Seven Great Things to Do in Denver

Occasionally I have friends who come and visit me from out of town and I want to show them what Denver is like. So, I’ve created a short list of seven place I like to take friends when they are here showing them things I think are unique to Denver. Most of these are low cost or free. And, although many of my friends will disagree, I have Casa Bonita on this list as I see it as essential for anyone with kids to see. Your kids will love it even if you grumble about the price you pay for lousy food.

Denver Zoo

Denver has one of the better zoos I’ve seen. With over 80 acres of land, the zoo attracts over 1.6 million visitors a year. The best part is that several times a year the zoo offers free days. You’ll want to set aside the better part of a day to go here. The zoo is very well groomed and maintained with a wide variety of animals and habitats. Most of the animals are kept in large enclosures unlike some zoos I’ve been to where they were in little more than cages. During the winter months the zoo has eight free days and if you get lucky, one of those winter days will have temperatures in the high 60s or low 70s. Denver has strange weather like that! (http://www.denverzoo.org/)

Casa Bonita

Admittedly, the food is terrible at his restaurant, however, the entertainment value is hard to beat and is impressive enough that the TV cartoon series South Park devoted an entire episode to the place. Kids will absolutely love it and beg to go back. A meal is required to enter, but those “in the know” will tell you that if you complain you don’t want to eat or that you are a vegetarian, you can gain entrance for $10 which will include free soda and sopapillas. Inside you’ll find a 52,000 foot restaurant featuring caves and a giant 30 foot waterfall and 14 foot deep pool into which cliff divers perform back flips while a Mexican band plays in the background. It’s a must-see kind of place. (http://www.casabonitadenver.com/)

REI Super Store

For those of you who have been out of touch with outdoor sporting equipment, REI is among the elite names in the industry. Just west of downtown, REI has a very large building located right on the Platte river. I believe the building used to be a large power plant of some kind and when REI purchased it, they converted it over to a super store complete with a multi-story climbing wall. I was there just last week and walked through the four isles of backpacks watch as people were trying them on, loading them up with fake sacks weighted with sand. This is just the kind of thing REI would do, supply fake weights so customers can see how a pack fits on their back. Although I’ve never attended any events, I’m told REI also has organizes several events a week for customers to attend and they have several parking lots that are full at very odd hours and during the summer you can see folks in kayaks on the river side of REI. It is quite something to see!

Red Rocks Park and Dinosaur Ridge

On the far west side of Denver metro, at the base of the foothills, is the famous Red Rocks amphitheater and park. You can simply drive through the scenic loop and park at the top near the amphitheater, or you can spend several hours hiking the many trails through the beautiful rock formations. When you are done you can walk to the amphitheater and often during the day it is full of random people with nobody on stage. If you get the chance, seeing a live concert or Wednesday night movie will be an experience you won’t forget.

On the next hill, just east of red rocks park is dinosaur ridge where the first bones of a stegosaurus were found. The cool part is you can walk the couple mile path and see hundreds of dinosaur tracks just a few feet off the road. It’s absolutely amazing! For one american dollar you can take a look through there one room museum and often you’ll find a very, very nice volunteer who will personally walk you around and explain stuff. Not only that, for $4 you can take a 45 mins bus tour up the hillside. I swear this is the best $4 I’ve every spent for a bus tour! It is a must see.

U.S. Mint

Want to see the government in action making money? The mint is on my list of things to do and I’ve been trying to get there for over a month now. I recently found out you’ll want to reserve your spot a couple weeks in advance in order to get a free tour. So, currently I’m on the waiting list to get a tour after which I plan to fill out this section.

Coors Brewery Tour

Get some free beer and an inside peek how Coors makes beer from fresh Rock Mountain water. The brewery is technically in Golden which most will consider a part of Denver metro. I’ve not yet takend the tour, but I’m told it is awesome and that you get some free beer as a part of the tour.

16th Street Shopping

Years ago Denver closed off several blocks right in the middle of downtown to create a pedestrian walk-way and shopping district. You can choose to take the free tram, a horse drawn carriage, or bicycle carriage up and down the area. Sidewalk cafes and a wide variety of shops line the street while on weekends you may find street performers attracting crowds.