5 Things You Should Do in Denver

I've been lucky enough to visit Denver several times over the last few years. There's always somewhere new to visit, to see or to eat, each time I'm there. The city is growing at breakneck speed - as evidenced by it's traffic and the cranes all over the city - and you won't run out of things to do whether you're there for a short visit or a longer one. Here are five things I think you'll enjoy doing on a visit to The Mile High City.


Wander around RiNo
The River North Arts District was originally an industrial area but has now become one of the hippest hoods in Denver. Located just north of downtown, RiNo is home to breweries, bars, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques. 
We visited Stem Ciders (my favorite), Boozhall RiNo, C Squared Ciders and enjoyed dinner at Park Burger. 


Get some Ice Cream at Little Man
I'm sure there are plenty of places to get ice cream in Denver but the most talked about is Little Man Ice Cream. Serving ice cream and novelties out of an iconic 28 foot tall milk can, Little Man makes all their waffle cones by hand right on site. Serving such unique flavors as Earl Grey Tea & Cookies and Creme Fraiche, (I had the incredible Salted Oreo while others in my party had Mexican Chocolate and Raspberry Love) they also carry vegan ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and sundaes. And for every scoop of ice cream purchased, Little Man matches that scoop with a scoop of rice, beans, or other essentials to a community in need around the world. Just be prepared to stand in line if you go at a peak time - or maybe anytime. No need to worry though. The line moves quickly and it's well worth it.


Visit Union Station
Denver's Union Station - located downtown - is an 100 year old recently refurbished landmark (est. 1881) that is not only a transportation center but also houses restaurants, bars and a hotel. The hub of the station is the Great Hall where you can get ice cream, burgers, brunch or a meal from award winning chefs. You can also grab a beer at Terminal Bar or a prohibition era cocktail at The Cooper Lounge. If you need to spend the night you can park your suitcase at The Crawford Hotel, one of the top 11 business hotels in the world. Yep, the world. And, of course, it is a station so you can catch the light rail, buses or an Amtrak train right outside on the tracks - with connections to the airport and beyond.This place is just too cool. 




Go on a Street Art walk
Back in the day, street art was considered a destructive and counter-establishment way of spreading a message. Now it's worth being explored, photographed and celebrated. Denver is no stranger to the street art phenomenon. In fact, "1% of any capital construction project over 1 million dollars must go towards public art". Pretty amazing, huh? 
The above mentioned RiNo neighborhood has a good amount of street art, as does the incredibly long Colfax Avenue. Obviously, the Arts District on Santa Fe has quite a few murals also. For more info on where to find street art in Denver visit this article Denver Street Art



Drink Craft Beer
There are more than 1oo brewpubs, breweries and tap rooms in the Denver metro area. That's a lot of choices if you want to go have an ale.There are 35 breweries alone on the Denver Beer Trail. Since Mr. UR and my son are avid fans of beer - and craft breweries - I've visited  a few of those 100. Some of the ones I've been to include: Wynkoop, Alpine Dog, Vine Street Pub and Brewery, Bull and Bush, and Coors Brewing Company in Golden. This visit we visited Jagged Mountain in downtown Denver, and Avery and Oskar Blues in Boulder. The point being that you can certainly get your fill of beer. So if you're a fan, you might want to check out some of those 35 places to grab a pint.

So go have a wander, eat some delicious ice cream, grab a beer, view some art, visit a cool old train station or all of the above. You can do them all in Denver.


How about you? Have you been to Denver? What hav e you enjoyed doing there?


Linking up with: 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global!
Sharon's Souvenirs at Sharon R Wagner!

Comments

  1. I never quite made it that far West, so thanks for the photos and info.

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    1. It's a fun city if you ever make it there! Thanks for visiting, Betty!

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  2. We just passed through Denver. But didn't have time to stop. Nice post!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Sharon! And thanks for visiting The Unpaved Road!

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