Denver Colorado: Cool Things To Do // Destinations Explained

the mile high city home of the nuggets the rockies coors beer and of course sitting in the same state as our famous friends we grew up with stan kyle cartman and kenny deliberately placed near the mountains but not actually in the mountains a place you can go for 300 plus days of sunshine a year come enjoy craft beer hiking and tons of farm to table foods in the one and only denver colorado hey i'm jacob and welcome to destinations explained a fun series we do that dives into destinations from around the world if you watched before welcome back and if you haven't it's great to have you if you haven't already like this video watch till the end and suggest what destination we should do next in the comments below here we go let's start with a little about the city denver has a relatively short history compared to the other places we've covered in this channel but that doesn't mean it's not exciting basically during the pike's peak gold rush in 1858 a group of prospectors from kansas found a nice cozy spot on the platte river and bam craft beer and snowboards everywhere it's actually a pretty cool story early on the citizens held a big fundraiser to invest in making the city a vibrant and nice place to live mainly by making it possible for the railroad to be connected there and that basically got all the citizens hooked up with their first amazon prime membership that facilitated the seats of growth that made denver what it is today about 740 000 people lived there today and geographically it surprised us that denver itself is pretty flat and situated about half an hour away from the beautiful rockies it's called the mile high city because it's pretty much exactly a mile above sea level average high temperature in a year are around 89 degrees fahrenheit in july and in december the average around 45 degrees fahrenheit the cool thing about the climate is that the temperature can fluctuate massively in a single day due to the arid climate i'm talking about a high of 60 degrees fahrenheit and then plummeting down to below freezing in a matter of hours even with the cold temperatures i'd recommend seeing the city in winter the snow is absolutely beautiful and i think the city really lends itself towards winter activities so let's get into some as always we're starting out with some easy going tourist favorites to dip a tow in the freezing water that is denver 16th street mall has over 40 outdoor cafes lining the iconic shopping mall designed to look like a rattlesnake including the downtown denver rink at skyline park during winter a lot of tourists flock here but locals are usually just around during the week plenty of gift shops and chain stores tons of street performers raving vagrants and tourists the official denver website says it offers denver's best people watching which we guess is a bigger thing than we thought this is a place that has just about everything a family could ask for even a movie theater to quiet down the kids our favorite was of course the outdoor skating rink that they have in the winter even if you've never skated the experience is incredible have you ever seen those postcards from colorado showing that theater nestled in between two massive red rocks yup this is where that is trading post trail is a 1.5 mile heavily traffic trail near morrison colorado amazing rock formations beautiful flowers and it's just an easy going hike for all skill levels one of the coolest things about this trail is that you can actually access the theater when there's no show going on the trail is a nice little loop and the town of morrison it resides in is only about 25 minutes outside of denver so it's an easy decision to knock this out always keep in mind though everyone knows about this spot either go on an off day or expect an insane amount of tourist you've been warned a short drive up the very steep flagstaff mountain brings you to incredible views spanning from eastern plains to jagged snow-capped peaks of rocky mountain national park we're talking lost gulch overlook we have a habit of creating some pretty crazy visuals on our travels and this is a spot that definitely delivers i mean seriously just look at some of these insane shots taken here and it's a super popular place to get engaged as you can see because the views are fantastic the overlook sits just west of boulder so it's a short drive from denver but well worth it it's not much of a hike once you get to the overlook but the drive is very steep so please prepare before you go either snow tires or subaru or something i mean if you're not driving a subaru are you even in colorado next up we have loveland's ski area a nice easy to get to ski slope straight west of denver a little bit into the rockies it's an absolutely perfect place for beginners and tourists looking to get their feet wet and skiing and snowboarding before this season in 2020 you could show up with just over a hundred dollars and have the day of your life but during the disease that shall not be named they're making a lot of good efforts to keep everyone safe and having a good time all of the expected measures are in place but the one to most expect is clothing rentals not being available for this season so if it's possible to bring your own or find alternatives please be aware maybe borrow a rental or find a local thrift store because the pro shop there is sure to be pricey please visit their site at skilovlin.com for more info on how things will work this is definitely the place to go for your first time on the slopes last in the tour section we have mount evans this is the closest 14 000 foot peak to denver and is also one that has a paved road all the way to the top go during the day to see mountain goats or go at night to see the milky way galaxy and a view of denver unlike any other the road is only open in the summer though due to icy conditions but again subaru in addition to the goats also be on the lookout for marmots bighorn sheep and tons of other wildlife like our past video on oregon naturey things to do in colorado could be a whole video of its own but here's a condensed version for you rocky mountain national park is probably the