Happy Thurdsay!! Unfortunately this is not a holiday post (don’t worry, lot’s of those to come), but it’s all about my trip to DENVER a couple weeks ago. My friend and I booked super cheap flights on Southwest and Spirit for a quick four-day trip to Denver, and it was such a great trip. It was never a place I had really thought much about, but I feel like those trips always end up being the best. So read on, enjoy and I’ll see you soon for lot’s more holiday content! xx
Where we stayed
We found a great little Airbnb for two on Garfield Street, just two miles away from the downtown area and right by City Park. It’s a pretty safe neighborhood but a little sketchy, but then again what cities aren’t. There were a ton of little restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and supermarkets right down the street from us, so it was a perfect location. On the first day we walked down Colfax Avenue down to the Lodo area and it was a really nice, easy walk (or an Uber was about $6 for a pool for two. Our place was also right across from City Park, which made for a perfect morning walk before heading into town for the day. I would highly recommend staying in this area if you’re ever in Denver.
Where we went
Since we stayed so close to the downtown area, we spent quite a bit of time there, around 16th Street Mall and Larimer Square. Our first day was full of shopping. We wandered down to the LODO area and walked in and out of all the stores and boutiques, and making quite a few purchases (because #vacay right?) and stopping for a quick lunch along the way. Since Commons Park was at the end of the mall, we walked down there to look at the city and snap a few photos. In the afternoon, we Ubered down to the North Broadway/6th Ave area where there are a lot of thrift stores. Before going to Denver, almost all of our family and friends told us we had to check out the thrift stores (if you want to see what I bought, keep an eye out for my October Favorites post, going up tomorrow) where I found a ton of super cute things. We also stumbled upon an 80s costume store that had all the little toys and knick-knacks I used to have/play with when I was younger, so of course I had to pick out some of those goodies. By 5pm, we were deliriously tired (since we flew overnight and landed at 8am that morning), so we picked up food for dinner and headed home for the night, passing out for a solid 12 hours.
The next day we decided to head up to Boulder for the day. So we made our way to Union Station, which was absolutely beautiful, to grab a pastry and some coffee before we left. We decided to take the bus, which was $10.50 for a round-trip to Boulder which took about 50 minutes each way. It was so easy and inexpensive, so I highly recommend doing that. That day was a Sunday, so we were hoping to find a farmers market or something, but what we found was even more special. It happened to be Indigenous People’s Day, so there was a market and a small celebration of Native people celebrating, which we were lucky enough to be a part of for a little bit. There were little stalls set up selling jewelry, home decor and clothing, so I picked up a few pairs of beautiful earrings. After that we stopped for lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for anything and everything. The boutiques and stores lining Pearl Street Mall were stocked up with so much goodness, that by the end of the day we had our arms full of bags. At 5, we were ready to head back so we grabbed a coffee to go and jumped back on the bus back to Denver, where we stopped for dinner before going back for the night.
Our third day we didn’t really have much of a plan, but we started our morning by grabbing coffee at a neighborhood coffee shop and walking across the street to City Park, where we spent an hour soaking in the Denver sun and taking lot’s of photos. After that, we were hungry and ready for brunch so decided we had to try Snooze at least once during the trip, so we hopped in an Uber and went over. The line was about 40 minutes long, but it was SO worth the wait (check out the next section to see what we ate). By the time we were done with brunch we were absolutely stuffed and wanted to walk it off, so we wandered down Larimer Square before starting our walk over to the Botanic Gardens. To be honest, we got super lost on our way there and ended up walking for about two hours, but we finally made it to the area around the Gardens, so we looked around there a bit before deciding to walk over to Cherry Creek Shopping Center, a super cute, quaint mall. We spent a couple hours popping into some of my favorite stores and picking up a few things. For dinner we had plans to meet some friends, so we met up with them and spent a fun night together.
On our last day, we decided that we HAD to go back to Snooze, so after finishing up our last minute packing, we Ubered over for our last brunch. We tried different things than we had the morning before, and it only reaffirmed that it was one of the best brunch places I had ever been. After being stuffed, again, we walked around the downtown area once more before flying back to LA. We walked through Larimer Square again and past Coors Field. We popped back into a few stores that we had missed the last few days and picked up some smaller souvenirs to take home. Knowing we needed to get to the airport by later-afternoon to make our flight, we walked back down Colfax Ave while going back into the boutiques, bookstores and stores we had passed on the first day. Before getting back to our Airbnb, we grabbed some Greek food to go and hopped in an Uber to the airport.
What we ate
Voodoo Donut-After doing some research on the area we were staying in, I found a Voodoo right down the street from us and knew that we were going to have to try a few. We stumbled upon it while walking around on the first morning and Denver and stopped to get a little treat for the morning. I got two donut, a chocolate coconut and a big Oreo, peanut butter and caramel donut which was probably the best donut I’ve ever had in my life. Anyone who knows me knows I’m in love with donuts, especially big loaded ones, so I was so excited to finally try it. They are loaded with toppings but without being too sweet or oily, which made them even better. We went back on our last day to pick up a few more for the road, so I tried a pumpkin spice canolo (a half canoli, half donut type thing) and another coconut-y donut, both of which were amazing.
