Ultimate Guide to Exploring Denver
The city of Denver is a great summertime destination. With cool morning temps and beautiful, warm, sunny afternoons – the city is a great place for anything outdoors. No wonder it’s patio season year-round in Denver!
Outdoor Events & Activities
We visited Denver in July so we could catch a Colorado Rockies baseball game at Coors Field. We had tickets to a Sunday afternoon game and little did we know it was the Hall of Fame induction for Todd Helton. How cool!
The themed promotional giveaway was sunhats, which were handed out after we entered the gate. Then we made our way to the souvenir shop to purchase a few items.
And before we found our seats, we grabbed an ice cold draft beer at the Sandlot. (Find out more about the history of the Sandlot in the Coors Brewery tour section of Golden, Colorado.)
Also located just down the street from Coors Field is the National Ballpark Museum. The curator’s lifelong love of baseball is what inspired the museum. Although it focuses on preserving the history of baseball in Denver, the museum has many artifacts and memorabilia from most MLB teams and stadiums. It’s well worth a visit!
Depending on the time of year, sports enthusiasts can also catch a Denver Broncos NFL game at Empower Field at Mile High or attend a Denver Nuggets NBA game at Ball Arena.
Attending an outdoor concert at Red Rocks was a bucket list item for us! We were able to see Stick Figure in concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. The venue is surrounded by incredibly large red rocks, thus making it one of the best outdoor amphitheaters in the US. The natural acoustics provide the perfect sound environment! Although visitors will encounter high-elevation, the experience is one of a kind! (And thankfully, there were shuttles running so we took a ride up to the parks main entrance.)
Olde Town Arvada
Our home-base in Denver was located near Olde Town Arvada. We found ourselves in Olde Town quite a few nights during our stay. We had mexican food at Teocali Cocina one evening.
We also enjoyed delicious strudels from Rheinlander Bakery.
Homegrown Tap & Dough has delicious salads and pizza as well as a fancy table situated in an old ski lift. Fine dining indeed!
And, Denver Beer Co. has a location in Olde Town Arvada with a nice patio. We enjoyed a cold beer out there one evening.
Denver has an amazing food scene. We love to find unique, fun places to dine when we travel and there were plenty here!
Breakfast/Brunch
Our first morning in town, we enjoyed brunch at The Bindery. They are known for their dutch pancake (in which I had to try!) My husband had the breakfast burger – yum!
We also had a lively morning at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox themed Sunday Brunch. This one was a 90’s MTV video brunch. Although their menu is the same each week, the theme changes. We enjoyed the food and entertainment through the DJ and music video’s!
Wendell’s and Fox Run Cafe were some other local breakfast spots we enjoyed! And, we couldn’t pass up stopping at Rosenberg’s Bagels on our way out of town!
Dinner
On our first evening in town, we made our way to the Lower Highlands area of Denver to eat at Linger. We enjoyed fabulous dishes like their lettuce wraps and wagyu sliders on the rooftop patio. Interesting Fact: Linger is located in a building that was a mortuary at one time. Olinger Mortuary was where William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s body was taken after he passed.
For a great burger at a reasonable price, Park Burger is an excellent choice. With several locations in the Denver area, it’s no wonder their burgers are award-winning! The classic cheeseburger with a side of parmesan truffle fries was perfect!
If you’re looking for a neighborhood Italian restaurant, Bar Dough is a solid choice. The arancini and house-made pasta dishes are popular selections. We sat at the bar, enjoying the cozy but casual atmosphere.
Maria Empanada is another delicious Denver staple. Aside from empanadas, they have quite a selection of desserts. Of course we had to try some fresh-made meat-filled Argentinian Empanadas. The Diego was my favorite!
Drinks
Located in the RiNo district is Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse. Upon walking to the entrance, we noticed the lovely covered patio and garden area outside, which we took advantage of on this beautiful evening. It was the perfect place to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail (or two!) There is also a large bar and plenty of seating inside.
Also located in the RiNo district is Blue Moon Brewing Co. Tours are offered at the facility, along with merchandise for purchase. They also have food and a variety of beers on tap. We snacked on their pretzel bites, which are made from spent grain.
For a speakeasy with a small food menu, Williams & Graham is the place! We enjoyed a drink and appetizer here before heading out to dinner. The bartenders are not only knowledgeable about their craft, but also super friendly. They gave us several recommendations of places to try while we were in town!
Inspired by Caribbean flare, Adrift Tiki Bar notes the island vibe! And bonus is they have Happy Hour Tuesdays (lucky us)! So, we sipped on happy drinks as we munched on edamame hummus, coconut shrimp, and pork belly sliders. ahhhh….life is good!!!
We had a wonderful time exploring Denver! The city is just a short 20 minute drive to Golden. And, it’s also just a little over an hour drive to either Fort Collins or Colorado Springs.
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