Colorado: King Soopers

 This is a King Soopers:

It's the King Soopers in Denver on University and Hampden, to be precise. And what is a King Soopers? It is a grocery store born and bred in Colorado and a great place to buy all the essentials. Here is what I bought on the trip to the King Soopers you see in the picture: potato chips, Pringles, chocolate bars, Kind bars, toilet paper, and paper towels.

My roommate, Meredith, had the fabulous idea that I should visit a local grocery store wherever I go on my travels in order to experience life like a local. That is why I'm posting about King Soopers although, to be honest, I don't typically shop there anymore. My feeling is, if you're going to do something in every state, it's important to start off on the right foot and continue obsessing till the very end.

The King Soopers in our neighborhood, unlike the one pictured above, is sketchy. There's always a security guard standing watch at the door, which sends a clear message that many shoppers there are untrustworthy. One time we were browsing for Christmas trees in front of the store and a guy who was clearly on drugs struck up a conversation--and I don't mean to slight people on drugs, but the issue is, you never know exactly what they will do. I paid for the Christmas tree, Meredith used her super strength to hoist in on my car, and we beat a hasty retreat.

We used to live right next to the King Soopers in question, so in the interest of walking to get groceries (a pastime I enjoy when I can manage it) I would go there. Now that we live a mile away, I drive the extra block to Safeway, which for some reason is less sketchy even though it's just on the opposite side of Krameria St. Or I go to Trader Joe's because it has GREAT snacks, although I never buy sponges or dish soap there.

All that said, if you are in Denver and looking to experience life as a local, I would recommend King Soopers.