Snooze AM Eatery– We didn’t make a whole lot of plans for what to do in Denver, but Snooze was the one place I knew we had to try. It popped up on every Denver travel/food guide and looked incredible. On the third morning, we Ubered over to Snooze and waited around 40 minutes for a table before sitting down and getting our food ordered. I usually don’t like waiting (I’m the most impatient person I know), but this was 100% worth the wait. We both ordered Eggs Benedict (I got one with prosciutto, a balsamic glaze and white cheddar Hollandaise and another with avocado and tomato) and shared a plate of three pancakes (sweet potato, maple-pecan, and blueberry lemon) and we ate EVERYTHING. The Eggs Benedict were so different (in the best way possible) and the pancakes were hands down the best pancakes I’d ever had. It was so good that we ended up back there the next morning, this time ordering completely different stuff. I went for the breakfast pot pie with an egg on top, a bacon-infused Bloody Mary (the best I’ve ever had) and we also shared a plate of coconut, strawberry french toast (which was possibly also the best french toast I’d ever had). All of the hype around Snooze did not disappoint, it’s an absolute must if you’re ever un Denver!
Sherpa’s Restaurant– Our day in Boulder was made even better by stumbling upon the cutest Himalayan cuisine restaurant called Sherpa’s. We walked past the restaurant which had the most adorable patio dining area and knew we had to stop there for lunch. It was so different from the places we had seen in Denver and Boulder so far, so were excited to try something new. We ordered the Chicken Korma and the Tibetan pan-fried noodles with a side of garlic naan, and it was delicious. Everything was so flavorful and reminded me of true home-cooking, which was much appreciated while traveling. I also ordered a hot chai latte, which was their homemade recipe, to go with lunch. I’m such a chai lover, and this was hands-down the best chai I’d ever had. It was so spicy and just slightly sweetened and was perfect for a cool, fall day. The people at the restaurant were so sweet and friendly and put the meal over the top.
Little Man Ice Cream– After meeting up with some friends for dinner one night, they took us to Little Man Ice Cream. It was super packed (especially for a Monday night) so we stood in line for a while before ordering our ice cream. I went for the Salted Maple Pecan, and it was amazing. I like ice cream, but I’m much more of a donut-kinda girl, but this was ice cream I’d wait in a long line for. It was so creamy and the perfect balance of salty and sweet which I love in a treat. The location was also super cute with all the fall-vibes. There was a little slide and haystacks and pumpkins all over the place, making it a pseudo-pumpkin patch. It was such a great place to end a cozy fall evening with friends.
What I wore
One of the things I was most excited for in Denver was the fall weather. It had been super hot in LA all month, so I was excited to get some cooler sweater weather, and I knew I had to use to my advantage.
‘Vivienne’ Black Sunglasses from Quay– I got these black aviators in one of my FabFitFun boxes last year and they’ve been my go-to’s this fall. They’re super comfortable and go well with any outfit. They’re really easy to wear and fold up pretty thin making them really easy to pack and carry around as well.
Rose Gold Wildgo Sunglasses– My other favorite pair of sunglasses are these rose gold one’s from Wildgo that I found this summer in Barcelona. They are also super comfy and easy to wear, so I’ve been wearing them a ton, especially over the summer, and am so glad I had them to go with some fun outfits in Denver.
White Long Coat- I found this at a random thrift store so I don’t have a link for it, but it’s one of the pieces I’m most excited to wear this fall/winter season. It’s a great staple to have in your closet that can be worn over almost anything. I love throwing it on when I’m trying to be a little dressier, but it’s also easy to wear on a day-to-day basis.
White Denim Jacket– A white jean jacket is such a great staple for a fall wardrobe. It keeps you really worn and, again, can be thrown on over any outfit. I wore mine in Denver over mom jeans and a pink t-shirt and it kept me warm and looking cute all day long.
H&M Skinny Jeans– I have these in almost every color and wear them all the time during the fall. They’re super comfy and soft and also fold up really small so they’re easy to pack. I can wear them in the fall and winter without being too cold as well, so they’re a great piece to travel with.
Longchamp Le Pliage Backpack in Pink- I got this backpack last year for Christmas and it has been my go-to travel bag. I love using a backpack when traveling so that I don’t have to carry anything in my hands and this is the perfect one. Like all Longchamp bags, it folds up into a perfect little rectangle so is easy to pack, but it actually fits a lot (I’m able to fit my camera, wallet, phone, gloves/beenie and passport in it without an issue).
Louis Vuitton Monogram Neverfull– I, very luckily, got this as a hand-me-down from my mom and it’s one of my all-time favorite bags. It’s such a beautiful piece that can be worn during any season and is amazing to travel with. It’s so light to carry but really is never full. It’s definitely a piece that you would save up for and work towards, but if you ever are able to, it’s such a special bag to have and use.
Prada Black Bumbag– Bumbags are all the hype right now and for a good reason. It was so easy to throw this on before heading out for the day and not having to worry about carrying anything. I threw my credit cards, keys and phone into it and had it right in front of me the whole time with easy access.
Adidas Sleek Sneakers in Periwinkle– These have been my all-time favorite shoes since I got them at the end of the summer. They’re so comfortable to walk around in all day (like I would walk between 20,000 and 30,000 steps in these without any issue) and go so well with any outfit. They have them in quite a few colors, but I think the periwinkle is just so beautiful and adds a statement too your outfit without being too much.
Lele Sadoughi Silver Circle necklace– I’ve been in love with this piece of jewelry since I got it in one of my FabFitFun boxes, and it’s been one of my go-to necklaces that I rotate throughout the week. This is also the necklace that I always take with me when I travel because, again, it goes so well with any outfit so I don’t have to pack too many pieces. It’s such a beautiful piece that looks beautiful on anyone.
swimeatlove 