Denver, CO

Updated: Nov 12, 2022

October 2022 | Our itinerary

Day 1: Friday

After taking the afternoon off on Friday, my dad and I headed to the DFW airport to catch our flight to Denver to meet up with Alec for the weekend. He had already been in the city since Wednesday for a free work trip he received due to his great sales earlier in the year!

We landed in Denver around 4pm, grabbed our rental car, and headed for the city. It took us about an hour to get from the airport to our hotel where we quickly checked in, dropped our bags, and drove over to our dinner reservation at Viewhouse. This was a place my dad recommended for the cool drinks and great views and it sure did not disappoint. Fortunately when making the reservation we were able to request sitting upstairs, so while enjoying our dinner + drinks we also got to overlook the mountains during sunset, truly unbeatable. To drink Alec had the house flight while I enjoyed their Candy Corn Cocktail off the Boos & Brews Halloween menu. Overall Alec liked all the beers he got to try and I loved my sweet drinks! As an appetizer, we started with the pigs in a blanket which were pretty good. As my dad would say, they aren’t necessarily known for their food so it was exactly what you would expect from a bar restaurant. Then to eat my dad and Alec both got the Korean pork tacos while I had the pineapple Mahi Mahi. We all agreed mine were better as their tacos were a little bland and flavorless. Nonetheless, a great place to go for a beautiful view, unique drinks, and fun bar atmosphere.

After dinner, we drove back to our hotel to drop off the car before our final stop for the night. Luckily, since our hotel was so centrally located, we were able to walk 10 minutes down the road to Bull & Bush , which is a popular, local pub. The vibe and atmosphere of this restaurant was unbeatable. With the flaming fire in the traditional fireplace and unique, antique knick knack decor, we thoroughly enjoyed our night caps chatting the evening away. Once we were finally ready to call it a night, we made the brisk walk back to our hotel and hit the hay before an eventful day of hiking and exploring on Saturday.

Day 2: Saturday

Saturday morning we slept in just a bit before getting up and heading to breakfast. When I went to the University of Denver my freshman year of college, we used to always eat at a unique diner called Jelly. So of course when we visited for the weekend, we had to go back to one of my fave places in the city. We obviously had to start off with some mini donut holes since that is what they are most well known for! They offer a variety of flavors but we went with all the classics + the seasonal pumpkin spice one, which was to die for. To eat Alec and my dad had the Pueblo Scramble while I enjoyed the Cornflake French Toast. It was also so tasty and filling before our afternoon of hiking in Boulder.

After paying our bill, we hopped back in the car and made the trek to Boulder, CO for some beautiful hiking trails. It was a little over an hour drive with just a little bit of traffic, which is pretty typical for that area. The ride through the mountains to the Hessie Trailhead was breathtaking! All the leaves were starting to change colors and really popped against the clear light blue sky. Unfortunately when we arrived at the Hessie Trail around 11am the parking lot was already full so the park ranger had to turn us around to hike a different trail. As we quickly pivoted our plans we found another popular trail up the road that we decided to hike instead called the Super Vu. This was a scenic option with a simple & easy path and some beautiful Aspen trees. We were told that if we would have come to Colorado 1 week earlier, we would have seen all of the Aspen trees changing colors to a gorgeous yellow instead of just some. Nonetheless there were still plenty of yellow leaves all around so we were happy! Once we finished that trail, we took a quick pit stop in Nederland for a bathroom break + snacks. This was the cutest little town with tons of local shops and restaurants. If you have time to eat a meal in this adorable little town, we highly recommend it. Before wrapping up our hiking adventures, we decided to do one more trail before calling it a day. About 5 minutes from town was the Tungsten Loop Trail around mud lake before heading back to Boulder. This hike is well-known for wild moose on the trails but unfortunately we didn’t see any. However, we did see a gorgeous lake with a picturesque mountain backdrop that seemed unreal. Overall, we just did the small loop around the lake, which took about 20 minutes.

Afterwards we hopped back in the car and drove to the highly recommended Avery Brewing. This was a super cool brewery with a fun atmosphere, tons of outdoor seating and lots of unique beer options to choose from. After putting our names down we grabbed a quick drink at the bar then before we knew it, our table was ready. We ended up sitting inside, because that was first available, but their outdoor seating area was huge and filled with people plus dogs! We started off with the brisket nachos while playing Uno, watching the hogs game, and enjoying our refreshing drinks. Alec had the White Rascal, I got the CranRaz Sparkle seltzer, and my dad had the Little Rascal. All were super tasty with very unique flavors. Once we finished our nachos and drinks too, we drove an hour back to our hotel in Cherry Creek.

After resting, relaxing, and freshening up, we drove over to the Washington Park area to grab a bite to eat. We ended up eating at Homegrown Tap & Dough, which was an incredible choice! We had to wait about 10 minutes for a table, but this place was popping, so we knew it was a local fan fave. The indoor section was pretty small so we got to sit outside, which we were actually hoping for because the weather was so incredibly nice. However, I highly recommend a light jacket once the sun goes down because it does get a little chilly at night. We ended up splitting the Spicy Italian Sausage and Funguy (no mushrooms) and both were to die for! As we watched the sunset on the cute little downtown area, enjoying our warm pies surrounded by the changing of the leaves, we couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. After devouring our pizzas and paying our bill, we walked to the other end of the street to grab a quick drink from Agave Taco Bar. This was a super festive little local bar filled with eclectic knickknacks and Halloween decor.

Of course before we could leave Denver, we just had to stop by the best ice cream spot in town, Bonnie Brae. After trying way too many flavors (that I didn’t end up ordering) I got the Reese’s cup, Alec got the cookies and creme, and my dad got the pumpkin spice. All in waffle cones which were so tasty and made fresh at the store! Such a cute, antique looking ice cream parlor that has been around since 1986. A must try if you are in the Denver area!

All in all it was such a quick and fun weekend getaway getting to explore more of the city + enjoy some beautiful, fall weather making memories that will last a lifetime!

Day 3: Sunday

Sunday morning we had to get up pretty early to be able to swing by my favorite bagel shop in the world before heading to the Denver International Airport. Once we got up, finished packing our bags, and checked out, we drove to the University of Denver campus to enjoy some breakfast at Bruegger’s Bagels. When I went to DU my freshman year of college, I discovered this place and absolutely fell in love. From that day on, anytime I see a Brugger’s I have to stop and get the Western Bagel. It has the perfect mix of sweet + savory! Alec tried the X and my dad got the X, both good but not nearly as good as mine.

Once we finished eating, we hopped back in the car to make the trek back to the airport (which is located pretty far outside of Denver itself.) All in all it was a great trip visiting the beautiful state of CO, getting to see some gorgeous fall scenery, and enjoying the cooler weather! Already looking forward to coming back again soon :)

What to Wear

Fall Inspired Looks

Where to stay

When trying to figure out where to stay in the Denver area it is important to first think about where you want to go and what you want to do. If you are more into the city scene it is probably best to stay in the general Denver area (either downtown or Cherry Creek) but if you are wanting to do more hiking and site-seeing yet still be close to the city life, Boulder or Golden might be a better option for you.

During our trip this time, we used points to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Cherry Creek. Great hotel option for the weekend with spacious rooms, friendly staff, and convenient location.

Below are some top rated hotels in both areas for you to pick and choose from based on your itinerary and interests!

City vibes:

Aviation Basecamp Airbnb (downtown)

Curtis Hotel (downtown)

Denver Victorian Airbnb (washington park)

Halcyon (cherry creek)

Hotel Clio (cherry creek)

Magnolia Hotel Denver (downtown)

Maven Hotel at Dairy Block (downtown)

Redbrick Cottage (washington park)

The Jacquard (cherry creek)

Outdoorsy stays:

Boulder Marriott (boulder)

Elevation Luxury Escape (golden)

Golden Cottage (golden)

Home-Away (boulder)

Hotel Boulderado (boulder)

Modern Mountain Home (boulder)

The Dove Inn (golden)

How to get around Whether you plan to stay in the city or in the country, we highly recommend renting a car during your stay in CO. There are just too many things to see + do that aren’t necessarily super close to one another so it makes it much easier to hit all the major site-seeing spots when you have a vehicle on hand.

In the downtown/more city areas it can be a little more difficult to park but honestly if you are patient you can typically find a spot with little to no wait/not a far walk away from your destination.

Same thing goes for if you plan to drive to the mountains. There is usually tons of parking opportunities just be sure to rent something that is larger/can off road a bit if need be.

Where to eat

Coffee + Breakfast

Blue Sparrow Coffee

Bruegger’s Bagels*

Cream Coffee House

Lekker Coffee and Watering Hole

Brunch