Any Denver Tips

[chattadisser]

Planning a trip to Denver in the near future and was wondering if anyone had any tips on where to stay/eat. Places to see etc. Will be there before ski season.

 

[Earstou]

Definitely hit Casa Bonita with your kids! They have a waterfall with divers, plus other entertainment. Last time I was there, the food wasn't anything to write home about, but you have to go for the shows!
http://www.casabonitadenver.com/
(I see there is a coupon available, too. Place is a little pricey.)
We visited Dinosaur Ridge last trip and really enjoyed it, then drove into Golden and ate at the Ali Baba Grill, which had yummy greek food.

 

[chattadisser]

Forgot to mention. No kids.

 

[finz2left]

For me, the best thing about Denver is walking the city! You can walk the 16th street mall, then down along the river past the Pepsi Center and Mile High. It is a lovely walk! And SAFE!

Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret is a must see...and if there is a show at Red Rocks, ANY show, GO!!!! You can always get tickets there or on StubHub if they are sold out. It is a once in a lifetime event!

Drive up to Summit County and have a drink at the Ski Resorts....majestic summer views!

 

[UCFGrad01]

Head down to CO Springs one day if you can and hit Garden of the Gods. Such a beautiful walk.

16th St Mall is fun to walk, you can sign up for a Mint tour, the Denver Zoo and Botanical Gardens are also a lot of fun. Definitely see a show at Red Rocks if you can. Take a drive in the mountains, stop in some of the little town like Idaho Springs for some craft beer.

There are some great restaurants downtown. Case Bonita is THE mandatory tourist trap, but the food is awful. My favorites are Steubens, Atomic Cowboy/Denver Biscuit Company, and Sams #3.

If you've never been here, it's incredibly important to drink a ridiculous amount of water. Like way more than you think is reasonable or possible. You do that and you'll skip altitude sickness, usually. Also if you drink alcohol, remember that the altitude affects your tolerance. It won't take as much to affect you.

 

[wendow]

If you've never been here, it's incredibly important to drink a ridiculous amount of water. Like way more than you think is reasonable or possible. You do that and you'll skip altitude sickness, usually. Also if you drink alcohol, remember that the altitude affects your tolerance. It won't take as much to affect you.

THIS! You WILL have a horrendous headache if you do not keep up with the water.

 

[katclicks]

DO NOT GO TO CASA BONITA! Other than that, osteria Marco is one of our favorites. The botanic gardens has a Chulily exhibit through November. Red Rocks is beautiful too.

 

[UCFGrad01]

Lol, how in the world did Casa Bonita become such a 'thing', anyway? Anyone that's ever gone has hated it.

 

[wendow]

Lol, how in the world did Casa Bonita become such a 'thing', anyway? Anyone that's ever gone has hated it.

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend Casa Bonita to anyone! No one likes it

 

[dimimi]

You also might want to check the trip advisor site because they have reviews of hotels and forums about each city.

 

[clh2]

We were in Denver last summer for a few days, prior to going up to Rocky Mountain National park for a wedding.

If you have your travel days already determined - get tickets to tour the Denver mint! They are free. The state capital building is within walking distance - also free to walk around in it.

We also toured the Denver Fire Station museum (killing time before the mint tour). Really liked this, it cost money, but was very reasonable. There is a part of DH that never grew up - so he likes stuff like this! Very interesting - particulary the part of comparing the current technology to "old" technology on how fire information got relayed around town. There was an astronomical amount of cabling under the streets - just to relay fire-related info.

We just "happened" to be at the area by the state capital building/mint, on a day when it was "Lunch Truck Tuesday". OMG - I had the BEST meal EVER at one of the lunch trucks. It was a quesadilla with feta cheese, chicken, spinach and portabella mushrooms. DH went with a BBQ something or other.

If you stay downtown - please consider hotel parking in to your expenses. We stayed at a great "suites" place, and used up a bunch of points we had available, so had a great room, for $65/night. Parking was about $32'ish a night. Wasn't a surprise to us...but it is a significant cost.

We took the "free transport" from downtown all the way out to the Amtrak station and walked back to downtown. Stopped at a scuzzy "cellar bar", and had a fabulous time, loved the music, and they had cheap drinks! Not something we often do, but since we weren't driving that night - what the heck!

On our way out of town, we stopped at Hammond's Candy Factory for a tour. Tour was free, shopping at your own expense. We picked up some stuff for our DD for a care package!

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Something about Red Rock Amphitheatre...I can't put into words. I love it and I've never even seen a show there! It's so beautiful

You can do a Bronco's game - Go Broncos!

 

[Jeff_G]

The Denver Museum of nature and science is good
http://www.dmns.org

The Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative art was also good
http://www.kirklandmuseum.org/

 

[whatname]

We were in Denver a couple of years ago and toured the US Mint. It was interesting. And free! But, you have to sign up in advance, like months in advance. We had no problem finding a parking space in a nearby garage. We also went to the federal reserve. We got to see the security dogs and learn about them. I would have liked to have spent more time there. We didn't get to see much of it. It seems like we rode a trolley between the mint and the reserve. I don't remember how that worked, but it was nice. And maybe free?

I hear Garden of the Gods is nice.

 

[figment52]

Lol, how in the world did Casa Bonita become such a 'thing', anyway? Anyone that's ever gone has hated it.

I can't believe that place is still open. I think I was there in 1972 and and never went back.

 

[mikehn]

Lower downtown, blake st, coors field, all around that area, plenty to eat and drink. If you are into beer at all, that is the place to be.

 

[jedijill]

So much to see and do here. Skip Casa Bonita....the food is terrible! Lots of people have given you good advice. We have a great light rail system so if you stay someplace outside of downtown its super easy to get there via light rail with no parking fees!

Any concert at Red Rocks is amazing! The acoustics are fantastic and you can't beat the view.

Not sure what activities you like but we have white water rafting in Clear Creek which is just a short drive up into the mountains. Tons of hiking around town. It's only 1 1/2 hour drive to Estes Park which is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park.

We have an aquarium downtown with real mermaids that I haven't visited but heard is good.

Lots of great food...everything from high end to Diners, Dives, and Drive In type places (including a lot that have been on the show!)

Jill in CO

 

[chattadisser]

Thanks for the tips. What would be a good place to stay if I wasn't going to stay downtown and used the transit. Also is there a best way in from the airport other than a car rental into downtown. Thinking I could rent a car downtown for the days I want it and save money and parking.

 

[jedijill]

The light rail from the airport to downtown is not open yet so your best best will be taxi or a service like Super Shuttle.

I am most familiar with South Denver area and there are several hotels in the Denver Tech Center and down by Park Meadows mall in Lone Tree. All would be close to the light rail but the hotels are in the suburbs. Staying downtown would be more convenient especially if you were waiting to rent a car.

Jill in CO

 

[traviesojmt]

Lol, how in the world did Casa Bonita become such a 'thing', anyway? Anyone that's ever gone has hated it.

Oh, that place is terrible. We had 8 people ranging from 10-65 and we all thought it was a waste of time and money. I think everyone feels duped after going so they feel they must dupe someone else.