Joanne
Each year, my husband and I try to travel to somewhere new that we’ve never been before whether that be nationally, locally or abroad. This year, we wasted no time fulfilling that goal by using our 3-day MLK Jr. weekend traveling. We also knew we wouldn’t get another long weekend until Memorial Day and Jason started a new job at work and well, you know how that goes.
Our brainstorming on choosing a place really started with Dahlia literally the week before – but spontaneous trips are the best! She initially mentioned that she wanted to play in snow and though Tahoe is just a drive away, it can also be an excruciatingly painful drive back home on a long weekend, so we opted to fly somewhere that could possibly fit the bill (and budget) and Denver was it.
6:00 AM: Arrive in DEN and ‘Travel by Train’
Denver is a little more than a 2-hour flight from SFO and you can easily take a train into the heart of the Downtown area and be there in less than an hour. The trains are clean and monitored pretty well. It cost us $18 for two tickets into downtown Denver from the airport and you can use the tickets for the rest of the day. (Kids under 5 don’t need a ticket).
We got in really early, but luckily the trains were already running and made our way to the famous Union Station, the centrally located meeting point of all the other trains if you want to transfer. We came back here later on when the vendors and restaurants were open.
Saturday —
7:00 AM: Check into your Hotel Digs
Everything in Denver for the weekend was reasonably priced, so we looked for something that was located in a good spot. The Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Denver was a perfect fit for us, especially because we got to use our credit card points for a free night. SCORE! The hotel is located in an old Colorado National Bank building, so its high adorned ceilings and vintage bank vaults made it feel as such. Our room was nice and spacious and also came with a living room area, a plus with a toddler that likes to move around.
Once we got settled in, we opted to utilize our free breakfast credit at the hotel restaurant, Range.
9:00 AM: Exploring the Children’s Museum
We arrived at the Children’s Museum of Denver and noticed as we exited there were so many other things for kids to do too, like the Downtown Aquarium, an amusement park and water park called Elitch Gardens which operates from May to October, and a nice playground just in front of the museum. This is totally an area you could stay if you had more time in Denver and since we only had the weekend to explore, we opted to check out the museum.
The museum had so much to offer kids and Dahlia especially loved the outdoor play area where she got to jump around on hay bales and even tried the kids’ zipline a couple of times. They have nice picnic tables for you to enjoy a packed lunch but they also have items for you to purchase as well.
Our whole time at the museum, we kept telling each other how hot it was. I guess our assumption that it would be snowy or cold in Denver was wrong. What we got instead was great weather that lasted the whole weekend we were there! Oh well!
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11:00 AM: Walking Along the Platte River
Because of the location of the museum, I noticed a river just beside it. We decided to take a stroll and explore along the river to see what we could find. There were men fly fishing in the shallow waters, small serene waterfalls, views of the Denver Broncos’ Sports Authority Stadium, the Pepsi Center where the Denver Nuggets play, runners, dog walkers, bikers and more along the path.
1:00 PM: Take a Break inside of Union Station
We continued to walk and made a detour through the Denver Millennium Bridge where we stopped to take a look inside Union Station which was now open. As you walk in, you immediately see lots of faces enjoying conversations seated in the middle of the nice leather couches or playing shuffleboard. Surrounding the inside are shops and restaurants to buy snacks, food or a drink. We opted to get a snack and beverage at the Terminal Bar, one you can’t miss – maybe it was the bright lights that drew us in. People watching here is amazing and though it’s a mix of tourists and locals, Union Station is a stop you won’t want to miss on a trip to the Mile High City.
3:00 PM: Lights at Larimer Square
After our soft pretzel and Dahlia’s sprinkled donut, we walked about 8 minutes to Larimer Square. This stretch of street has a ton of unique boutique shops and restaurants that you can only find in Denver. It felt a bit more upscale here as we walked up and down Larimer Street, but it was the strung lights above that made it feel really special.
5:00 PM: Thanks, Uncle!
After exploring much of the city by foot, we decided to hop into an Uber to a local ramen restaurant called Uncle that was a recommendation from a friend in the LOHi (Lower Highlands) neighborhood. As soon as we pulled up, it wasn’t even 5pm, yet there was a line of more than 50 people out the door waiting. UH OH! We decided to stick it out since we only had the weekend here and stayed. We talked to locals and also others traveling that told us it would be worth it. A couple we were sitting next to drove for the weekend from Aspen and told us that they come here every time they stay in Denver. So, we waited 45 mins. which was fine because Dahlia was napping.
