Hi everyone!

As mentioned in my last Nashventures post, trips have been plaguing my brain. The freezing temps outside have made it that much easier to think about travel, that’s for sure!

So let me take you back to a warmer time in a different state…Denver, Colorado!

This trip marks my first time back on the West Coast since I was probably like 10 years old so besides seeing the city, I was also interested in seeing how the region it resides in is too. And who better to show me around than my bestie, Nikki!

Upon arrival, we went to a really cool Italian spot in RiNo or River North – I honestly thought that was just a Chicago term at first! RiNo is Denver’s art district and has a lot of really cute shops and restaurants, a nice neighborhood to stroll through and hop into places as you go. I can definitely see why it’s such a favorite! But anyway, back to the spot: Il Posto. The spiral lighting was so mesmerizing and their wine list was a dream but I ultimately ended up with an Aperol Spritz – yum! Nikki and I split this delicious charcuterie plate filled with our favorites: burrata and prosciutto! It was so good!! Loved the crisp flatbread that came with it too!

The next morning, we headed out to the mountains to get our yoga on at Red Rocks. Red Rocks is a really pretty venue that hosts concerts, yoga classes, and other trade shows coupled with gorgeous views! It was a little tiring having to walk up the mountain to get to the venue (doesn’t always happen but was really crowded) and the elevation change got to me a little but otherwise would 100% do it again! These summer classes sell out quick so if you’re considering going to one while visiting Denver or just moved and want to see what it’s about, definitely book in advance!

After our workout, we decided to treat ourselves to a little brunch at Hedge Row (sadly closed for good now). We got French 75s and mimosas to start – my favorite drink! Lemon, champagne, gin and simple syrup. As for food, we got something I’ve never had before but have seen pop up on a few brunch menus lately: mushroom toast. This one had eggs, ricotta, and mushrooms, of course, with a side of braised kale. So yummy!

After that, we ventured out to RiNo again, this time hunting for murals! We found a lot of cool ones in this area, these ones pictured were some of my favorites.

While wandering around the neighborhood we stumbled into this super cute ice cream place, Peteybird. They serve cute palm-size ice cream sandwiches with cookies and ice cream that are made from scratch in small batches. The flavors have classics like chocolate chip with vanilla bean dipped in chocolate (like the one in the background below) or seasonal ones like the one I got, snickerdoodle with chocolate. They were the perfect size for a midafternoon snack and the people working in there were so sweet! If these were in Chicago, I’d come in all the time.

Afterward, we stopped into a fun indoor/outdoor bar nearby called Finn’s Manor for happy hour. Didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the patio part but it reminded me of The Rustic in Dallas’. I would definitely come back here to go out at night too, it had a great energy inside!

As it got later, we decided to try a new area this time: Larimer Square. This was toward the top of my list and I’m sure you can see why – it’s adorable!! So many cute spots along this strip, we popped into different shops and ate at a nice Mexican restaurant. Hopefully next trip I can explore this area more!

On our final day, we decided to go out of our comfort zone and go to a Rockies game! I love going to Wrigley so it was really cool to see baseball neighborhoods are done outside the Midwest. On our way, we poked around Union Station — a train station turned food hall — just to see how pretty it is. It tends to be quite touristy so we didn’t eat there.

To eat, we went to the new Milk Market food hall inside the Dairy Block near Coors Stadium. It is SO cute over here! The little alleyway around it has insta-worthy string lights and fixtures you can play around with like cogs that play music if you crank them (see the video below). Plus, I just saw on a Bachelor episode that Colton and Tayisha went here!

Now the food, the food was amazing. Each station is different, from pizza to poké they have it all. There’s also little knick-knacks for sale hidden around the hall too. I found a cute camera swizzle stick for my bar cart in here! We ended up getting creamy gelato from Cornicello – filled with unique flavors like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, yum!

And breakfast pizza from Bonanno Brothers – very cheesy and the egg in the middle was the perfect touch!

When we got to the game, we ventured up to the rooftop for a great view and a beer – such a cool idea for a stadium, especially when you need to get away from the sun for a minute like we did!

And that’s all folks! I really liked Denver so hopefully, I’ll be back soon!

See you in the next post!