8 Places to See and Eat in Denver

March 28, 2017

My parents are coming to Denver this weekend and I am so thrilled to show them around town. A little back story, my parents lived in Denver in the late 80's - early 90's, so needless to say, Denver has changed a ton.

When they lived here, Union Station was just a train station and downtown was a place you avoided like the plague. When I was born in Colorado, I was born in Littleton, now it's Centennial. Where I live now was fields of nothing-ness. Marijuana was not legal and the airport was actually close to Denver. Now, Denver is one of the largest growing cities in the country, growing quicker than San Fran and NYC. It's housing market competes with the likes of Chicago and NYC and the highways are almost worse than LA...almost.

But, it's my current hometown and I absolutely love being here. The last time my parents were in town, my dad drove a U-haul full of my childhood goods up from AZ to CO and we spent the weekend organizing. Sunday we went to a Broncos game and before we knew it, my plan to show then around Denver had failed and we had run out of time.

This weekend will change all of that. I have so much to show them!

If you have never been to Denver, this is your Top 8 (most favorite) Places to See, Eat and Do in Denver. If you are new around here, you will learn that I love to eat and I base a lot of my activities around where the next meal is coming from. Let's go.

Union Station, one of my favorite places. 
Overalls: Madewell; Shirt: Madewell; Bag: Louis Vuitton; Sunglasses: Rayban
  1. Union Station: Union Station is a dream. First it is a vision. They re-did the entire thing about 5 years ago and instead of just a bus and train station it is now a bar and even more. It's full of restaurants, bars, shops, book stores and flower booths. You can drink wine throughout the entire place. If you are in town, make a reservation at Mercantile and grab a glass of wine at Terminal Bar before you get seated. Cooper Lounge is so fabulous and fancy and upstairs. So you can actually look down over the entire station while you drink. Ir's amazing. Head to back and you can see real trains, my nephews would be amazed. 
  2. Red Rocks: Talk about a vision. Red Rocks boasts gorgeous views from literally every angle. Red Rocks is a park first and an amphitheater second. It has miles of trails around and throughout the entire park. The views are so incredible. Then you have this gorgeous amphitheater situated right in the middle of the park. Beginning late spring through early fall they have tons and tons of concerts, yoga on the rocks and movie nights on the weekends. If you're a Denver newbie or a long time local, Red Rocks is a must for everyone. Warning, to get to the top of the amphitheater requires a little hike with tons of stairs, wear comfy shoes. 
  3. Linger: Let's get a little more specific. Linger is my favorite brunch spot in Denver. If you love bottomless mimosas, ramen bowls or views of downtown, then Linger will become your favorite spot too. I, for one, am a sucker for bottomless anything so sign me up. Plus there's valet. Done. 
  4. The Breweries: Where to begin. Denver is the number one brewery location in the country. I don't know if that's actually true, but man alive, there are more breweries than I can even count. We've lived here for almost 3 years and have visited over 40 breweries and we haven't even breached the surface. My favorite just to name a view: Epic (Sour IPA), Breck Brewery *in Breckenridge, Lone Tree Brewery (you can bring your dogs), Resolute (the best food trucks in town) and Denver Beer Co (Princess Yum Yum!). 
  5. Coffee: This is kind of a weird one, but I am a sucker for cute coffee shops that let me take Instagram pictures. I'm being super honest here people, don't judge. Black Eye Coffee is my most favorite. It was voted the most instagrammed coffee shop in Denver. Monk and Mongoose in Lone Tree is also the cutest. Pigtrain Coffee Company in Union Station is in the same spot as the ice cream shop, so make you  get an affrogato. That's espresso over ice cream. You will not regret it. 
  6. The mountains: I cannot forget one of the biggest reasons Colorado is so amazing. Breckenridge is my favorite mountain town for skiing and hamburgers. Vail for shopping and you can bring your animals (Shout out Four Seasons!), Aspen is a fantasy town where I'm sure every mountain movie should be made in. Keystone is for torn ACLs, jkjk. There is a bar, the Snake River Saloon that has $.50 wings and they are the best things I've ever eaten.  
  7. Hiking: This goes hand in hand with the mountains, but Denver itself has some of the most amazing hiking and trails. The Cherry Creek trail can take you from downtown Denver to miles south of Denver on a trail that spreads over 40 miles long. Now if only my legs would carry me long enough to bike that. Denver is also attempting an initiative that will make every one in Denver walking distance to a trail, allowing people to spend more time outside. How cool is that. Props to you Denver. 
  8. Sports: Two words: Denver Broncos. Sure there are other professional sports teams, but when you have the Broncos, do you need more? My husband would disagree since he's a hockey and baseball fan, so shout-out to you Avalanche (Hockey) and Rockies (baseball). The honorable mention goes out to the Denver Nuggets, who I think are the worst basketball team. But the Avalanche are the worst hockey team too, so go Broncos. Peyton Manning, we miss you. 
Like I said, the view from Red Rocks is pretty amazing
Linger used to be Olinger Mortuary, now it's the best brunch spot. 
Black Eye, Monk & Mongoose, Pigtrain. You cannot go wrong with any of them
My fabulous parents, hubs and the Bronocs! 
Are you from Denver or planning a trip here? Let me know, my favorite part about Denver is being a tour guide! Or you can check out my 20 Denver Facts, my Ultimate Tour Guide or my Dog-Friendly Tour Guide here!

 photo signature_zpsjjb9ve7m.png

11 comments

  1. Ooooh so many great recommendations! I love trying places the locals love when I'm somewhere for the first time. Thanks for the recs!

    XO
    Lee Anne
    www.lifebylee.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is great! I'm planning a trip to Denver this summer and I've been looking for some recommendations on where to go. I'm especially interested in coffee spots and hiking trails :) I'll have to check out your recommendations!

    ReplyDelete
  3. How cute are you! I will def use this guide when i visit!

    Sabrina | Gypsy Tan

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was in Denver last Summer, and I saw Red Rocks many years ago. I love Denver! I could live there easily.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh wow I have never been to Denver but it looks beautiful! All your photos make me want to go travel there this summer. The coffee looks delicious! Thanks for all the tips I will be sure to use them when I get there. Thanks for sharing. XO

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've never really been to Denver but it seems a lot of fun. When I moved to Los Angeles, the plane landed in Denver before moving on to L.A. But I don't think that really counts. I'm a sucker for any good coffee shop. so that's a place I would check out first.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love Denver! It's a great city, and so close to the mountains as to have the best of both worlds! Linger sounds fantastic, I can't wait to add it to my list for our next visit!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is such perfect timing. I am going to Denver in a few weeks and have been looking for suggestions! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have never been! I will be sure to check these places out!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is so awesome! I'm going to Denver next month for a CLE conference and am already registered for a hike in Red Rocks. I'll definitely be adding some of these places to my list!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you so much for sharing this great blog.Very inspiring and helpful too.Hope you continue to share more of your ideas.I will definitely love to read. Denver to Beaver Creek Car Service

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from all of you and greatly appreciate all your feedback and comments! xx Kristen