We were due for another kid-free trip and Red Rocks has been on our list. So, a few months ago, we agreed upon Denver for our next and most recent adventure. My good friend, Erynn, just moved out there a few months ago, which made the trip much more enticing. Once we saw that The Avett Brothers were playing there over the 4th, it was a done deal.
Our first night, we headed to the Highlands for drinks and dinner. First stop was the Forest Room 5, which had had a cool mountain-y vibe, and then to dinner at El Five, a rooftop restaurant. We got lucky with amazing weather our first night and fireworks shot from the Colorado Rockies stadium. This started out our trip beautifully.
Recommend: Valencian Paella, Taboulleh Lettuce Wraps, and Eggplant Fries.
On the 4th of July, we drove into Boulder to hike the Flatirons. It was definitely a challenging hike but the view was totally worth it. The hike itself, up and down, was 3 miles total with a pretty steep incline.
After our hike, we hit up Avery Brewing Co in Boulder for a few beers.
Before dinner, we grabbed a drink at Cooper Lounge in Union Station.
Then, dinner at Kachina Cantina, located in the Dairy Block in downtown Denver.
Recommend: The Ceviche and the Chicken Enchiladas
On Friday, Nelson and I explored Denver by scooter, which was so much fun! To start the day, we grabbed coffee at Novo Coffee, and I went to yoga at Big Power Yoga.
Then we headed to RiNo for the remainder of the day. Grabbed lunch at Denver Central Market and then headed for the breweries. We finished our afternoon at C Squared Ciders playing giant games of cornhole, beer pong, and ladder golf.
Emerson Fry Leopard Top // MZWallace Bag
Friday night, our travel buddies, Rhea and Jonathan, got into town and we headed back to the Highlands for the night. We stumbled upon the Avanti Food Hall for a drink and then headed to Family Jones for dinner. We then hopped around and grabbed drinks at Lady Jane and then finished up at Williams & Graham Speakeasy.
Recommendations at Family Jones: Gin & Tonic (they make their own gin so this was not your normal gin & tonic, but so much better!) and Beef Strogagnocchi, which may have been my favorite dish of the entire trip!
On Saturday we had brunch at Mercantile and then headed back to RiNo for the afternoon. We had lunch at Acorn, where I had the BEST burger ever.
Recommend: Ricotta pancakes at Mercantile and duh, the burger at Acorn.
And as for the grand finale of our trip, we saw The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks on Saturday night! There are truly no words to describe this venue and this night. It was absolutely perfect. We got lucky with the best weather, the views and atmosphere are incredible, and well, then there’s The Avett Brothers. Honestly, the night felt magical. It is such a beautiful place and then you had beautiful sounds. Will definitely be returning for another concert here in the future!
To sum it up for you, here are our top recommendations:
TO EAT
- El Five (Highlands)
- Kachina Cantina (Milk Market)
- Family Jones (Highlands)
- Mercantile (Union Station)
- Stowaway (located in RiNo, this place was recommended to us, but was closed over the 4th)
- Denver Central Market (RiNo)
- The Source Market: Safta or Acorn Restaurant
TO DRINK
- Avery Brewing (hit this up after a hike in Boulder)
- Forest Room 5 (Highlands)
- The Cooper Lounge (located inside Union Station)
- The Woods Restaurant (rooftop at The Source)
- Lady Jane
Truly, everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. We loved exploring the city of Denver, the mountains of Boulder were absolutely beautiful, and Red Rocks was EPIC! I’d call it a successful trip and one well worth adding to your list!
XO
Shana
