This past week I did something that a travel blogger should do…I traveled. After a long break due to the disease that shall not be named. This was my first time to Denver, in fact much of the west is a bit of a mystery to me. I had little idea as to what Denver is known for, although I do know a former insider that directed me to some good spots. Still one needs to see this city for itself to get a feel for it, so this is what I did.
From an outsider looking in, what is Denver known for? Denver, Colorado is known for its breweries, a great selection of meats, a younger population, and its beauty. These are just a few of the things that Denver seems to be famous for. Not to be forgotten, Denver is also known for its green chilis and excellent Mexican food. This list is not all inclusive, but it is what stood out to me.
Denver is a interesting city, but I was mixed about it overall. Maybe it was the fact that I travelled alone (a bit too soon) or some of the negative things that were highlighted because of the times we are in. Let me save that for a later post and discuss in more depth what Denver is known for.
Denver is Known for Its Beauty
At least on the outskirts, Denver is a beautiful city. It could be just me, I love the mountains, even if I did not visit them directly on this trip, they were all around me. Denver is near the mountains, but not in them so you get the benefit of being able to visit this city without all the hills on the streets.
The landscape is extremely beautiful, especially if you can get to a rooftop bar. If you desire to get a better look the obvious solution would be to go to Rocky Mountain National Park. If you are visiting from out of town you need to rent a car or take a tour. The park is about an hour and a half out of the city.
You do not have to travel an hour and a half to enjoy the mountains of Denver, the closest mountains (or really foothills) are about 12 miles away from the city. You can also visit Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, which has hiking trails as well as roaming buffalo (those are separated). This is only about a twenty-minute drive from Denver Center City. The proximity to the mountains as well as its abundance of nature makes Denver known for its beauty.
What Food is Denver Known For?
This is where I can almost say I am an expert, if you have read this blog before you know how much I eat. Denver was no different. I tried and I tried to consume everything the city had to offer. Luckily there are things in this town that help increase your appetite, I will get to that later. I would say Denver is a great eating town, I am not sure if it falls on my list here of my favorite food tourism cities. I would not hate you if you included it. Below is what Denver is famous for in terms of food.
Green Chilis/Mexican
Being from the east coast I did not realize just how bad are Mexican food is here in Charlotte. Most of the people I spoke with (who never visited the city) did not know Denver was such a hub for Mexican food. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. From my first bite of the free salsa I could taste the difference. The Mexican food from Denver to Charlotte, or even New York is not comparable.
Green Chilis take their dishes to a whole new level. If you go on the outskirts of town, they are grilling them fresh on the side of the road. Every Mexican restaurant has a bunch of dishes with green Chilies. When they add pork to it, you can put these chilies on a shoe, and it would taste amazing.
My personal favorite Mexican restaurant in the short time I visited Denver was La Loma (linked their website here) close to center city. The menu has a slew of items that include green chilis, you can also add them to any dish. I am a sucker for old lady recipes in restaurants. When I saw Grandmas famous green chili, I had to try this spot. If you are asking what is Denver known for, green chilis is on the top of the list…of course there is a more famous food.
Rocky Mountain Oysters
I did not see these in a slew of places, and I am starting to think they may be more of a novelty then a staple. Rocky mountain oysters are bull testicles for those of you who do not know. Not to be confused with the ones on Fire Island in New York. When served, it is best, they are somewhat fresh, (who likes the taste of old balls) and deep fried. I had mine at the famous Buckhorn Exchange and let me tell you… they were just OK.
My Opinion…
It was not even the guilt or disgust of what I was eating, I am just not a huge fried food guy (except with Chicken). I heard someone got them grilled, which sounds just awful also. I think my real issue with these, besides the fact that I was eating testicles, was they had a real organ like taste, almost like a gizzard. Try as I may I have never been able to enjoy organ meat. Rocky mountain oysters may be what Denver is known for, but they are not my cup of tea.
Game Meat (Meats in General)
Besides eating the testicles of an animal, the selection of creatures to eat seems endless. Given the areas proximity to the mountains and plains there are a lot of options which we do not see that often here on the East coast. At the Buckhorn Exchange I had a delicious Buffalo steak. Not gamey, like it is so many times, it was perfect. I know we can find buffalo here, but it’s never the same level of freshness and rarely in steak form.
I also had a great rattlesnake and rabbit hot dog. Well, the meat was great, spiced well, I was not crazy about the topping I chose (curry on a hot dog…is not wonderful). When in Denver swing by Biker Jims Gourmet Dogs for a selection of unusual hot dogs. I also had the mystical jackalope hot dog, which means I could have been eating anything from pig to possum.
Elk, beef, rabbit, duck and especially lamb are delicious in Colorado. It may be the best place for meat in the United states, although Texas may disagree. When going to Denver have as much game as possible, I do not think you will be disappointed.
