Discover Denver: How to Make the Most of a Three Day Weekend

Denver, Colorado is known for being the Mile High City. Denver is a stunning city with so many amazing locations nearby. Honestly, I didn’t know much about Denver before visiting the city and the research I did, didn’t do the city justice whatsoever. I’m glad I decided to discover Denver, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Nestled in a valley in the mountains, Denver will take your breath away, figuratively and literally.

Home to dozens of thrift and vintage stores, Denver embraces the thrift mentality. An homage to the concept of reduce, reuse, and recycle. While walking down South Broadway one morning, I came across seven different thrift shops in a three-block radius. They varied from the usual suspects of Goodwill and the Salvation Army to more unique curated vintage shops.

Denver and art are synonymous. You can’t travel to Denver without taking the opportunity to explore the thriving art scene. In the Baker neighborhood, you’ll find dozens of murals created by the local art community surrounded by pastel Victorian homes that look like something out of your greatest dreams. Downtown Denver contains several immersive art exhibitions including the famed Meow Wolf Convergence Station and Prismajic. I wanted to discover Denver for myself.

Day 1 – Discover Denver

Whenever I visit a new place I always spend some time walking around the neighborhood I’m staying in to see what the area is like. The Baker neighborhood of Denver is one of those places you’d expect young, artsy folks to live with plenty of murals and artwork sprinkled throughout the main stretch of N. Broadway. Littered with independent thrift and coffee shops, N. Broadway has such an artistic spirit about it.

Shiki Dreams – Prismajic

Discover Denve

I was lucky enough to experience the last weekend of the immersive art exhibit, Shiki Dreams by Prismajic. You may have heard of Prismajic from their previous exhibit Natura Obscura in 2019. Shiki Dreams was reasonably priced at around $15 for a ticket, much more affordable than the larger and more opulent Meow Wolf. Focusing on the yeti, Shiki, the Japanese-inspired exhibit goes through the four seasons using augmented reality, black lights, and audio cues to tell the story. The exhibit features a wooden dragon structure for their winter section that’s a stroke of genius.

I did make a short stop at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in an old concert venue. The Tattered Cover came highly recommended by several locals due to its history and reputation. I was shocked at the absolute scale of the store that boasted multiple levels of every book imaginable and a quiet cafe.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

After a quick lunch, I stopped by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science which boasts 4 floors of fantastic displays on Natural Science. The museum’s space science section is a ton of fun if you’re with friends or children as it has hands-on activities for the entire family and presentations on the hour, including space real estate! Included was a “spaceship” of the future, something I hadn’t considered.

Day 2

I had a hard time adjusting to the time difference between Denver and my home city of Philadelphia so I sought out coffee (and doughnuts, don’t judge me!) at Queen City Collective Coffee. Queen City definitely rivals the local favorite, Voodoo Donuts, in terms of flavor and quality. I also loved the clean, industrial feel of the store that was sprinkled with a variety of art for sale. Their coffee is locally sourced and the baristas are well versed in all things caffeine. They also sell old-fashioned style donuts with a variety of unique flavors that rival even Voodoo’s offerings.

Elk Meadow Park

I am not what you would call an “outdoorsy” person by any stretch of the imagination but I definitely appreciate a beautiful hike. No matter where you go in Denver, you can see the mountains in the distance. There’s just something about seeing those mountains that makes you want to go on a hike. Hiking in the Denver area is no easy feat, even if you’re used to the elevation. As the city is already a thousand miles above sea level, any additional elevation is difficult to manage. Add on the fact that you dehydrate quickly means that it takes a while to acclimate.

A relatively easy hike we found was the Elk Meadow Park. Nestled in Jefferson County, Colorado the park boasts miles of trails. We did the easiest one and didn’t even make it up the entire trail before we had to tap out. Luckily, even a few hundred feet of elevation can completely change the landscape.

Day 3

Red Rocks Amphitheater

One of the last bucket list items I had on my list was the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Park. Red Rocks comes highly recommended by multiple travel sites as one of the best places to catch a Denver sunrise. On my last day here I woke up at the ungodly hour of 5 am to make sure I could see the sunrise on time. One of the great things about Red Rocks is the fact that you can drive up to the top of the Amphitheatre and park in an easily accessible parking lot. We were lucky enough to be some of the only people there on a Monday morning. I would highly suggest visiting during the week as there’s less of a likelihood of a concert.

Also, Red Rocks is pet-friendly which is awesome if you’re traveling with your furry friend. We brought two dogs with us and they had a blast greeting other dogs and generally were not bothered by the elevation. Sorry to anyone who was greeted by Lola while we were there, she’s a bit of a ham.

Meow Wolf

Some of you may have heard about Meow Wolf because of The House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, NM. My first introduction to the Meow Wolf art world was via the videos of Omega Mart that went viral in early 2021. Color me surprised when I found out that Meow Wolf also had a location in Denver that was brand new. Convergence Station is described as an interdimensional travel station with a central story surrounding missing people (or aliens). While it was expensive at $55 per person, this is a must-do in Denver. Meow Wolf puts a lot of time and effort into creating a story around this 70 plus room exhibit. The labyrinthian design transports you to a new place entirely. If you’d like to read a full review of Meow Wolf Denver click here.