Day 30 of USA Road Trip – Denver

We are having the best time in Colorado, it’s really beautiful and I definitely want to come back during winter to see it all in the snow! Yesterday, we explored Denver. There was a Park & Ride only 5 minutes drive from the hotel, so we opted for that to get into the city. It was a 45 minute bus ride, but I didn’t mind as I had my excellent book with me; The Glass Castle. 

We arrived downtown and it felt so good to be in a big(ish) city with loads going on and lots to see. We walked along the 16th Street Mall and came across a sign advertising a Money Museum. We were only mildly interested until we saw the word ‘free’, at which point we marched enthusiastically towards the entrance. It was actually a really cool place, with loads of interactive exhibits and little bags of shredded money that you could take away with you. Ewan and I enjoyed acting like kids and designing our own dollar note using crayons and stencils (I know, we’re too cool) and I got a glimpse of what my face would look like on money. Personally, I don’t think anythings ever suited me more. 

After all this excitement, we headed for a walk along the river before grabbing a coffee and some gluten free cakes at a book store. We sat in front of Union Station with them, people watching and sunbathing. 

After a couple hours of wandering around the city, we headed to Larimer Square to find somewhere to have lunch. If you’ve been reading this blog, you’ll know that Ewan and I have a soft spot for Lederhosen. This soft spot for Germany also extends to German food, especially currywurst. As soon as we saw Rhein Haus and it’s cheery blue umbrellas, we knew we had a winner. They have a super cheap Happy Hour menu with loads of gluten free options, including currywurst for only $5! Thinking that the portions would be as small as the price, I went for the currywurst and potato salad. The food arrived and the portions were enormous – we definitely should have shared! You can also play Bocce Ball (Bowles to my UK readers) for free at the restaurant.  

After lunch, it was time to tick off some more of Denver’s top sights. We saw the huge Blue Bear peeking into the Convention Centre and the gorgeous Courthouse, which hilariously we mistook for a public attraction and went in. Two security guards asked us if we were due in court today, and upon seeing our confused faces, showed our tourist asses the door. 

Thankfully, we had more luck with the Capitol Building and enjoyed roaming around it and peeking into lots of interesting rooms. We spotted a plaque at the front of the building that marked the one mile above sea level point. It’s weird to think that Denver is so high up, but we could definitely feel the altitude as we were walking up all the steps inside the building (or that could have been the currywurst weighing us down). 

Overall, I loved Denver and had such a good day exploring the city. We are in Colorado Springs at the moment and have lots of cool things on the agenda for tomorrow. Will update shortly!

Ps. Bug bite welts have all but gone. Yay!