Favorite U.S. Cities: Denver
Welcome back to our tour of my favorite U.S. cities! Did y’all enjoy San Diego, Nashville, and Chicago as much as I did?!? This week we are heading west and towards the mountains with a stop in Denver! I “met” Lauren through blogging and social media and even though we’ve never met in real life I just absolutely adore and her blog!
Howdy, Girl on The Move readers!
I’m Lauren, author of Climbing Grier Mountain (CGM). For those of you that I haven’t met, I write a food and lifestyle blog in Denver, Colorado.
I am stoked to be guest posting for Julie today. Even though Julie and I have never met in “real” life, I like to think of her as a friend. She’s sweet as the day is long, and her “cupcakes across America” series has me wanting to satisfy my sugar craving at every stop. Plus, her bucket list is so inspirational!!
Today, I want to inspire you to think about adding Denver to your “must do/see” bucket list. Or, if you have been to Denver, I want to give you an updated guide to the Mile High City that is growing and bursting at the seams with culture and flavor.
First up – what to do and see in the city. Did you know that Denver has the most farmers’ markets per capita than any other city? Talk about fresh produce! Two of my favorite markets are located on Pearl Street and Lo-Hi. Both are filled with amazing vendors and a smorgasbord of food trucks.
A theme you will see reoccurring in this post, is everything in Denver is geared toward playing outdoors. Denver gets over 300 + sunshine days a year. That’s more than Florida. But…let’s just keep that between you and me. So, with the fantastic weather and (almost) zero humidity, parks are the go to. Washington or Wash Park as the locales call it is filled with people barbecuing or playing volleyball every weekend. Also, in City Park, there are Jazz concerts every Sunday.
If you want to cover more ground, you can rent one of the city bikes and ride around town. My favorite place to ride is around Confluence Park to watch the kayaks on the river and check out any good deals at REI.
Also, I would check out (if you like the giggle juice) the Denver Microbrew Tour. Colorado is the world leader in micro beer. A Rockies game is must especially with their new rooftop expansion viewing area. And the boutique shopping on Larimer Square is fabulous.
Okay, I’ve given you the best of the best do in the city. But if you have time, you should definitely make a pit stop at Red Rocks for hiking, or the city of Morrison for some eats. The top of Dinosaur Ridge is breath taking and only a twenty-minute car ride from downtown. Try and catch a show at Red Rocks or watch one of their summer movies, it’s a life changing experience!
Now, the piece de resistance, food! As a food blogger, it’s hard to know where to begin because Denver has so much to offer. I think the best way to sort this tasty experience is by neighborhood. Here are few areas that I frequent.
Let’s start with Downtown/ Lodo (Lower Downtown) the pulse of The Mile High City.
Tamayo —> best guacamole!
Squeaky Bean —> fantastic brunch!
RiNo (River North) is the new up and coming neighborhood west of the Rockies stadium. It’s unique charm and true urban vibe is quickly becoming one of my favorite neighborhoods.
The Source –> a collection of restaurants, bakeries, and butcher shops!
The Infinite Monkey Theorem Wine Brewery —> champagne in a can!
Uptown is tucked between City Park and downtown. In this neighborhood, you’ll find casual comfort with a unique twist.
Ace –> play table tennis while you sip a beer!
Steuben’s —> great atmosphere!
Pearl Street is a classic. This neighborhood is always bustling with families and just a stone throw away from Wash Park.
The Black Pearl –great brunch spot!
And finally, my neck of the woods! LoHi (Lower Highlands) is very popular, and teeming with hipsters and foodies of all kinds.
Lola’s is my favorite restaurant in Denver. Best chips and salsa.
Vita -à fantastic happy hour.
Central Bistro —> fabulous brunch!
Little Man Ice Cream —insane.
I hope this post leaves you curious and hungry for more of Denver. Thanks, Julie for letting me guest post. Hopefully, next time I see you, it will be at Mile High!
19 Comments
Jamie
The comment about the almost zero humidity appeals to me! I’m in central Oklahoma and the humidity here is bleh. I was very impressed with that amazing 4 scoop ice cream cone!
Nice post about Denver! I love skiing!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Hands down that ice cream was some of the best I’ve ever had!
Trish @TheTrishList
I love these posts! I have never been to Denver and would love to visit. Your post gives me a starting point when I get there!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Definitely visit…I would own a home there if I could afford a second home!
Akaleistar
Okay, I want to visit Denver now 🙂
jmdenouden@gmail.com
You absolutely should! It’s amazing!!!
May
Wow – that is some ice cream cone. I have never been to Denver but hope to one day.
jmdenouden@gmail.com
It was quite the ice cream cone…and so tasty!
Nancy
I’ve been living in Denver (off and on) for a few years now and I’m sad I never knew about the Jazz concerts in City Park. I’m glad I know now, though — I will not miss them next year!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Definitely check out the Jazz concerts and afterwards grab an ice cream from Little Man!
Theboxqueen
I have never been to Denver but enjoyed reading about it. Also felt like it is sounds so much like my city in the NW, from the outdoors to the bikes to great food. Visiting from SITS Sharefest today 🙂 XOXO, Elif
Tricia
I love this series! We’ve been meaning to get to Colorado for years now. This might be the inspiration I needed!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Definitely make a trip there! It’s amazing and I can’t wait to go back again next summer!
April A.
I grew up near Denver and your post is making me miss it! It’s a great city — so much to do and the people are great. I love the 16th Street Mall area and Larimer Square – so many great restaurants and shops!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Love the 16th Street Mall area and the free bus that runs through there is incredibly helpful!
Marnie @ SuperSmartMama
So glad I found Climbing Grier Mountain through the SITS Saturday Linkup! I’ve been in Colorado for a little over year now and love following fellow bloggers in my new state!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Lauren is a fabulous blogger and I’m jealous that she lives in Denver!
Bethany
Thanks for the Denver recommendations! I’m heading there next week and now I have a great To Do list to keep me busy during the trip. Thank you!
jmdenouden@gmail.com
Yay! Enjoy your time there and if you need any more recommendations check out the GOTM Travel Guide…there are several links in the Denver area!