most famous park in colorado given a name it's 415 square miles of breathtaking mountain ranges with over 300 miles of hiking trails incredible views wildlife and beautiful plants one of our personal favorites is bear lake trailhead which is a super short walk to bear lake itself but as you keep going the views get even more incredible this one trail goes to four different crystal clear lakes bear nymph dream and emerald it's beautiful and very popular during the summer and we've gone into winter twice and this is one of those places that get frigid cold like smartphone batteries immediately dying cold so definitely be prepared for the rapid changing conditions the flatirons are definitely a sight to see when you're in boulder which is an easy drive from denver you'll know them when you see them because it looks unlike any rock formation you've ever seen they are flat jagged rocks that seem to shoot straight up into the sky and when you ask hey i wonder if anyone's ever climbed those the answer is yes people definitely climb those around the flat irons are some nice trails for beautiful hikes with amazing views shritakwa trail is an easy one a 1.2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail that's good for any skill level if you're feeling adventurous royal arch trail is for you it's a four mile out and back trail that you definitely need to have the right boots for both trails are beautiful but both are very different st mary's glacier is a 1.9 mile out and back trail right near idaho springs colorado great thing about this one is that it features a beautiful lake you can walk right by the hike up the saint mary's glacier ascends through a beautiful forest and ends with stunning panoramic views the kind you expect from a perfect short hike in colorado last time we went we had to pay a 5 feet of park but it's well worth it just skip that starbucks trip on the way there and bam it's paid for now we've been to colorado almost a dozen times however we think it would be even better to get some suggestions from an actual local so let's transfer over to a call that i just had with my friend eliz hey liz what's going on hey jacob not much beautiful day here in colorado all right beautiful day here in texas fantastic all right liz i just went over some amazing hiking places and naturey things to do there in colorado but what is something like you like a local would recommend i really like the castle trail at mount falcon there's more strenuous hike from the east side from the front range in morrison area that is i think like six miles and it's it's steep it's not super strenuous but it's definitely enough for someone from sea level to start huffing and puffing and then if you wanted to go see the castle with an easier route you can go from the west side there's a road that kind of winds up the mountain and you can see the castle with like less than a mile hike that's awesome so it has something to see and something to do anything else you'd recommend on the naturey side of things if you're feeling more adventurous and are in good shape i definitely recommend hiking a fourteener wait where else real quick i mentioned a 14 or earlier in this video can you tell everyone what a fourteener is so a 14er is what we call a mountain that is over 14 000 feet in elevation there's i think 50 of them over 50 of them in colorado and it's something that a lot of people like to bag fourteeners mount beerstat is close to denver it's about an hour and a half drive from denver and it's by far one of the easiest fourteeners to hike it's really beautiful when i went in july or august there was a lot of wildflowers and it's pretty easy i you know seen children on that trail but you don't need any technical gear or anything like that to do mount bear's death yeah i mean you're not starting at zero feet and then going to 14 000 feet so no you're starting at like 11 000. all right well those are great recommendations thank you so much i'll see you later thank you all right at this point of your denver trip you're either physically exhausted or you have the munchies so why don't we move over to the food portion of this episode the first restaurant we're talking about is gb fish and chips a fun little eatery with a patio offering of course fish and chips alongside with homemade foods british fare and yes they have beer there's a handful of locations around denver and they're all equally good some of their popular dishes are cods and chips clam chowder fried oysters and bangers and mash makes me think of russell brand my bangers [Music] fyi all these details and links are in the description down below next up we have an interesting one this one is a trifecta of culinary madness denver biscuit company fat sully's pizza and atomic cowboy look we don't judge here and we very much expect you to go and have all three in the same visit i mean just for the sake of efficiency you might as well they're all tucked away in one establishment on colfax avenue which is also known as the longest wickedest street in america though colfax has experienced an infamous past today it's brimming with history entertainment and glorious eats like these three restaurants ace eat serve is a high energy hot spot in an old garage for pan-asian chow cocktails and table tennis and it even has a juice bar in addition to it having extremely good eats it's also a ping-pong call and man do we love ourselves a good game of pong they've got a ton of interesting food you have to look at but we think it goes without saying that the packing duck is outstanding and definitely an experience in itself there's a lot of private space as well for a more secluded event if that's what you're feeling oh and soup dumplings you need to get an order of them soup dumplings biker gyms gourmet dogs is a uniquely denver wiener joint made from reindeer wild boar pheasant and even rattlesnake they also have fried mac and cheese they're open late just in case you have some random late night influx of hunger for some unknown reason they've got some interesting micro brews in case you're wanting some alcohol with your peppery ostrich dog best of all it's surprisingly affordable for what you're getting we think it goes