Denver in December

About 4 years ago one of my brothers made the decision to move to Denver, Colorado.  At the time, most of my family thought he was crazy. No one in our family had ever moved outside of our home state of Wisconsin, and he had no reason for leaving other than the fact that he just wanted to get out of our little nowhere town.  It was a pretty difficult concept for most of our family to grasp.

Since he moved, I have had the opportunity to visit him three times.  The very first day of my very first trip to visit him in Denver, everything clicked in my brain and I was able to completely understand his desire to move there.  The city is gorgeous, the people are kind, and its vicinity to the Rocky Mountains make for absolutely stunning views.

It just so happens that each time I have visited Denver the season has been different.  I’ve been during the months of May, August and most recently December. I had a blast all three times, but there is a bit of magic in the air in Denver in December during Christmas time.

There is so much to do and see in Denver and each time I’ve been there I have had completely new and different experiences. Here are some of my favorite memories from my most recent trip:

Union Station 

Union Station is a must see for anyone visiting Denver.  I actually never got the chance to explore this historic train station the first two times that I visited the city, but I made up for it on my most recent trip when I had the opportunity to stop in on three different occasions during the five days that I was there.  

There are two sit down restaurants, a bar, a cafe, an ice cream shop as well as a few boutique gift shops.  There is also a hotel on the upper levels whose mezzanine overlooks the main corridor of Union Station. Even if you don’t have the time to grab a drink or a meal at Union Station, definitely give yourself just a half hour or so to walk around and take in the sights and sounds of the bustling transportation hub.  

If you are flying in or out of Denver International Airport, you can take a railway directly from the airport to Union Station (or vice versa if you are headed in the opposite direction back to the airport).  Since it is an active train station and there is a hotel that is connected, it is not at all uncommon to see people with luggage, so you don’t have to worry about feeling weird about having luggage with you if you’d like to leave yourself time to sit down for a drink or a bit to eat while you are there.

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Snooze an A.M. Eatery

As the name suggests, Snooze is a breakfast and brunch restaurant specializing in sustainably serving up seasonal breakfast classics with innovative culinary twists.  There are actually quite a few snooze locations around the country with many more opening soon, but the restaurant originated in Denver. While there is a Snooze location in Union Station, the original location is actually in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood on Larimer Street.  Although I can’t say from experience, I’m told the original location is the best location in Denver. I had the opportunity to dine at the Union Station location on my last day in Denver before I caught the railway from Union Station back to the airport. Based on my experience I would highly recommend any of the Snooze restaurants.  The food was incredible, the prices were fair and the service was quick and friendly.

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16th Street Mall

How to I even begin to describe 16th Street Mall?! I feel like any words that I use will not do it justice.  It is a mile long stretch of a street in downtown Denver with countless shops, restaurants, and entertainment. The only vehicles that you will find driving on this portion of 16th street, whose street signs actually read “16th Street Mall,” are free public buses that take you from one end of the stretch to the other. You can find everything that you would find in a typical mall including but certainly not limited to Target, Ross, TJ MAXX, Loft, Express, H&M,a movie theater, and and ice rink during the winter time. Some of my favorite places to visit at 16th Street Mall however, are the more local shops and restaurants that you won’t find in a typical mall.  There are a number of Colorado gift and souvenir shops, a really great fur and leather shop, and a one-stop bowling alley/arcade/bar where you could easily spend hours eating, drinking and playing arcade games or bowling. If you are more into boutiques and upscale restaurants, Larimer square is another Denver shopping district offering such and is walking distance from the northwestern end of 16th Street Mall. If you have the time and like to shop, a full day can easily be spent exploring the 16th Street Mall and the surrounding area.

Denver Christkindl Market 

Ok, I have a confession to make about German Christmas markets: until this year, I had never been to one! However, I am so glad to say that I have been able to experience two different Christkindl Markets this year! My very own Milwaukee was able to bring a Chriskindl Market to the square outside of the Fiserv Forum (the brand new Milwaukee Bucks’ arena) and I had a chance to grab a souvenir mug of glühwein (a warm german wine drink) and roam around the different vendor huts.  This post is not dedicated to the Milwaukee Christkindl Market though, so let’s talk about Denver’s.

The Denver Christkindl Market is located in the heart of the downtown area on 16th Street Mall about a block away from Larimer Street.  There are a number of merchants set up in mini chalets serving up authentic German food, drinks, and knick-knacks. Although I have never been Chicago’s Christkindl Market, which is probably one of the most popular German Christmas markets in the U.S., USA Today did name Denver’s Christkindl market in their top ten.  Based on what I experienced of it and what USA has to say about it, I would say that the Denver Christkindl market is pretty legit and I would highly recommend checking it out if you happen to be in the Denver area around Christmas time.

