Thanksgiving in Denver
Denver, the mile high city, is a beautiful place to visit. I am lucky that I had the opportunity to visit twice this year: in May for a wedding and for Thanksgiving. Funny, in May, I flew into a major snowstorm and in November we had moderate, sunny days with no precipitation at all. (I think that is because we brought our heaviest coats, scarves, boots and gloves).
I am going to highlight a few things we did in Denver:
Union Station:
Not just a train station, but a historic landmark in the heart of Denver, featuring restaurants, bars, shopping and even a luxury hotel: The Crawford Hotel. We took a few minutes to walk through on our way to dinner.
Eating: When our family gets together, we love to eat. Here a few of the restaurants we enjoyed:
Tavernetta:
Located next to Union Station and owned by the James Beard Award-winning team of Frasca Hospitality Group, the food was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu and Pecorino Romano.
El Five:
Nestled high above LoHi on the fifth floor of 2930 Umatilla, El Five boasts spectacular, unobstructed views of the downtown Denver skyline (see picture above taken on the balcony). The menu features small plates and is known for its varieties of paella. While we munched on a few tapas, we genuinely loved the seafood paella.
Smokin Yards BBQ:
We visited the Idaho Springs location on our way back from the train ride. Who doesn’t like bbq meat, pork and chicken? But my favorite thing we ordered was the hot beef sandwich with gravy.
Denver Central Market Food Hall:
For a foodie, a food hall is a treat. This one isn’t too big and doesn’t overwhelm you. We chose a few things to share: a pizza, lettuce wraps and my very favorite was a Berry Marscapone Cake from Izzio Bakery and Cafe.
Little Man Ice Cream
Rachel could not stop raving about this homemade ice cream. Even though nobody was hungry, we still got scoops, which we put in Rachel’s freezer and ate days later. And it did not disappoint.
Georgetown Loop Railroad:
If you have been following my adventures this year, you know I have been on my share of trains. But since Steve has never met a train he doesn’t like, we took Santa’s Rocky Mountain Adventure Train Ride. Santa visitted us while we rode through the forest and over the 95 foot tall High Bridge! This train offers seasonal rides and is perfect for families.
Red Rocks Amphitheater:
Red Rocks is is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure. Per Red Rock’s website: “At 6,450 feet above sea level, Red Rocks Park is a unique transitional zone where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains. The diverse environment allows visitors to see plants, birds and animals of both regions. Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a geological phenomenon – the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world. From Sting and The Beatles, to opera stars and U2, every artist aspires to play on this magical, spiritual and emotional stage.” I am looking forward to seeing a show the next time I visit.