Must-Dos When You are New to Denver

Everyone wants a travel healthcare contract in Denver. The food scene, the people, the easy access to the mountains; it’s a traveler’s dream. We were fortunate to get a 14 week physical therapy contract in Denver over the summer. There is so much to explore and we did not know where to start when we were new to Denver.

We fully embraced the city and the mountains, and jam packed as much as possible into our 14 weeks there. This is our list of delicious restaurants, rewarding hikes, and must-do outdoor activities for the summer. We hope you can use this guide to help you explore if you are either on contract or new to Denver.

FOOD

There is a wide variety of delicious places to eat in Denver. Our google maps is spotted with restaurants to check out. We did our best to eat as much as possible but also not break the bank. We by no means have been to all the best food spots, but we think we found some winners.

Sushi Den is at the top of our list. Our colleague recommended it and all we could think was how could a landlocked state have good sushi?? Well, let me tell you. This is the best sushi experience we have ever had (except for that one time in Tokyo, but hey hard to beat that). The restaurant ships in the fish overnight from Japan so everything is fresh. Our server was amazing and was happy to give his recommendations, which were all wonderful.

Casa Bonita opened back up while we were in Denver. It is well known throughout the community, and South Park fans, for it’s diving shows and raising your flag at the table for sopapillas. We went ahead and put ourselves on the reservation list only to get to go a whole year later when our reservation opened. That is how popular this place is! The diving was neat, but otherwise we were underwhelmed. I think it could be a great spot for people with kids or nostalgic for those who went when they were young.

Other Restaurants We Loved:

El Five is a great rooftop spot for tapas and views of downtown. We like the El Five Carajillo and the goat cheese croquettes are delicious. A reservation is recommended, but sometimes you can snag some bar top seats.
Hop Alley is a Chinese restaurant that has been recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand. They have a family style menu with some fun cocktails. The Hong You Chao Shou is a MUST! Reservations are also recommended here.
Cart Driver was recommended to us by a friend and we are so glad they did! It has the BEST wood fired pizza. Go for the early or late night happy hour, oysters, or the Daisy pizza.

BEER

Denver is known for their extensive craft brewery scene. Big beer companies like Coors and Blue Moon even call the Denver metro their home. You can smell the hops coming from Coors when you are in Golden.

Our favorite craft brewery is New Terrain Brewing Company in Golden, CO. We love Hazy IPAs and they have some great ones. They have a great patio, food trucks, and even some trails leading up to North Table Mountain from their parking lot.

As tasty as a beer is, did you know that there might be some health benefits soaking in the hops? The Oakwell Beer Spa offers a unique wellness experience of beer bath hydrotherapy and infrared sauna all while enjoying a beer. I surprised Adam here for his birthday and we thoroughly enjoyed this beer themed relaxing spa. Check out their spa packages here.

We enjoyed going out to the Bierstadt Laguerhaus with some friends to play oversized pub games while drinking a beer. The Blue Moon Brewing Company in RINO offers good food and brews that you cannot buy in stores. Coors Brewery offers brewery tours at their facility in Golden, but you must get your reservations 25 days prior to your trip. They sell out fast!

Outer Range Brewing Company in Frisco, CO was also a favorite brewery of ours, if you are near Breckenridge or out in the mountains and on your way home to Denver. They have a great selection of hazy IPAs and a patio with a view of the mountains. We went out of our way to come here because it is such a great spot. There is now a taproom in the French Alps!

SPORTS

Adam is a sports guy. He loves sports and especially his teams from San Diego (including the Chargers). He was happy that the Denver teams are in the same conferences as his teams. We were able to see the Chargers and the Padres play in Denver.

We went to Empower Field at Mile High Stadium to see the Chargers play the Denver Broncos. Cilantro Tacos Tequila Mezcal was where we went to get some food in our bellies and get the pre game going prior to the tailgate. We arrived early at the stadium to tailgate and met all kinds of interesting characters. The Broncos fans were friendly and inviting to us even though we were representing the rival team. Be sure to check out Little Machine Beer after the game to celebrate your win or drown your tears in beer 😉

The Colorado Rockies were in season while we were living in Denver and just so happened to be playing at home against the San Diego Padres. Coors Field is an awesome stadium located right in the city and with views of the Rocky Mountains from the seats. The Milk Market is a food hall that is about a 5 minute walk to the stadium. Have some tacos at ghost tortilla and a pre-game beer or cocktail at Moo Bar.

HIKES

There is no shortage of places to hike in and around Denver. Our favorite part about living in the Denver metro was the accessibilities to the outdoors and hiking. We could go to Green Mountain to hike after work or to Mesa Top and Cottonwood Canyon Loop for a morning hike when we did not want to drive into the mountains.

Isabelle Glacier Trail and Upper, Middle and Lower Blue Lakes Trail are some of our favorite hikes that we have ever done and got to do while living in Denver. We conquered our first 14er and hiked to the top of a few fire lookouts for some 360 views of the mountains. Rocky Mountain National Park has some beautiful trails through the mountains and up to alpine lakes. The possibilities for hiking in Denver are endless, with trails and climbs for all skill levels.

You can see a full list of our hiking recommendations and where to get your post-hike beer here.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the country and for good reason. We love a hike with beautiful mountain views and an alpine lake, and RMNP is full of them! One of our favorite trails of all time is Sky Pond.

The park is about 2 hours from Denver and has many different areas to explore. You can go to the park to camp or make it a day trip to hike due to its close proximity to the city. Estes Park is the mountain town right outside the park that is worth a visit. The Stanley Hotel is great place to stop for a beer or cocktail after a day in the park and has a fun movie history.

