We Denver’d

Posted: June 12, 2026 | Author: alangager | Filed under: Travel | Leave a comment »

(Click on the photos to enlarge)

Aimee and I recently had a nice short trip to Denver. We had driven through a couple of times, but never explored the city.

Denver is very easy to visit, especially from Des Moines. It’s about an 80-minute nonstop flight. From there, you can take a 40-minute train ride to Union Station for $10 a person.

We got into the city a little before noon and had some time to kill before our 4 p.m. check-in at the hotel, so we wandered down 14th/15th/16th near Larimer Square and saw the Big Blue Bear statue near the convention center. We also checked out the Central Library, near the art museum and the Capitol.

We stayed at Hotel Indigo, which was a stone’s throw from the train station. One nice thing about the hotel is that they offer bikes to use, so we went out on our first full day down the Cherry Creek Trail, and then looped up to City Park and back to the hotel via the RiNo neighborhood. (You can see our full route above)

For our first dinner, we ventured up to Cart-Driver for wood-fired pizza and some tasty appetizers. It was in the Lo-Hi neighborhood, which reminded us a lot of Sherman Hill in Des Moines. On the walk back, we stopped at Little Man Ice Cream, which had about a 20-minute wait in line, but it was worth it.

The second day, it happened to be free admission to the Denver Art Museum. It didn’t open until 10 a.m., so we did a quick visit to the Capitol Building. When the museum opened, we tried to take in as much as we could. There were a handful of photos on display that I talk about in my History of Photography class, so that was fun.

Also at the museum, we spotted Edward VI as a Child, which caught me off guard because it was on the cover of Famous Paintings by Alice Elizabeth Chase, my second cousin twice removed. You’ll notice that the one at the Denver Art Museum has a bright blue background. I did some research and learned it is an “early, high-quality copy,” according to Wikimedia.

Famous Paintings by Alice Elizabeth Chase

Researching before the trip, I read that The Kirkland museum was also worth seeing (it was also free as it is part of the DAM). I had never heard of Vance Kirkland, but now I appreciate his work! Interesting to see how his style changed over time. The museum also showcased decorative and industrial art (chairs, tables, clocks, etc.) through various time periods and artistic eras (Bauhaus, Art Deco, Contemporary, etc.).

That night, we took in a Cubs/Rockies game. Coors Field is nice, but I think the best thing about it is all the things to do in the neighborhood: for example, McGregor Square and Denver Milk Market, both basically food halls with a good variety of options. The NHL finals game was playing on the big screen when we left the game, and the Spurs and Knicks were playing the next night when we went back to the area for ice cream.

On our last full day, we rented a car and ventured out to Staunton State Park. We figured it would be a little closer (and less busy) than Rocky National Park. We had a nice five-mile hike up to Eagle Cliffs Overlook. The thin air took a little getting used to, but the temperature was about 70 degrees; probably a good 20 degrees cooler than Denver. We found a bench in the shade and had a nice picnic afterward.

I think we averaged close to 20,000 steps a day. Very fun city to explore. I appreciate all the public art (which we just saw a fraction of). Overall, it felt like a very clean, safe, and well-kept city with a lot to explore in under an hour’s drive. I can see why it is growing quickly!

Restaurants we tried: