I am not sure if it was the low budget commercials or the name that threw me, but I've never had any real desire to visit Black Hawk. It seemed like a sad, Vegas wannabe, like Atlantic City or something. So when my friend Kelsey (the adorable one in the top right corner) suggested we all go for her birthday I kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, "sure!". We got a good deal by renting a hotel room in the middle of the week (and cramming 6 people in two double beds!) and to my surprise I was actually starting to get excited about this little adventure of ours. So one random Wednesday after work, I hopped into my car, with my google map directions in hand, and headed towards the mountains. I zig-zaged through the canyon, up the hills, past the small mountain towns and thought to myself, 'where am I?'. Finally, I turned a corner and saw this tiny little town growing out of the mountainside, filled with lights. I was immediately impressed. Black Hawk is cool! So, erase all your preconceived notions guys. We had a total blast. We stayed at the Ameristar, which is the biggest hotel in Black Hawk (our room was on the 32nd floor, eeek)-- and we didn't leave the premises once. In the 18 or some odd hours we were there we discovered that we are all pretty bad gamblers, buffets are depressing and never have decent food, and a hot tub and an indoor pool can make up for anything. Also, when combining a hotel room and 6 awesome friends, you can't really go wrong. Without getting into too much detail, it was totally worth the measly hour and 15 min drive. Although I would have liked to explore a bit more of the town, I would recommend keeping your visit to a maximum of 36 hours. So if you're looking for a short road trip...just sayin'.
