Hey y’all! I’m just getting settled back into my regular routine after traveling to Denver over the weekend with one of my best friends. One of my favorite things in life is traveling and when I get to do it with my bestie or family members, makes the experience that much more memorable. I felt it was only suitable to create a blog laying out just about everything you need to do in Denver with your Best Friend.

Let’s do this!

Why Denver? Well, besides Colorado being one of the top rated states for outdoor activities (hiking, biking, skiing, etc.) it’s also a young ambitious city. The night life is lively and getting around the city was super easy.

TBH the Uber driver said that traffic was horrible but living in Austin, ain’t nothin’ compared to heading north at 3pm on Mopac.

I have visited Denver a few times with my family over the years (clearly, we’re huge fans) but had never taken a trip with my bestie of about 7 years now, miss Katie Grose. I’m going to stop and give her a quick shout out because, well, she DESERVES it and so much more. She’s someone who I can always count on, who constantly inspires me to be a better human, and who I can freak dance with in the middle of a uncrowded room and feel 100% comfortable. Find yourself a bff like Katie and you’ll never be bored.

Alright, now let’s get into it! First things first, a good trip is all about your proximity to the social scene and accessibility to restaurants, museums, and a few tourist attractions thrown in there.

Stay

The Le Meridien Denver Downtown officially opened their doors in September of 2017. Making the hotel just over a year old when we visited. Making all the amenities, services, stay, etc. feel extremely modern and well-kept.

I’ve worked with Marriott hotels in the past and have always had an exceptional experience with them just based on quality for what you’re paying for and this was no exception.

The hotel offered extra special additions like a free bike rental, a Land Rover car service within 1 mile of the hotel, Gym equipped with Cardio machines, free weights, TRX, and a view of the mountains, on site locally sourced American comfort food at Corinne Restaurant, and amazing rooftop views of Downtown at 54thirty Rooftop.

The room itself was so light and airy with white accents and an open concept. I’d recommend staying here with someone you’re super comfortable with (like a bff).

Literally can’t rave about this hotel enough. The car service and bike rental themselves we’re so stinking convenient when it came to getting from A to B and in an exciting way!

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Eat

Where do I even begin. Honestly, truthfully, literally… every restaurant we went to was top of the line so tasty. By far though if I had to pick just one, at the top of my list is El Five located in the Highland area. It was 10’s across the board for every drink, dish, ambiance, and view. There is nothing they didn’t do right and this is a MUST GO if you’re in Denver. You want to go on a Friday or Saturday night to get some incredible views of the city and be showered with the best service. Also, try out their Brunch – we didn’t get a chance while we were in town but it’s a set charge and you get an insane amount of food and drinks out the wah-zoo. GO GO GO!

Here’s the full list of everywhere we ate while in the city and like I said, each one of them was amazing:

1. El Five (Dinner, Brunch)
2. Jelly Cafe (Breakfast, Brunch)
3. Just BE Kitchen (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch)
4. Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox (Dinner, Brunch)
5. The Rotary located in Avanti (Dinner)
6. Mizu Izakaya (Dinner)
7. Little Man Ice Cream (Anytime, duh)
8. Bang Up to the Elephant! (Brunch)
9. Corinne Restaurant (Dinner)
10. Garden of the Gods Market and Cafe (Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch)

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Play

Alright, this one can be tricky because everyone likes something just a little different but I’m going to go ahead and say going to an NFL game at the Mile-High stadium is a must. It was both Katie and I’s first big game and they just so happened to be playing the Texans, it seemed only fitting we attend. The stands we’re filled, energy on another level, and no matter who you were rooting for, the fans were a blast to be around.

Other things include:

1. Biking though Downtown and along the S. Platte River Trail or Cherry Creek Trail
2. Visiting REI (it’s ginormous)
3. Hiking in Garden of the Gods (rent a car and take the drive)
4. Hiking the Manitou Incline (it’s an intense climb, not for the faint of heart but boy do you feel accomplished at the top)
5. Visiting Red Rocks Amphitheater
6. Union Station
7. All the Breweries, seriously. (point your finger in any direction and make a day out of it)

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Thanks so much for reading and I really hope this inspires you to not only book a trip to Denver, but book a trip with your best friend. There’s nothing like creating those memories with your besties.

If you do end up visiting any of these places on your travel, tag me in your posts on Instagram and check out my other travel posts!