With the Rocky Mountains as background ambience, the Golden Farmer’s Market provides a special shopping experience every Saturday morning that Ika and I found irresistible. There are peppers, cheeses, eggs, homemade coffees and pastries that make it difficult to walk away without a cart full of prizes. One wise local brought his horse-sized dog pulling a cart for an easy trip home.

This little mining town has so much to offer, especially during this time of concerns over indoor shopping. Colorado in general shows a healthy respect for mask-wearing and distancing, so the experience feels very secure. Ika and I have a few favorites we frequent whenever at the market. She loves the pastries and breads that remind her of her homeland, Sweden. I have a particular passion for the homemade pastas. The pasta lady offers an incredible variety of linguines, spaghettis, shells, and swirls made of exotic flavors. The dark chocolate pasta is my favorite. Ika serves it with caramelized butter and toasted almonds, but we plan on trying it with simple vanilla ice cream on top very soon! The is also a portobello mushroom linguine that is just to die for:) For us, the grand finale was the Golden Chamber of Commerce booth. There were art pieces available from past events in Golden at incredible sale prices. Two caught our eye, one was a red barn reminiscent of Swedish country scenes; and the other was of a local railroad museum scene. I can’t wait till my next visit to see what delectable treats wait for us in Golden.