To celebrate my birthday this year, my mom and I took a trip with Pack Up + Go and crossed a new city and state off our bucket lists, Denver, Colorado. We had always heard good things about the city, and we were excited about exploring a new location.
Good Food
One of our clues from Pack Up + Go was to arrive with an empty stomach because there was a lot of good food, and they were not wrong. We felt like we ate the whole time we were there, which was totally okay by me.
Our first stop after checking into our hotel was the Appaloosa Grill, per the recommendation of our concierge, located only a few blocks from the hotel along the 16th Street Mall. The restaurant boasted an expansive drink menu and delicious food. We highly recommend the Bison Sirloin and Ravioli.
On Saturday, we felt we ate the whole day. We started off the day with breakfast at Snooze, an AM eatery, in Union Station. According to one of my coworkers and our Pack Up + Go itinerary, Snooze is one of the IT places to eat when you visit Denver. We were instructed to get there early, and thanks to the time zone change, getting there at 7:00 AM before the lines was easy to do. We were able to enjoy a relaxing breakfast on their patio and watch Denver wake up. Mom got the Breakfast Pot Pie, and I tried the OMG! French Toast. We were not disappointed by the western breakfast chain.
For lunch, which ended up being brunch, we headed to Historians Ale House. This restaurant came as a recommendation of my coworker, and we seriously enjoyed their bottomless mimosas. They also served up one of the best burgers I have had in a while. We topped off the day with sunset views, apps, and drinks at the Peaks Lounge.
On Sunday, we grabbed a quick bagel breakfast at Bruegger’s Bagels before we explored a little more. We grabbed a quick snack after our morning excursion at The Denver Central Market. We finished out our time in Denver with lunch at Ale House for views of the city and delicious cider.
Now, let’s talk about the desserts, and ice cream specifically. Several of our Uber drivers shared their favorite ice cream shops, so, of course, we had to try them out. We started off with Milkbox Ice Creamery located in Union Station, then tested out Little Man Ice Cream. Our personal favorite was Little Man, which is conveniently located to Ale House.
Good Views
With the backdrop of the Rockies, Denver offers some pretty spectacular views. To start off with, you have the capitol views over the city. Did you know if you stand on the 13th step on the west side of the building you are at exactly 5,280 feet above sea level? It’s pretty cool to stand at the exact mark that got this city its nickname. But note, you can’t go inside the capitol building on weekends.
The second set of spectacular views is the Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s a pretty escape from the hustle of the city that offers some unique landscapes from what we are used to in the southern United States.
As mentioned above, Peaks Lounge offers some pretty views of the Rockies at sunset. You definitely want to get there early to grab a seat by the windows because it does get crowded. It’s a popular location for visitors!
The last place to get some spectacular views is Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater. Our itinerary suggested coming here for sunrise, but we opted for later in the morning. It was still a spectacular view and totally worth the excursion outside of town.
This weekend would not have the same without getting to spend some quality time with my mom. Thank you, Pack Up + Go, for a fun weekend to celebrate my birthday.