As soon as we walked in, the restaurant initially reminded me of Momofuku in New York and the menu seemed even similar. Later on, I would read that the owner actually set out to mimic David Chang’s restaurant but obviously put his own spin on it and has definitely succeeded. The dishes were delicious that I am still thinking about his cold noodle dish as we speak.
We ordered bao buns: fried eggplant, pork belly and soft-shelled crab, pork and the vegetarian mushroom ramen and lastly, the cold noodle dish with apples, arugula, cashews and a delicious spicy, peanut sauce. It was a fantastic meal and I definitely understand why locals and travelers keep coming back here.
Not into Ramen?
If ramen isn’t your cup of tea, just two door down from Uncle is an Italian restaurant called Bar Dough. The Chef du Cuisine here is currently on Top Chef Denver as the only chef from Denver, CO. The gentleman that was waiting in line in front of us at Uncle actually couldn’t wait the 45 mins. and told us that Bar Dough also had great food if we wanted to jump ship too. So, even though we didn’t eat here, we know the food is probably just as amazing.
Sunday —
9:00 AM: Bloody Marys and Biscuits
Time to eat….AGAIN! On a sunny Sunday morning, we headed out to Denver Biscuit Company. There are three different locations throughout the city, so we decided to go to the one on Colfax Avenue that also shares the same space as the Atomic Cowboy pizza parlor.
Again, we had to wait, but luckily we were able to buy some delicious and spicy Bloody Mary’s while we waited on the outdoor patio. Once we got seated, we obviously had to order a biscuit meal, so biscuits and gravy it was. The large buttery biscuits melt into your mouth as soon as you take a bite and it’s easy to see why people flock here. They offer so many decadent biscuit sandwiches they even have one named after Dahlia! Just Kidding. But no, seriously, they do have a sandwich called the Dahlia that comes with a homemade sausage patty, apple butter, a fried egg and maple syrup on a buttery biscuit. YUM!
11:30 AM: Have a Bear-y Good Time at the Zoo
After breakfast/brunch, we headed straight to the Denver Zoo which is located in Denver’s City Park. Here, we spent the entire afternoon enjoying the animals. We saw lions, orangutans, gorillas, elephants, mandrills, mountain animals and my personal favorite, the grizzly bears. The zoo has more than 4300 animals with demonstrations and feedings scheduled to see.
All throughout the zoo, you’ll also find snack kiosks and cafes to keep you going. My personal favorite was the pineapple and strawberry Dole whip.
5:00 PM: 16th Street Mall Walking
After a fun afternoon at the zoo, we decided to head back to our hotel to rest for a bit before we went back out. And since it was our last night, we didn’t want to venture our too far so we walked around the corner from our hotel to the infamous outdoor 16th street mall. Here, you’ll find lots of shops, sites and restaurants. Again, lights lit up the area which may be decor leftover from the Holidays and there is actually a free bus that goes up and down the mall if you don’t want to walk the entire thing.
The ‘mall’ as they call it is not your traditional indoor mall, yet it’s an outdoor shopping area, similar to Santana Row in San Jose, but not as upscale. It starts at Union Station and ends in front of Denver’s City Hall which was aglow with colorful lights.
Finally, we ended our stroll with a stop for dinner at Earl’s Kitchen + Bar which serves American (New) cuisine across Canada and with a few locations in the U.S. The decor was lovely and it was a very spacious restaurant. The food was good and we loved that we sat on the 2nd floor with views of the lights outside of the 16th street mall. It actually reminded us of a restaurant we went to in Barcelona and it was fun reminiscing our time there too.
8:00 PM: Time to Pack and Hit the Hay
After another long day, we walked back to the Renaissance Hotel and packed up our bags, because we had an early flight the next morning. Our trip was short and sweet and we definitely agreed that we’d rent a car if we ever visited Denver again whether it be in the Winter or Summer to venture out.
…And off to sleep we went.
Monday —
6:00 AM: Goodbye, Snowy Denver!
Well, on our way to the airport, it started snowing. Go figure! Though it was more slush than anything, we were actually okay that we got great weather while we were there and appreciated the fact that we could walk everywhere without being too cold.
…but until then, we still have got plenty on our list to do in the Mile High City! ‘Til next time, Denver! Ciao!
Other Denver and Nearby Recommendations if you Have More Time:
- Denver Art Museum
- Check out some Breweries (Denver has the most craft breweries of any city in the country)
- Day trip to Boulder, CO
- Visit the Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Visit the Wildlife Animal Sanctuary
- Day trip to Colorado Springs, Co
- Go on a Food Tour
- Head to a Nuggets, Rockies or Broncos game
- Go to the mountains for some snow play!