Denver Omelet
I would be remiss if I did not mention the Denver Omelet in this part of the post. It is the only omelet I know named after a city, so I should at least touch on it. I had an extremely nice meal at The Delectable Egg, a place not too far from my hotel in the center of the city. For those who do not know it is an omelet with ham, cheddar cheese, bell peppers and onions. Nothing groundbreaking. Was my Denver omelet better than others I had, I am not sure…but admittedly it was damn good at the Delectable Egg.
What is Famous For: Beer
Denver has more breweries than any other city in the United States. I thought Charlotte had a lot of breweries, but it cannot even touch Denver in terms of volume. Needless to say, I drank a lot of beer when I visited. I hit many breweries, my favorite was the Great Divide Brewery, which is about three blocks from Coors Field. I had a good lager and the atmosphere was perfect.
Another great place to grab a drink is Tap Fourteen, which is a rooftop bar (not a brewery, but full of local beers). The atmosphere was what I really enjoyed about this spot. Admittedly, the customer service was lacking. The bartender was good, but when I walked in at exactly 11:00am the guy acted like I stole his first born. Still it had a great feel to it and a perfect view. Overall, I found it to be a really nice place with a good selection of beer.
I liked the beer a lot in Denver. My problem with breweries is they are extremely similar. Whether in Charlotte, Denver, or Asheville everyone has the same lineup of beer. A lot of IPAs and other hoppy products and a few weird flavors like grapefruit or strawberry (I do not consider those beers). They may finish it off with some subpar pilsners. Do not get me wrong I like a brewery now and then, but give me a whiskey any day of the week. I would say above all Denver is known for beer.
What is Denver Known For: Legalized Marijuana
While we are talking about getting F-d up, let us talk about the legal drugs. As a libertarian I am all into the legalization of Marijuana. If you like pot and you are not hurting anyone, well then get baked. My stance changed a bit (but not really) after this last weekend in Denver. Denver is known for having a younger crowd who like to smoke. My problem is that at times it is all you can smell.
Maybe I am turning into a crotchety old man, but when I go for a peaceful walk at 8:00 am I do not want to be overwhelmed with the smell of pot (or any smoke). Cars pull up people are high. Walking down the street people are high. I get that it is legal, but a little courtesy and responsibility would allow it to become more widespread. Stop proving the naysayers right!
This is not to say I did not wander into a pot store…I certainly could have! An edible may or may not have fallen in my mouth, which brought me to the sunken place from Stranger Things and making me crave both Ramen and hamburgers. Hypothetically, for the record, I settled on a hamburger from Cherry Cricket. I vaguely remember it being great. All I am asking for is some common sense when smoking or eating…after all aren’t pot heads known for their logical thinking?
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
If beer or pot are not your thing let me recommend a tour at Stranahan’s whiskey. It is a bit of a trek so you will need to grab a Uber. I really enjoyed this place. I had an amazing old fashion before the tour and loved the tour itself in which you are given what looks like about 6 shots. One of the highlights of my trip to Denver was Stranahan’s whiskey . I would have stayed longer but I had a date with bull testicles right afterword. To find out more about tour times there is a link in the heading of this paragraph.
What is Denver Known For: Easy Transportation
Maybe this was just my experience, but I felt like Denver was incredibly easy to navigate. First, leaving the airport you can catch a train to center city. The cost is $10.50, and it brings you directly to Union Station. The train and tickets are right outside the Westin hotel.
Once you get there you can walk the 10 blocks to your hotel like I did. I was only carrying a small backpack, so it was easy. Or like an intelligent person, go to the 16th street mall and take the free bus that runs up and down the street. Just jump on and off and it takes you almost to the capitol building.
Of course, there is always Uber or Lyft for those hard to reach spots. Those are good options as usual and relatively cheap. I walked a lot, the city is very easy to get around, when the weather is nice take a stroll instead of a car. I averaged around 33K steps a day to give you an idea of how much I footed it.
To Recap….
So what is Denver known for? To consolidate what I said above about Denver is famous for
- Great Food, like Green Chiles and Game meat
- Edible testicles
- Beer, Beer, and more Beer.
- Legalized Pot in so many wonderful forms.
- An awesome transportation system (in my opinion)
Those are the main things that I took away from my trip to Denver, but obviously the list is not all inclusive. My flight was so cheap I can see myself flying out again to explore the mountains a bit.
Conclusion: What is Denver Known For
So those are my takeaways from the city of Denver. Did I love everything about the area? No, and I will write another post shortly on the things I both loved and hated about the city. It is a different place, certainly with an interesting feel. It was also my first trip solo since the apocalypse ruined my life. When I once again grab a travel partner, I may return and my view may change. My eyes may open to some different aspect of the city. For now, the above is what I believe Denver is known for.
