Day Three: DENVER

Day three was another day spent in Denver. The rain continued and a cold front moved in, so it was really not the ideal day to spend any time outdoors unless I wanted to be soaked. I had anticipated all kinds of weather and packed appropriately, but still, the idea of being cold and wet was not how I prefer to spend my vacation.

I woke up fairly early and decided that it was best to just set out on foot to get breakfast and see where the day took me. I went to a local diner, got a Denver omelette smothered with green chile sauce and that was enough to fuel me for the day.

I pulled out my phone and took a look at what some potential ideas could be for the day.

I realized that I was not that far from the capitol building. Denver is the capital of Colorado, and one of the unique features is that on the 13th step leading up to the building is a marker that highlights the elevation of exactly one mile above sea level. Denver is the “Mile High City” after all, so I decided to wander over and check it out.

At this point, the light drizzle turned into a downpour, so I managed to hop into an Uber and took it over the Denver Museum of Art. I had purchased a City Pass, so admission was included but when I got there I found out that half of the museum was closed for a private event that day. Bit of a bummer, so I decided to pivot and bought a ticket to visit their special exhibition - DIVA. It was an interesting exhibit, showcasing how the term “Diva” arose through the operatic ranks in the 1600s and the cultural shift over time to what we now know as a “diva”. It was an interesting intersect between music, fashion and female empowerment and I really enjoyed it. One of the highlights were the costumes and dresses, which I have always admired, but I think the underlying message is that in a time when women were not in a position of power - they were able to use their status to give women a voice and I thought that was really cool to learn about.

Afterwards, I made my way across the street to the History Colorado Center. I was really surprised by just how amazing this museum was. It was an in depth look at the history of the state, starting with the history of the native people who originally lived in what is now Colorado, and I was especially intrigued by the no-holds-barred approach they took to the history of how this land was stolen from them by white settlers and it went into great detail on how those people were mistreated. I know this is a dark side to our nation’s history and I was glad to see it presented in such a way that doesn’t erase the atrocities that befell these peoples. In fact, of the five floors of displays, three of them are dedicated solely to telling their story and I think that is really wonderful.

I really enjoyed learning about the history of a state that, let’s be honest, I knew very little about.

My one fun fact that I learned was that Jolly Rancher candies were created there! Hey, I needed a little levity amongst all the bloodshed.

After a very educational day, I headed back to my hotel to clean up and head out for dinner. I made reservations 4 months ago for one of the most sought-after dining experiences in Denver: Casa Bonita.

If you have never heard of Casa Bonita, it is best described as the Disneyland of Mexican restaurants - part dining experience, part entertainment, all inclusive and amazingly fun!

While it has been known to Denver locals since the 1970s, it rose in popularity due to an episode of South Park where the characters go there to celebrate a birthday. In a not-so-surprising twist, when the restaurant started to run into issues - the creators of South Park purchased the location and it underwent a massive renovation. They did an incredible job and you can very much feel their “touch” everywhere you go. Part preservation of a cultural landmark, part creating something new for future generations - I walked away feeling like I had experienced something uniquely Colorado. If you ever have the chance, please check it out.

Hopefully the weather breaks soon - I would love to spend the remainder of this trip outdoors!