Things to do in Denver

The following was provided by one of our members.  It is not intended as an endorsement of any of the named establishments or activities.

A few words of caution...

It is higher altitude, so drink lots of water and be cautious with alcohol.  With the lower oxygen content in your blood, you’ll feel the effects of alcohol with fewer drinks.

For those partaking in the legal recreational marijuana in town, keep in mind that it is not legal to smoke it on the street and there is no smoking of any type allowed in the hotel.  Take caution if consuming edible products to pay attention of portion sizing and that it may take 1-2 hours to kick in.  If you consume too much, or consume some and take on a night of drinking, you will regret it.

Sites

The Marriott Hotel is in downtown Denver at 18^th and California, while the Magnolia Hotel is about one block away at 17^th and Stout.  For those interested in exploring on foot, consider these options:

• It’s only two blocks from 16^th St Mall, which is a pedestrian/bus street running through downtown with a lot of restaurants and retail.  The shuttle bus running up and down this street is free and you can hop on at the end of any block
• You’re about a half-mile walk to Civic Center Park which is surrounded by the capitol building, state government building, city library and Denver Art Museum.
• Denver Art Museum – it’s two buildings of very different architecture.  If you want to visit it, I have a few guest passes.
• The Denver Mint is about a half-mile away (right next to Civic Center Park) and does tours with same-day ticket sales only.  Apparently there aren’t tours on May 2, but there should be on the 1^st and 3^rd. You can also just pop into the gift shop.  If you know someone who collects quarters, they have a change machine where you put in a dollar and get four brand new quarters that were produced in the last couple of weeks. 

Food

There are lots of restaurants within walking distance, particularly around 16^th St Mall.  Some ideas on the same block (16^th St between Welton and Glenarm) making it a good area to swing by if you’re looking for tables.

• Appaloosa Grill (http://appaloosagrill.com/) - Nearby on 16^th St Mall – American fare with a Colorado slant – you can pick up a Bison steak or Elk burger if you’d like.
• Paramount Café - Burger and sandwich focus
• Marlowe’s (http://www.marlowesdenver.com/) - Steakhouse, but only open for dinner on Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon
• Bayou Bob’s - Cajun and southern
• Guard and Grace – High end steakhouse just across the street.  I haven’t been there myself, but I’ve heard excellent things.  Be sure to get a reservation.
• 5280 Burger Bar (http://www.5280burgerbar.com/) - 16^th and Glenarm in the Pavilions shopping center lower floor.
• Yard House - regional chain with the largest set of beer taps in the area if you want a variety of beers with your meal.
• Yatai sushi food cart (http://www.yataifoodcart.com/) - It’s only at lunchtime, but one of Denver’s most popular food carts is right across the street.  The line can get 20+ people deep, but it moves quickly. 

Beer lovers

Colorado is home to a great many local breweries. Many local restaurants have local beers on tap or in bottles. Not many have their own locations downtown, so a restaurant might be best for sampling.  If you want it direct, you can visit:

• Wynkoop - http://www.wynkoop.com/  - Their own beer, food, billiards.  Ten blocks straight down 18^th St from the hotel.
• FreshCraft
• Falling Rock Tap House
• Yard House

Late night fun

• 1up - http://www.the-1up.com - Near Coors Field - Vintage arcade games, pinball, etc open until 2am

Coffee

There are multiple places within two blocks if you want something special for coffee:

• Fluid Coffee Bar – on Stout next to Magnolia hotel.  This is a true local place – their other location it right next to our office building and is very popular with our staff.   Opens at 6:30am
• Ink! – Colorado coffee chain at 17^th and Welton. Opens at 6:30am
• Starbucks – let’s be real, you’re downtown in a city – it’s hard to find a place to stand without a Starbucks in sight.  There’s one across the street from the hotel.
• Tea Cloud – a teahouse a couple of blocks away at 17^th and Champa, but it opens at 9am (boo!)