Active weekend in Denver

We spent this past weekend in Denver celebrating a friend's birthday and using the opportunity to stay in town.  The first part of our trip took place at the Denver Aquarium where our friend's boyfriend launched the initial "surprise" to start the party. Partaking on seafood in the shadow of giant tanks housing multiple relatives of the plated is the only way to go here.  The food was excellent, but you will pay a premium for it.  We found it to be worth the trip due to the quality of the food, the great atmosphere, and the novelty of the mermaid show entertaining those partaking.

After dinner, we enjoyed custom Colorado cocktails on the top of Denver at the Hyatt's Peak Lounge. We were treated to open bar where we enjoyed Colorado specific cocktails with local honey liquors and ginger beers, soft leather couches, delicious deserts including bacon chocolate cupcakes, and beautiful top of the world views of downtown Denver.  It was a great way to start a night on the town with a focus on exploring the very walkable/accessible night life of downtown Denver off the 16th street pedestrian mall.  Living in Colorado Springs we often miss the true city life we grew accustomed to in our past Pittsburgh and Boston stomping grounds; Denver provides an easy return to that style of night-life.

The next day we woke up slowly and, not surprisingly, quite late.  A unique option in the Denver area for concerts is Red Rocks Amphitheater located west of town and supporting a beautiful venue for many of the major performers that come to the region.  It also provides a nice day hike, with similar red sandstone monoliths to those located near our home in Colorado Springs at the Garden of the Gods.   Many cyclists and runners use the roads and surrounding trails for challenging climbs without a trip into the heart of the mountains.


Our final hike for the weekend excursion took place at Mount Falcon, home of the foundation for the Western White House which was never built, and the ruins of the Walker house at the summit of the Castle Trail.  The route we took was a steady climb of 3.9 miles up, and a quick descent while running 3.9 miles down.  It was getting cold quick in mid-November at the top, so we moved on our way down!  It is a well-laid out trail and a nice trail run without much technical issues, besides dodging the occasional descending mountain bike.
At the top the view offered many Rocky peaks and the expansive beauty of the alpine region to the west of Denver.

We would recommend every piece of our trip to Denver and Morrison, Colorado.  In a short period of time, it allows you to experience the many different treats in life.  Enjoy your trip!