So… we’re actually back now? This post has been sitting in my drafts since December 2021. EEK. Turns out getting pregnant, having a baby, moving, and starting a new job will do that to ya! Funnily enough, we have already been back to Colorado since this trip with toddler in tow, and loved it again. We even stayed in the same Estes Park Airbnb, we loved it that much. I am in no mood to update all three of these old CO posts, so just read and remember what I was like pre-parenthood here, yea? ENJOY, oh and many toddler friendly itineraries and musings coming soon…

We’re back back back again! We took a VACATION. We set those away messages for 10 days, left the pets with their sitters, and took off. I asked Luke where he wanted to spend his 30th birthday and he was quick to list off Colorado. So to CO we went. I booked this trip only 3-ish months in advance, very unlike me, but necessary with the constant monitoring of public health crises. It was GREAT. We spent 90% of the trip outside in the crisp, and very thin, Colorado air and welcomed FALL weeks before it would arrive in North Carolina. I pulled out my sweaters that haven’t seen the light of day since 2019 and dusted off the hiking boots. In typical blog fashion, below is a rough itinerary of our few days in Denver. This started as a guide for ALL of our Colorado faves, but turns out brevity is not my strong suit! So stick around for our guides to Fort Collins and Estes Park :)

A trip to Colorado always begins and ends in Denver. We received so many recommendations for Denver that we could have spent a whole week here! We had gray days and chilly weather, but spent every second eating, drinking, and exploring. We spent two nights here on the front end of our trip and one night on the back end before our flight home. We wanted to front-end our trip with time in Denver before we started hiking to acclimate to the altitude. The air felt THIN for our NC lungs, but this helped us immensely before heading to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Where to Stay:

We stayed at The Ramble Hotel for our first two nights in Denver and wow. What a gorgeous hotel. This hotel was certainly on the high end of our typical hotel budget, but a quarantine’s worth of travel points and a 30th birthday meant a special splurge was in order. The Ramble is in the RiNo district, know for beer and murals, and we loved the central location. We wanted to make the most of our stay and enjoyed a night of cocktails at Death & Co, breakfast in the morning, and a late night room service order after an unexpected scooter accident… I would stay here again in an instant and would highly recommend for a special stay in the city!

Where to Eat/Drink:

I love food. You know this if you know me. We sourced recs from friends, blogs, Google, the hotel front desk - anyone with knowledge of Denver. We explored new neighborhoods and ate so well. This list is in order of consumption with the neighborhood in parentheses!

First Draft Taproom and Kitchen (RiNo) - our first stop had to include green chili and beer. We were told by the experts that eating green chili in CO was a must. We found the perfect match of green chili nachos and a pour-your-own list of local beers at First Draft.

Bierstadt Lagerhaus (RiNo) - this beer hall is extremely large, and perfect for a crisp, timely Oktoberfest beer. Outdoor seating is available, but we found our way upstairs in the rain and loved the vibe and setting.

Our Mutual Friend (RiNo) - this may have been my favorite brewery? Their funky and sour tap list is incredible and the space is really lovely. We noticed so many people working on their laptops in breweries and wow the jealously!

Cart-Driver (RiNo) - this little pizza spot was right across the street from our hotel and was so cozy and reminiscent of a lot of Maine spots we checked out in November 2019. The restaurant is built in a shipping container and the booths are intimate and a perfect spot to watch pizza making in action! We were so full of beer - but their wine list and cocktails looked excellent as well.

Odell Brewing (Five Points) - Odell is originally from Fort Collins, but we checked out their taproom is Denver. They had plenty of space to drink out in the street (love that) and there were so many cool spots to shop/eat nearby!

Freshcraft (near Larimer Square) we went for the taplist! Lots of cans here and really large portions of food too. A great spot for beer when you are in the more commercial part of downtown.

Little Man Ice Cream (Highland) - this was the CUTEST little ice cream shop. We rolled in right as they were setting up for fall/Halloween and it was adorable. The ice cream was also excellent.

Recess Beer Garden (Highland) - this looked like a spot that would BUMP on a Saturday. We posted up here for a few beers and to watch a friend’s wedding virtually (!!) and the outdoor seating options were plentiful.

Great Divide Barrel Bar (RiNo) - my dad would love this spot. They lean into the Yeti motif and have really great dark beers. This location is a perfect pit-stop while checking out the RiNo murals.

