The Mile High City is very much alive and bursting with things to do, writes Stephanie Holmes.
Coloradans are an outdoorsy bunch, and that applies to Denver city slickers too. When you're surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, the fresh altitudinal air, and a climate that sees 300 days of
sunshine every year, it's no surprise residents like to get out and about.
To get a sense of the city and its surrounds, try a tour with Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides. The local company offers half-day bike tours of Denver, as well as multiple tours taking you further afield in Colorado. They'll also customise a tour just for you.
coloradowildernessridesandguides.com
About 30 minutes' drive from Downtown Denver is the stunning
, an incredible natural amphitheatre surrounded by rocks dating back hundreds of millions of years. As well as being an acclaimed live music venue, it's also a pretty popular place for fitness junkies, who want to give their lungs an even harder workout by exercising at 1950m above sea level. It's used by runners, cross-fitters and boot campers, as well as the regular Yoga on the Rocks and Barre on the Rocks classes. If you want to join a class, make sure you sign up online in advance; they get booked up very quickly.
For something completely different, how about a Guilty Pleasures Karaoke Ryde? These spin classes, held every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning at
's studio in River North — or RiNo — are "60-minute karaoke-fuelled endurance rides structured around the science of your own heart beat". The classes make you push yourself just enough for an aerobic workout, but leaving you with enough breathpower to talk ... and sing.
Denver is awash with amazing murals and art works, with local graffiti and street artists using the city's buildings as a living canvas.
There are seven designated art districts in the city, and all hold First Friday Art Walks on the first Friday of each month, where galleries, studios and cultural attractions stay open late, with food trucks and live music adding to the celebratory atmosphere.
In September, the annual Crush festival takes place in the RiNo Arts District. The week-long event sees artists repainting over existing murals or creating new pieces of art on blank walls, and anyone can wander through this living art gallery and watch the new works come to life.
If you like your art a little more traditional, Denver has a huge collection of museums and galleries, including the exceptional Denver Art Museum, which has 70,000 works on display.
From September 16, the Rembrandt: Painter as Printmaker exhibition is on at DAM, showcasing more than 100 prints, drawings, and paintings from Rembrandt van Rijn's career spanning from 1625 to 1665.
Many of the city's museums offer after-hours experiences, where you can visit once the daytime crowds have gone home and enjoy special entertainment, food and interactive experiences.
For music lovers, Denver is awash with live venues, from tiny dive bars and jazz clubs to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Some of the city's best include The Fillmore Auditorium; The Bluebird Theatre; Ophelia's Electric Soapbox (which is a former brothel); jazz club El Chapultepec, and country music favourite Grizzly Rose.
In September, Denver plays host to the inaugural
Grandoozy music and arts festival
, a three-day event of local food and drink, and big name headliners such as Kendrick Lamar, Florence and the Machine, and Stevie Wonder.
There's also a buzzing scene for LGBTQI+ travellers, with big events such as the annual Denver PrideFest every June, and the Rocky Mountain Regional Gay Rodeo in July, as well as many gay-friendly bars and nightclubs.
Favourites include R&R Bar, Hamburger Mary's, X Bar, Tracks, and Blush & Blu.
Park Meadows Retail Resort is Denver's largest shopping centre, located less than 10km from the city, with 185 stores and restaurants on site. There's also the Cherry Creek Shopping Center — with 160 brand-name stores — and Cherry Creek North, a 16-block walkable district with the region's largest collection of independently owned shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants and spas.
In downtown Denver, you'll find the 16th Street Mall, a 16-block pedestrianised street with shopping, public art, restaurants and cafes, and the outdoor complex Denver Pavilions. There's also a free shuttle bus that runs the length of the mall, so you don't need to worry about tired feet.
For vintage shoppers, head to Antique Row to find 18 blocks with more than 100 antiques stores, as well as art galleries and independent boutiques; or the South Broadway Shopping District for vintage clothing and specialty stores.
If altitude isn't the only high you're looking for, marijuana is legal in Colorado for medical and recreational use. Denver has the highest concentration of recreational marijuana stores in Colorado, which are open to tourists as well as residents — but you must abide by state laws, which include age restrictions, and rules around how much you can purchase and where you can use it. Basically don't smoke a big, fat joint in the middle of the street or on a bar's rooftop terrace, unless you want to receive a fine. And remember it's illegal to take marijuana across state lines — so use it or lose it before you leave.
marijuanainfodenver.org
Got the munchies? The quality of food in Denver is excellent, with a huge number of restaurants, cafes and food trucks. Your journey into Denver will likely begin or end at
, where airport trains arrive and depart. The building is a 100-year-old landmark, which has been transformed into a dining and shopping hub. You'll find a weekly farmers' market on Saturdays during the summer months, and inside the building you'll find a range of restaurants giving a representation of Colorado food.
The newly-opened
has 16 different venues under one roof, from takeaway to dine-in restaurants, to bars, to delis.
Denver Central Market has a similar feel, with a variety of local vendors coming together to form this gourmet marketplace and food hall. There's a butcher, a baker, a cocktail maker, and unmissable icecream from High Point Creamery. Grab a cone to go, then take it to the alley out back to see some of RiNo's famed street art and murals. denvercentralmarket.com
One of my favourite meals came at Linger in the Lower Highlands (LoHi) district. The building itself is an old mortuary but don't let that put you off — the food is creative and affordable, with dishes inspired by the cuisines of Korea, Mexico, India, Germany, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Don't miss the Colorado lamb kabobs or the Korean fried chicken bao bun. After dinner, head to the rooftop, which often makes "best of" lists thanks to its old Airstream caravan bar and amazing views across the city. If you need a late-night sugar rush, look out for Little Man Ice Cream next door. You can't miss it — look for the 9m high imitation icecream pail and queues around the block. lingerdenver.com; littlemanicecream.com
With about 100 brewpubs, breweries and tap rooms in the metro area, Denver is a haven for craft beer fans. Many offer brewery tours, or you can download a free Denver Beer Trail guide, which gives suggested itineraries to help you make the most of each neighbourhood's offerings.
If you're more grape than grain, you can take a day trip out to the Western Slope Wineries or find something within the city. The Infinite Monkey Theorem is a 1400sq m urban winery in RiNo, where the locally made wines are canned rather than bottled. Why? Well, it all comes back to Denver's outdoor culture — cans are more practical when you're hiking, biking, camping or heading to the snow, plus aluminium is recyclable.
theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com
As well as Linger, there are other great rooftop bars in the city — favourites include Avanti F&B, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Solitaire, Ignite Kitchen & Cocktails, and the ViewHouse Eatery Bar & Rooftop. Denver does speakeasies very well, too — hunt down Retrograde (behind the freezer door at icecream store Frozen Matter), Williams & Graham (looks like a bookstore, but the bookcases swing open to reveal the bar), or Green Russell (down a staircase, then through a door within a pie shop).
I spent five nights at the
at the Colorado Convention Center and found it comfortable, functional and stylish, with spacious rooms, and all the facilities you need. There's a gym, spa, restaurant, bar and swimming pool but most importantly, the beds are exceptionally comfortable. Essential for recovering from a jam-packed itinerary.
GETTING THERE
Air NZ flies Auckland to LA, with connections to Denver on partner airlines.
DETAILS
denver.org
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