This past fall, we flew (for FREE! Click here to learn more!) to Denver, Colorado for fall break. It was such a fun experience! Have you ever been to Denver???? Have you ever been to Colorado??? I had NO IDEA what we have been missing!! Denver is a massive metropolitan area. I don’t know why, but for some reason I always thought in my mind that Denver was the size of any typical city. I did not have a clue how truly big the city actually is!
Having said that, I will share with you five things that we actually did while we were in this massive city. There are thousands more things to do, so we WILL be returning in the future! From city to mountains to outdoor hikes to indoor plays, there are sights for EVERYONE.
Denver Art Museum
The first place I would like to talk about is the Denver Art Museum. This place is a must see for anyone who loves creativity! Take a look at the unique design in this elevator for instance! You can learn more about the Denver Art Museum by clicking here.
Denver Botanic Gardens
The second place that I would like to point out is the Denver Botanic Gardens. If you know ANYTHING about me at all, then you know that I am FULLY in LOVE with flowers and plants of all kinds, haha!! So, obviously we just HAD to check out the best flower place around!! There is much more to see than my few pictures, so check them out here!
Union Station
The third place that I would like to point out is Union Station – Denver. This place is GORGEOUS!! I absolutely LOVE the architecture! I love the feel of the whole atmosphere as soon as you walk inside.
While we were in Denver, we boarded a train called the California Zephyr. I have never gone on a real train ride before and, I tell you what, that was an AMAZING experience! It was soooo nice to just sit back and relax while we were traveling to our destination. They have food and drinks on board (honestly, in my personal opinion, it wasn’t the greatest for the price, but it worked for the trip) and the BEST scenery possible!
One thing I really noticed while on the train was that I did not feel motion sickness and I did not have to use my peppermint like I normally do when we travel. That was a neat discovery. This particular trip has made me want to go on other train trips in the future for sure! Click here if you want help planning your own trip!
United States Mint
The fourth place that I would like to point out is the United States Mint. This is a very neat place to visit! They offer tours of the factory and they have a gift shop where you can look and and purchase all kinds of coins, $ bills, and books. It is definitely worth the visit! (Small tip: leave your purse/bag in your hotel because you cannot take those on the tour.)
Downtown Denver
While we were in Denver, we walked around down town a little bit. I highly recommend this at least once to get a feel for what the inner city looks like! The architecture is what stood out to me the most. So many of the buildings are uniquely designed and it is interesting to walk around taking in all of the views. I recommend going for a walk both during the day and in the early evening. The evening lighting is beautiful as well.
Denver City Hall
While we were in Denver, we stayed at several Hyatt hotels. Some family who lives in the Denver area gave us the wise advice to pick hotels each night based on that day or the next day’s activities. Once we were there, I was so thankful for that advise, after I learned just how spread out the city actually is.
Our first day in Denver, we flew to Denver Airport and then rode the train to Union Station. From there, we walked several blocks to the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. This is a beautiful hotel, and I highly recommend staying here! Our second day in Denver, we rode the California Zephyr to Glenwood Springs and stayed at The Hotel Colorado.
As you can see from the below photos, it’s a unique place to stay, and I highly recommend it as well. We stayed in Glenwood Springs for a day and then rode the train back to Union Station in Denver, where we once again stayed at the Hyatt Regency Denver. After exploring the city, we ended our trip by staying at the Hyatt Place Pena Station/Denver Airport, before riding the train the next morning to the airport and flying home.
The filet minion at The Hotel Colorado was YUMMY!! And their asparagus was the absolute BEST I have ever had! I could easily chew every single bite, even down to the end of the stalk.
This is just a small recap of our quick trip to Denver, but it was enough to make us want to go BACK!! Have you been to Denver? What is your favorite part of Colorado? Please share in the comments! I would love to hear your ideas.