Chocolate Crisis Center

3370 Walnut St.
Denver, CO 80205
866-329-6950 

On an Urban Trek with a girlfriend 

in the warehouse district 

of 5 Points (Downtown Denver).

We see a sign in the distance...

She makes out the word Chocolate...

We're intrigued... 

We get closer...

Chocolate Crisis Center

What?!?!

This calls for further exploration... 

I open the door and step into what feels like a doctor’s office.  

What is this place? 

I peer around the corner and see a pharmacy. 

I step in. 

There's a women behind the counter in a white lab coat. "What is this place" I ask...

“It’s the Chocolate Crisis Center” 

...no wiser....I step deeper in....

Pharmacy shelves are lined with bottles filled with what appears to be chocolate. 
We're handed spoons and lead to a gurney in the middle of the room
Where we are encouraged to sample MANY different kinds of chocolate...
"What just happened here?" 
Feeling like children in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory by way of Alice in Wonderland
We Dive In....

I had about 6 pieces (ok...maybe 10). 
Cleansing my palette at the water station I notice a warehouse space at the back of the building..
I go to investigate. 
I stick my head in...."What you doing back here?" 
A man invites me in. He's a photographer...a professional one...
I'm excited....
The journey deepens...

He has numerous machines...big ones...designed for action shots of products.

Machines that drop products from high distances and shots them as they fall.

Machines that rotate 360 degrees around products. 

My mind was blown....

I'm a hand held kind of photographer, that crawls around in the mud 

shooting bugs and landscapes in the wild. 

It was cool to see another side of the industry. 

The woman in the front (Lisa) and the man in the back (JC) are partners in life and business.

It was a treat to see a couple co-creating and offering something to the world in their own unique way. They have a fun space. 
On First Fridays they have a photo shoot experience open to the public with Dr. Angst. 
I may have to try that out. 

Finding this Place Was a Treat...

A Real Twilight Zone Experience...

I recommend checking it out. 

Get your Daily Dose of chocolate at this fun candy store. 

Excited, with spoons and lots of Chocolate
This place was SO MUCH FUN!!!! 

Chatfield Lake State Park

I've come to know the ecology of Chatfield Lake State Park on a Soul level. I enjoy witnessing the spirit of this place evolve through the seasons, and have special spots I frequent throughout the year.   

It is a State Park, so there is an entrance fee. I buy an annual state park pass every year, which comes in handy since there are six state parks within an hour drive from Denver. There are lots of activities to explore, like boating, kayaking and horse back riding (...none-of-which I've done). 

In Spring, a wetland trail in the east section of the park encourages muddy explorations along the river. I’ve had wonderful interactions with Frog and Beaver on this trail. Summer hikes through wildflowers and waist high grasses is a fun treat. The park sits at the base of the foot hills and is a fabulous location for bird watching. This is where I come to  listen to one of my favorite bird songs, the Western Meadowlark. 

This park is easy to access in Winter, which makes it one of my "go-to-places" when I don’t feel like driving far in snow. It's easy to the get to the lake with my camera gear to shoot ice images and meditate on the season.  

Chatfield Lake is a great place for sunset shots and capturing reflections of the colorful Colorado sky. There is a camp ground at the lake, however if I'm going to camp, there are places further out of town and more remote that appeal to my camping preferences. 

I enjoy watching this land evolve over the seasons. I recommend everyone find a place, a piece of wild land you can visit often and engage with on a deep level. Explore this place through the seasons, watching its evolution, and seeing changes in your own self mirrored through your observations.