Denver: What To Do and What Not To Do
My friend and I went to Denver several years ago and we spent 3 full days there for a long weekend. It was pretty rainy the whole time, so we didn’t get to do a lot of outdoor activities, but we made it work. Keep reading to find out what we did, and what we would do again (and what we wouldn’t).
Hotel & Rental Car
Enterprise
My work has a deal with a couple rental car companies, so we were able to get a great deal from Enterprise! This was my first time ever renting a car, so I was a little nervous. When the guy helping us asked if we wanted insurance, I told him about my rental-car virginity and he suggested basic insurance, so I took him up on it.
I kid you not - the second we drove off of the lot, I heard a weird whirring noise from our tire. We turned into their gas station at the stop sign, and upon inspecting the tire, there was a ginormous bolt stuck in the tire!
We turned back into Enterprise and they quickly exchanged vehicles for us (with an upgrade). Then our guy told us that it was good we chose the insurance, because otherwise we would have had to pay for that. Now I know that if you’re an insured driver, you really don’t need the extra insurance, but it all worked out.
Element Denver International Airport
We stayed at Element Denver International Airport. For the dates we picked, it was about $110 a night, which we split. The hotel looked new and had great amenities, like free parking, a workout area, pool, and a bar. Our room was super nice with a kitchen, refrigerator, and closet. The bathroom was clean and spacious with a complimentary hair dryer.
We picked this hotel because it was close to the airport and would be convenient for our departure. It was about 30 minutes from Denver, an hour from Boulder, and an hour and a half from Colorado Springs. Even though it was a bit of a drive from everywhere, we didn’t have to fill up on gas until the morning we left and we saved money on parking fees for hotels downtown.
Food
Denver
Dairy Block
Ever since I visited The Reading Terminal in Philadelphia in 2019, I’ve tried to go to a food hall in every city I visit. And The Dairy Block was a great food hall to try. It was very clean and modern and had a great range of selection, from coffee and dessert to dinner and drinks.
We were able to come here a couple times, and I also ordered an iced latte from Huckleberry Roasters. Although it was cute, I have to say it was not worth it. The latte ended up being over $7 and it was just ok.
Barcelona Wine Bar
Tapas is always a good idea. We made reservations at the Barcelona Wine Bar in downtown Denver. It was in a sketchy neighborhood, but the atmosphere and food were worth it.
We also had some amazing desserts. It is worth checking out!
Snooze Union Station
I was really excited to come to Snooze. It had great reviews and going to brunch in Union Station seemed like such a vibe. While I did enjoy Union Station, I did not love Snooze. It felt like a typical diner - kind of sticky, mediocre food. Maybe we went on an off morning, but I would pass on this one.
Izakaya Den
We waited in line in the rain for Izakaya Den to open - and it was so worth it. The vibe was so cool - bamboo lined walls, a glass elevator, and gorgeous dinnerware. We sat upstairs in an open concept space. It was really beautiful with gorgeous lighting.
I ordered the lychee margarita. It was arguably the best margarita I had ever had. The sushi was also really fresh with great flavors. I highly recommend this place if you’re ever in Denver!
Boulder
Dushanbe Tea House
The Dushanbe Tea House was one of my most anticipated restaurants on my list for our trip. Boulder’s sister city, Dushanbe in Tajikistan, gifted the tea house to Boulder, and spent over 3 years crafting each piece. Once they were finished, they shipped the pieces to Boulder where they were assembled. The details of this building are stunningly intricate!
We went for brunch and I ordered the Indian Dosa - Indian crepe, curried scrambled eggs, spinach, potato, onion, mango lassi, topped with apricot-cherry chutney. I have never had an Indian crepe before and it had both savory and sweet elements. It was indelible. I still remember how it tasted, it was so amazing.
For tea, I ordered the Colorado White Peach. They brought out a teapot with the leaves soaking. I’ve never really had proper tea before this, so it was a totally new experience.
I highly recommend the Dushanbe Tea House for it’s history, intricate craftsmanship, cultural experience, and incredible food!
Savannah Bee Co
Another great spot we found was the Savannah Bee Co. It’s located in the Pearle Street Shopping area. They sell a lot of honey products and they also have mead tastings! We canceled our previous lunch plans and decided to try some. I’ve never tasted mead, but I loved it! It’s comparable to white wine, so if you’re a fan, you’ll probably enjoy it, too. And if you’re like me, you won’t be able to stop thinking about Harry Potter.
Hiking & Activities
Unfortunately it rained almost the whole time we were in Denver, so a lot of our outdoor plans were cancelled. Here’s what we did:
Larimer Square
Larimer Square was talked up a lot online. I have to be honest, it was incredibly underwhelming. It was mostly restaurants and coffee shops, which I love. However, I expected the “greatest street in Denver” to have some shops and more life to it. It was a bit lackluster.
Sun Water Spa
We drove down to the Sun Water Spa in Colorado Springs. It was almost a 2 hour drive, but I really wanted to do some sort of thermal spa during our trip and this was the closest option.
This spa was small and quaint. The inside facilities were really nice and we were able to change comfortably in our own private space.
The spa itself was nice - the water was from the natural springs, which was really cool. The water was so hot that we could only submerge our bodies for a very short time. The spa would probably be more ideal in the winter months.
Seeing the mountains in front of us was gorgeous, however we could also see the street below of parked cars and people walking. I normally love to people watch, but it took away from the relaxing experience a bit.
Some construction and rearranging was also happening by our tub, so we saw a lot of power tools just sitting around, which kind of ruined the vibe. This was several years ago, though, so hopefully it’s been cleared by now!
Overall, it was a unique experience, but I probably wouldn’t go back.
Garden of the Gods
We happened to drive right past Garden of the Gods on our way to the spa, so we ended up leaving the spa early, and drove over to see the park. We didn’t have time to walk around because it was almost sunset, so we parked in the parking lot for a bit, then drove around the path of the park.
I would definitely want to come back and explore some more! I’ve never seen rock formations like the ones there.
The park was free to get into and so was the parking.
Shopping
Pearle Street
During our time in Boulder, we explored Pearle Street, made up of about 4 or 5 blocks. It was full of shopping and coffee shops and restaurants - the perfect combination. We really enjoyed this part of our trip. The storefronts were a mix of locally owned boutiques and popular brands. Definitely worth checking out!
Denver Premium Outlets
Since it was raining, we ended up going to some outlets. This one in particular was very nice! They had high end stores like Kate Spade and Coach, and also great basics, like Loft.
Beware: there is no cell phone reception, so make sure you know the directions to get out!
Cherry Creek Shopping Center
We went to this mall on our last day. I really enjoyed the selection of stores that are often in department stores, but don’t have a lot of stand alone stores. For example, we went to Jo Malone and Scotch & Soda. It was cool to see their unique brand displayed in their own store front. This was a great mall for some higher end shopping, and it was nice and clean.
I would love to come back to Denver and do some outdoor activities. I don’t think I would come back if I wasn’t able to be outside. It was fun, but there’s not much to do in terms of non-outdoor activities.
Until next time - may your weekend be full of creativity and style.
