My last post was about Trunk or Treat, but before that, hubby and I took a trip to Denver for a conference. I thought I’d share some pics and a bit of the experience with you.
We went to Denver at the beginning of October. It was surprisingly warm for this time of year and just a tad chilly at night. We were staying at the downtown Sheraton and could barely see the Rocky Mountains between the buildings in the distance. I was on the lookout not only for mountains, but also for a certain skyscraper designed by the son of some dear Mississippi friends.
On our first evening in town, we joined a couple of friends for dinner at a nearby restaurant called Corinne and then saw a play. On our walk back from the theater that night, we passed an illuminated lobby of a building with a sculpture of rods that were gently waving, like a field of grain, and I knew it was THE ONE! Our hotel was just one block away, and the next morning I discovered that our room included a prominent view of the new skyscraper! I love the way Block 162 reflects the sky at certain times of the day. It’s so cool!
The next day, hubby was busy, so I ventured out to the Denver Art Museum. The older part of it is built like a fortress (really); the newer part is supposed to be an artistic rendition of the nearby mountains–interesting and yet not very practical at all! Anyway, perusing several floors of 18th century to 20th century paintings was a great way to spend a couple of uninterrupted hours in Denver!
Hubby and I had noticed quite a number of tent villages around downtown on our way from the airport the night before, and I discovered that the homeless population on every block seemed unusually high, the strong smell of weed filling the air. I decided on my walk back to the hotel that I’d not walk alone in downtown Denver again.
I’d scheduled a walking tour with hubby for the following afternoon. Over the course of a couple of hours, we learned a lot of the history of Denver.
That night, we ate in the artsy LoDo District at Kachina Cantina with the work group. It offers fantastic food and a fun ambiance!
Hubby was busy again the next day, so I signed up for another walking tour that would show me a few different highlights of Downtown Denver. I thought it was interesting that the tour guides conveyed very different information at a few of the landmarks! However, the second tour was especially fun because it included visitors from Australia, Ireland, and South Africa, all in town for different reasons.
That evening, we found an Italian restaurant in a converted gas station at which to overeat, and then we stretched our legs at nearby City Park. The sunset was picturesque that evening.
On our last full day in Colorado, we rented a car and took a friend with us to explore Rocky Mountain National Park. Hubby, ever the good scout, had reserved a park entry pass ahead of time and scoped out some easy trail walks. We were some of the first people there, but the park ranger informed us that we should have also reserved a timed entry pass to get to those easy walks! We were so disappointed! The road inside the park that we wanted to take was only for those who had the additional reservation.
We pulled to the side of the road and hurriedly located a couple of walks that were further into the enormous park. The walks were pleasant enough, but we soon left RMNP and found some pretty walks and food in Estes Park.
After stopping to explore beautiful downtown Boulder, we went back to the hotel feeling like we’d used all our available steps for the day, fell into bed, and were at the busy, busy, (seriously) busy Denver airport by 5 a.m. for our 7 a.m. flight home. Whew!
And there you have it, friends–my 2023 report on the good, the bad, and the ugly in Denver, Colorado!