Drive along Trail Ridge Road for gorgeous views of the mountains and valley below. Lake Haiyaha is a must see alpine lake due its unique teal waters and small scramble to get there. Longs Peak is a 14er that is the highest point in RMNP and can be seen along some of the trails and is the backdrop of Chasm Lake.

A Timed Entry Reservation is required for the busy months and weekends. It usually starts around memorial day and ends mid-October. You need the Timed Entry + Bear Lake Road to access the hike to Sky Pond and Emerald Lake. The reservations are released 1 month early. Check the website early for the times the reservations are released for the dates that you will be in the park. Make your reservations here.

MOUNTAIN TOWNS

Idaho Springs is on the side of the mountain off I-70 with a river running along the highway and through the town. It has a great little downtown where the street is blocked off from cars. Explore the town after hiking to St Mary’s Glacier, white water rafting Clear Creek, or on the way back from driving up to the peak of Mt Blue Sky. Grab a beer at Westbound and Down Brewing Company or head to Beau Jo’s for their famous Mountain Pie, a Colorado style pizza with a side of honey.

Breckenridge is a vacation town known for its ski resorts in the winter and plethora of outdoor activities in the summer. Check out the shops on Main Street, walk along the Blue River, or have a beer at Breckenridge Brewery and Pub. Head towards the Illinois Creek Trailhead to see the Isak Heartstone troll or hike up to the alpine lake, Mohawk Lake.

Vail is a ritzy vacation town that I knew for the celebrities and heated sidewalks downtown. We car camped at Dillon Reservoir and headed here on a weekend for a hike and to explore the town. Lost Lake was a beautiful hike with views of the snow capped mountains past the rolling green hills. We had a beer at Vail Brewing Company on our way home.

Ouray is a cute picturesque town located in the San Juan Mountains and known as the “Switzerland of America”. We made a road trip to Western Colorado for a three day weekend to explore Ouray and hike one of our favorite trails that we have ever done, Blue Lakes Trail. Ouray Brewery has a great outdoor balcony where you can drink a beer and people watch the tourists walking about town.

There is a perimeter trail around Ouray that goes around the town and crosses over the Box Canyon Falls and by the Cascade Falls. You MUST drive down the Million Dollar Highway if you come to visit the town. It is known as one of the most beautiful highways in Colorado, and one of the most dangerous.

OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

White Water Rafting is a must during the Denver summer. We were convinced that we had to go after watching so many rafts go down Clear Creek all the times we drove up to the mountains on I-70. We chose to do an intermediate rafting trip through Rocky Mountain White Water Rafting in Idaho Springs.

The rafting trips range from Class III Beginner, Class IV Intermediate, and Class V Advanced. They provides a wetsuit to put over your swimsuit, and you can pay extra for booties and a jacket. Make sure to bring a towel and dry clothes for after your trip!

Class IV was perfect for us with big enough rapids to be fun and not scary! The company puts you through a safety orientation prior to taking the bus to the start of the rapids. We all thought that we were going to fall out of the raft after the orientation! No one was close to fall out and it was a great time.

River Tubing is a great way to cool down during the hot summer. We went tubing down Clear Creek in Golden and got in the creek before Lion’s Park. The city measures the flow rate of the river with a recommended range for tubing between 100-500 cfs. You can rent tubes at Golden River Sports and you can check the flow rate of Clear Creek here.

It is not a slow relaxing float… We should have been prepared when we saw that helmets were being rented with the tubes. Adam even got flipped in his tube over the rapids! There were people standing in the creek or along the side to help people who had flipped or got stuck. It was a lot of fun, but we thought it was a little scarier than white water rafting!

RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER

I think most people who love live music have heard of Red Rocks. It was a must do for us to see a concert there. We had heard that there is no better experience than the acoustics at this music venue. The tickets are pricey, but after waiting and continuously checking online, we snagged some tickets for Jon Pardi.

We purchased general admission seats and wished that we had arrived at the venue earlier. There are no individual seats, but long bench like seating for general admission. People were spreading out or they put blankets down taking up a lot of space to reserve seats. We had difficulty finding a place for our group of 4 to sit together. We ended up standing off to the side near the stage.

Jon Pardi put on an excellent show and the acoustics were as incredible as everyone had described. It was surreal to be at a concert immersed in natural red rock formations and under a clear night sky. A truly unique unforgettable experience.

The amphitheater is not only used for concerts. The locals also use the concert venue to exercise. On a Sunday morning you can find people doing group workouts along the benched seating, a couple running up and down the stairs, or someone just sitting on the steps soaking in the views. There are trails around the park to explore the red rock formations with views of the Denver skyline and a visitor center detailing the history of the venue.

ROAD TRIP TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Glacier National Park was high on our list to visit since we started travel therapy. A random day in March, while we were on contract in 29 Palms, CA, Adam saw on social media to make a reservation for Going to The Sun Road for Glacier National Park. Not knowing where in the world we would be living at the time, we made a reservation at Apgar Campground for 3 days at the end of June.

We ended up living in Denver when we made the trip up to Montana. It turned into an epic 6 day road trip and one of my favorite memories. We spent a day hiking and exploring Grand Tetons National Park on the way up and stopping to camp in Yellowstone on our way back. It was also our first time car camping in a Walmart parking lot!

We highly recommend making the trip up to Glacier if you are living in Denver during the summer. You can learn more about road tripping to Glacier National Park here

A Couple of Traveling PTs