Number Thirty Eight (RiNo) - this was another really big location that seems to BUMP on weekends. We stopped in right at opening for live music, dinner, and drinks. They have a neat wristband system to allow for easy ordering and is meant for a large volume of folks. Again, really perfect outdoor seating!

Port Side (RiNo) - this little coffee shop is located right in the same shipping container pod as Cart-Driver. We stopped by at 7am (time changes are tough!) for a hot coffee and snack on our last morning before picking up our rental car. It was perfect!

TRVE Brewing (Broadway St) - Luke’s one saved dot on the map was here, so we arrived right at opening for a beer on our way to Fort Collins. The music is pretty heavy and the space very moody - not unlike Burial Beer spaces here in NC.

Cerebral Brewing (Congress Park) - go here for the IPAs! (says Luke). We rounded out our beer stops here before flying home and even packing some cans in our checked bag :) I loved the outdoor space and wish we stayed longer.

Denver Central Market (RiNo) - ugh I love a good food market. We walked by here frequently on our first few days in Denver and made this our last breakfast stop of the trip. We enjoyed coffee from Crema and pastries from Izzio Bakery.

El Five (Highland) - this restaurant came highly recommended and is the only place we made a reservation! The food was divine, but what made this so special was the perfect little table in the corner on the rooftop patio with a stellar view of Denver and the mountains. I will never not be dreaming of that meal and view…

Hops & Pie (Berkeley) - our last meal in CO! We rented Lyft bikes and rode through the neighborhoods pretending to be local and headed here on recommendation of a CO native (thanks, Marissa!). The pizza tasted SO GOOD after a long bike ride and obviously I never complain about beer. If here, also check out FERAL, a used outdoor gear store!

Things To Do:

While yes, 95% of our time in cities is spent eating and drinking… we see stuff too! Denver is huge (if you didn’t already get from this extremely lengthy post) so please do not consider this list comprehensive. This is what we were able to comfortably accomplish in two days with plenty of time for relaxation. If you have other must-see’s, let us know, obvi we are going back!

Meow Wolf - Convergence Station: Literally what could be better than catching the brand new Meow Wolf exhibit. Luke went to Meow Wolf in New Mexico and raved about it for years - so of course I had to see what all the fuss was about. It was… overwhelming? Fantastical? Confusing? Incredible? It has been two months since our trip and I still can’t explain what we saw! The staff were so kind at telling us the best route to explore and we spent a few hours just in awe of the art installations. You could visit 10 times and still experience something new. We bought tickets ahead of time as it was still so new - and would certainly recommend doing so for the early morning time slots before it gets crowded. We also rode bikes/scooters along the South Platte River Trail to get there - a great alternative to cars!

Shopping/Mural Viewing: As previously stated, RiNo is perfect for exploring and checking out the murals. In between breweries, we stopped into some local shops and bought a lovely canvas tote from a shop in The Source Hotel. Lots of vintage clothes to be found in Denver as well! We also walked through the more famous Larimer Square early in the morning. It was very pretty! It was also very commercial - so up to you on how you like to shop and eat!

Biking: Renting bikes is so easy in Denver. We used Lyft to find bikes (and scooters) across the city and there are so many trails to take and explore different neighborhoods. We wanted to avoid ride shares as often as possible, so this was a great way to get from Point A to Point B. If the weather is nice, rent a bike and hit the road! Also, a little PSA about scooters…they are dangerous! I was super cautious on them as I know the horror stories. I took it slow around corners and braked very early. I am anxious! I did the things! I was not drunk! I still crashed. Turns out, those little wheels can’t take a bump in the road. Turns out, I broke my arm and bruised my face and knee too… I was the worst public health person and skipped medical care, so I continued on this trip with an undiagnosed broken arm - you won’t see a sling here. Oops! I have sworn off scooters forever now and just want to leave this story as me encouraging you to rent bikes and not scooters. kthx. (aftermath photo below because why not).

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: Denver can be explored by foot or via bike, scooter, and ride share pretty easily. We rented a car on our way out of town and stopped for burritos in Golden (Bonfire Burritos is a MUST, order ahead online) and then a little hike through Red Rocks. We only wish we could have experienced a concert here, but just sitting and taking in the space was wonderful.

This ends our “little” Denver guide. We may have left a little battered and bruised, but closing out Denver on Luke’s 30th birthday and ending the day with a beer in Fort Collins was the perfect way to start the next leg of our journey. Next up - Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain National Park!

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