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Colorado State Capitol 

Like any capitol building in the U.S., the Colorado State Capitol is a thing of beauty.  There is something very special about being able to freely roam a building where so many important decisions that affect such a large number of people are made on a daily basis.  It is a freedom that many other people in countries outside of the U.S. are not afforded and it is something that I do not take for granted. The architecture of the building is gorgeous to look at and the historical learnings are insightful to take in, but one thing that is truly unique about the Colorado State Capitol is the mile high step.  The step is engraved with the words “ONE MILE ABOVE SEA LEVEL” and is located on the riser of the 15th step (counting from the bottom) on the west side of the building. When visiting the Colorado State Capitol, you definitely have to find the mile high step, as it is one of the few locations in the “Mile High City” that is actually a mile high. (The elevation of rest of the city is just a smidgen lower than 5,280 feet). If your schedule allows for it, I would also recommend checking out some of the museums and public buildings near the Colorado State Capitol.  Between the State Capitol, the US Mint, and the various art and history museums, there is a ton of culture and history packed within just a few blocks of each other in the Capitol Hill / Civic Center areas of Denver.

Denver Biscuit Company

The folks at Atomic Cowboy in Colorado have a pretty great thing going. Atomic Cowboy is the home of both the Denver Biscuit Company as well as Fat Sully’s Pizza. So during brunch hours, they are serving up handmade southern style buttermilk biscuit creations and starting at 11:00 AM and extending into the wee hours of the morning (2:00 AM), you can grab a slice or a whole pie of New York style pizza. From what I have heard and read, both the Denver Biscuit Company and Fat Sully’s Pizza are tasty options, but being that brunch is one of my favorite meals, I had to try Denver Biscuit company.  I have to say, it did not disappoint. I had one of the biscuit sandwiches which was massive, delicious, and extremely filling. It is obvious that there is care taken in the making of the biscuits which are fluffy on the inside and slightly hardened on the outside, packing a slight crunch as you bite into them. It was everything delicious that you would expect from a handmade southern style biscuit.

Lula Rose General Store

Every time I visit a new city, I like to try and find a local coffee shop and get a latte or a coffee from a spot that is truly unique and that I won’t be able to find anywhere else in the world.  I look at it as a fun way to get a little bit of a glimpse into the true character of an area. Lula Rose General Store was my coffee shop of choice while I was in Denver, and it did not disappoint.  It is located on Colfax Avenue, a street which is jam packed with local charisma. The shop, which calls itself a general store, but whose main commodity is coffee and flowers, is absolutely adorable in the most Denver sense of the word. The interior feels very organic with its dyed concrete floors, artist-studio counter stools and plants and fair trade coffee lining the counters and windows. The exterior gives off a vintage 1950’s drive-in vibe that can’t be missed if you’re driving in either direction on Colfax, even among all the other local Denver uniqueness you will find on the avenue.    

Lookout Mountain 

If you are able to take a day to venture out of the city, check out the Golden, CO area. You will not be disappointed.  Aside from the Coors brewery which Golden is probably best known for, the town has a number of shops and restaurants in its downtown area which is as quaint of a downtown as you ever will find! Less than two miles from downtown Golden, sits Lookout Mountain.  Lookout Mountain is a foothill of the Rockies and on clear days, you get a stunning view of downtown Denver, which is about 12 miles to the east. Aside from the view of Denver, you will find hiking trails, a nature center and the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave site.  If you are feeling really ambitious, you could probably try and tackle all of these activities in a day. I would definitely propose leaving yourself time to take in the views though. The views are nearly breathtaking.

Red Rocks Amphitheater 

As a lifelong music lover, visiting Red Rocks Amphitheater has been on my bucket list for quite some time.  Can you believe that it took me until my third trip to Colorado to finally check out this historic venue?! What’s more is that during each of my other trips to Colorado I probably could have caught a live show there, but because my third visit was during the month of December, it was closed down for the season as a music venue.  That didn’t matter to me. I was determined to finally check out the place that so many of my favorite artists regard so dearly. Because the weather was pretty chilly the day that I visited, I figured that the place would be pretty dead. I was wrong. There was a constant flow of people coming and going from the main amphitheater/stage area despite the temperature being around the freezing mark, which was fascinating to me. It just goes to show how much appreciation people have for the place.  Experiencing the iconic live music venue on a day that a show was not taking place is something that I am glad I did and having had the ability to stand on the stage for myself will make me appreciate it that much more when I do have the opportunity to catch a show there.