Virtual Vacation: Denver, Colorado
By: Katy DeHaven
A
few weeks ago we visited Baltimore, MD for our virtual vacation and I
could not believe all that there was to see and do there. I found Denver
to be much the same with tons and tons of attractions. I just picked
out some highlights
below, but for even more to explore check out this website.
Denver is known as The Mile High City, because its
elevation is exactly 5,280 feet or 1 mile above sea level. Annually the
city has 300 days of sunshine with a mild and dry climate. This outdoor
city is known for its cultural
attractions, craft breweries, music scene and world class dining. The
city has one of the largest park systems in the country with more than
200 parks within the city.
Denver Union Station first
opened in 1881, but the originally structure was destroyed by a fire in
1894, the central portion of the
current structure was completed in 1914. In 2012 the station underwent a
major renovation and today the space is not only used for rail and bus
transportation, but dining, shopping, and entertainment as well.
Perfect for outdoor social distancing is the Denver Botanic Gardens, this
23-acre park has a conservatory,
a sunken amphitheater, and a variety of themed gardens. Visitors in the
summer can enjoy various live concerts. For a quick peak at the
gardens:
The Molly Brown House was
home to philanthropist, activist and socialite Molly Brown, who most
famously may be
known as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”, for surviving the sinking of the
Titanic in 1912. Visitors to the home will learn more about her life as
well as some of the history of the city of Denver. For a tour of the
home click here.
Fans of flight will love a trip to Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum. The
museum’s collection is situated
in a 1930’s Air Force hangar. There are more than four dozen aircraft
and space vehicles to explore including a Star Wars X-wing fighter.
The museum has its own YouTube
channel where you can learn more about the museum and its’ collection of aircraft.
Here's a quick tour:
Here's a quick tour:
Families will enjoy checking out the Downtown Aquarium,
home to over
500 species of animals. The aquarium also has an interactive stingray
reef touch tank, mermaid show, train, carousel, and a 4-D theater. There
is also a full service restaurant with a 50,000 gallon aquarium serving
as its centerpiece. Here's a virtual tour:
Tours of the Denver Mint are temporarily suspended, but you can check out a virtual tour here. The
Denver Mint first started producing coins in 1906, and is still
producing coins for circulation along with commemorative coins today.
Hammond’s Candy Factory offers free tours of their facility. The company has been making candy since 1920. Visitors can see how their favorite
treats are pulled, twisted, shaped and packaged. Click here to see how they do it.
Pre-COVID, sports fans could enjoy stadium tours of
both Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies and
Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
Tours of both are temporarily
suspended, but you can check out virtual tours of Coors Field here and Empower Field here.
Denver has a thriving beer scene, from the home of the nationally known Coors Brewery in nearby
Golden to smaller microbreweries like Wynkoop Brewing Company and Great
Divide Brewing Company there is something here for all beer aficionados. Check out this website to
learn more about the best brewery tours in area.
Ten miles west of Denver you will find an open-air
amphitheater built into a rock structure as well as amazing hiking
and biking trails. The area is known as Red
Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, the natural
beautiful ochre sandstone that surrounds the amphitheater provides
stunning acoustics for live concerts not to mention an amazing ambiance.
Many, many big names have played at Red Rocks including,
the Beatles, U2, Depeche Mode, the Grateful Dead, Neil Young and on and
on. Visitors also enjoy getting their heart pumping on the hiking and
biking trails within the park or by running up and down the stone steps
of the amphitheater. Here is a quick drone
tour of the area.
Outdoor activities are big in Colorado, for something a little different how about checking out The Denver Climbing Company
Denver is the gateway to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the US. There are at least 12 amazing resorts within
a 2 hour drive of the city. The best time of year to hit the
slopes? February. The base depth of the snow is the deepest, and there
is still plenty more snow coming down.
As you can see there is SO much to see and do in Denver. For a great overview of the city, check out this video by
Expedia.
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