without saying that you won't find a menu like this anywhere else langer an interesting restaurant for many reasons but the one that may stand out to you is that it was once a mortary however it's now a restaurant with a rooftop bar offering killer views and street food from around the world we like it because they have a brunch lunch and dinner menu all with something different the bow buns with barbecue duck in their brunch menu is to die for if you're hitting this place up for dinner you have to try the devils on horseback from the americas the potato masala dosha from the middle east or the hangover ramen from asia all right we have room for one more suggestion why not see if our local friend of liz has a restaurant that she swears by hey liz uh one more question we're on the restaurant portion of our video and i know you got some good suggestions what would you recommend for restaurants here there in colorado the first restaurant that comes to mind for me that's you know affordable and also delicious and unique to colorado is the lucille's creole cafe it's just got some really good cajun food biscuits the size of your head and some really just good if i were to go there for my first time what do i need to get what do you recommend well you definitely have to get a biscuit but most of the meals come with it i would recommend the blackened salmon or the eggs jennifer they're both really good nice i like eggs named after people don't we all and they have a lot of locations right yeah they have several throughout the denver metro area but i guess it doesn't matter which one you go to it's all good it's all the same menu and same delicious food that's all i needed to know thanks for calling in taking this time and see you later yeah thank you all right now we can't go without the coffee while traveling and we recommend blue sparrow for those who want to partake it's got a nice vibe and a tiny indoor space that's cozy but they definitely make up for it with the shaded outdoor space that sits in the art district they have a handwritten menu of classic and specialty drinks with nitro cold brew kombucha on top and pastries and it's not that crazy expensive either on the dessert side of things little man ice cream is the place to go a milk jug shaped ice cream shop with unique flavors of homemade ice cream and they're open until midnight also they do this cool thing called scoop for scoop where every scoop of ice cream they serve they match with a scoop of rice beans or other essentials to communities in need around the world so it's definitely a good cause to eat ice cream for this episode's nightlife section will be pretty cool because all four of these happen to be in lodo and within nine blocks of each other lodo is near the center of denver and is the oldest neighborhood in the city some of the best known restaurants bars galleries and shops are here first on the list is stem ciders it's a nice welcoming bar in brew pub with a large selection of handcrafted hard ciders and live music in a sweet rustic ambience they've got a cider right now on the front page of their site that's a lavender apple cider dried lavender cinnamon and cardamom spices we like what these guys are doing mile high spirits simply a super well done place to have drinks and a good time house cocktails live music trivia and food trucks fuel crowds at this spacious trendy bar it's one of those places you go to that just seems to check all the boxes to ensure that you have a good time just an amazing place for cocktails if you're looking for beer keep watching the 1up arcade bar and lodo is an awesome retro style arcade no frills basement bar any game that your heart desires they have an insane pinball machine collection and food if you're hungry a lot of reviewers describe it as an adult playground and trust us when we say thousands of people vouch for this place so you better believe that it's fun falling rock tap house describes itself with one simple phrase no crap on tap and they stick to their words and they've got some good bar food to go with that incredible selection of beer two beers that stick out to us is webbies we can do these things fast beer and crooked staves petite sour raspberry but seriously you won't be able to not find something you like here if you're a beer lover that just about wraps it up denver is a place we can go back over and over again we don't know what it is about this city maybe it's because we love the outdoors so much throw in some farm-to-table food in a subaru rented from turo and we're there i'm only kidding we don't have subaru money we're more like the rent a hyundai ascent and slowly drive it up a mountain kind of money so we've made a few of these videos now we think it may be time to ask for some feedback how could these be better are they too detailed not detailed enough too slow too fast we want some honest feedback so we can make this series as entertaining and engaging as possible if you made it this far please offer us some quick tips in the comments below we make these videos for you so what you want is what ultimately drives us thanks for watching don't forget to like this video and subscribe and hit that bell to catch which destination we do next before you go i just wanted to let you know we make our living creating free content and resources for you and it's made possible by you viewers supporting us through sponsors like audible if you sign up for a free trial through our link www.audibletrial.com forward slash venture you'll get any 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Channel: Venture Addicts

Views: 369,721

Keywords: denver colorado, denver, things to do in denver colorado, things to do in denver, things to do in denver colorado in the winter, things to do in colorado, denver travel guide, denver travel, denver travel vlog, denver trip, what to do in denver colorado, what to do in denver, what to do in colorado, what to do in colorado winter, denver things to do, denver top things to do, denver top 10, denver top ten, colorado denver, rocky mountain national park, boulder colorado, boulder

Id: FwjGmPu1D64

Length: 19min 34sec (1174 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 09 2021