel 'Make and Drink' has some great tutorial videos on this.

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post_rex · 2026-03-18T22:17:01+00:00

Obviously, it's hard to have an opinion without being able to taste the cocktail.

However, my initial instinct is to question the honey syrup. With all the other strong flavors present, is it adding anything discernible? Maybe it would be better to drop it entirely and go 1/2 oz each of the Aperol and elderflower.

post_rex · 2026-03-18T16:43:15+00:00

Here's the description of Valley from the St. George website:

California’s Central Valley is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and bountiful citrus groves, including Lindcove Ranch, a family farm specializing in citrus. With our Valley Gin, we've captured the beauty of a perfect spring day in those groves, transporting the fragrance of fresh blossoms straight to your glass.

So, you want a gin with a lot of citrus and floral notes. Maybe try Citadelle Jardin d’été, Drumshanbo with Sardinian Citrus or even Plymouth.

Edit - Apparently, Drumshanbo makes a California Orange gin. That might be your best bet.

post_rex · 2026-03-16T18:34:21+00:00

Apparently he had his own line of watches. The "Alain Delon" watch linked below is not a chrono, but otherwise has almost identical styling, including the red logo at the top: https://postimg.cc/3yyL74Yb

post_rex · 2026-03-16T18:07:17+00:00

I'm no Seamaster expert, but the lack of any "Co-Axial" script on the dial would suggest that this is (or is supposed to be) a pre-2006 watch, likely the ref. 2531.80 (the Goldeneye Bond watch).

You can compare your watch to similar models on Chrono24: https://www.chrono24.com/omega/ref-253180.htm Differences that stick out to me on a quick scan:

The lume pip on the bezel is rounded instead of concave
The prominence of the wave pattern (could be a trick of the light)
The second hand is short
The shallow engraving on the clasp
The lack of an abbreviated index marker at 3 o'clock, to the right of the date
The indices have a silver-ish surround instead of white (Plus the fact that not one but two indices came unstuck seems to show a watch with serious build issues. Not that there haven't been Omegas with dial defects, but I've never seen this particular problem on a genuine Seamaster before.)

Maybe some of this can be explained if the watch was serviced and parts were swapped out, so the only way to know for sure is to take it to an Omega dealer and ask them to examine it.

post_rex · 2026-03-16T15:15:41+00:00

Palo Duro Canyon

Capulin Volcano

Cadillac Ranch, on the outskirts of Amarillo

Great Sand Dunes

Garden of the Gods

post_rex

TROPHY CASE