Please follow Jason on Twitter: JasonsTravel
I'm a Denver based journalist who loves to travel and blog about it.
Denver, a front range gateway to the Rocky Mountains, offers so many opportunities for days out that it's difficult to take advantage of all of them even in a single year as a resident. I've certainly done my best over the last several months, but each day I learn of a few more things to add to my list that keeps me falling farther and farther behind. It's a joy though living here trying to experience it all though; I certainly won't complain one bit.
Nature is one of the main enjoyments for people that live in the area. From hiking, to biking, running, hitting the slopes, and more, most Denverites have a passion for the outdoors. It seems we continually rate near the top of so many lists for the healthiest places to live in the country, and this is a big reason as to why. Three hundred days of sunshine annually certainly doesn't hurt the cause either.
One of the best places in the Denver area to get out and enjoy a beautiful day is Roxborough State Park. The park is located a short drive southwest of downtown Denver in Douglas County. In 1903 a man by the name of Henry S. Persse built a stone house at the northern edge of the park with the intention of making it a resort, but thankfully that opportunity never materialized. Now the 3,339 acre park is a National Natural Landmark and a great place to enjoy hiking in the summer, snowshoeing in the winter, and wildlife viewing year round.
I took the beautiful three-mile-long South Rim Trail from the visitor's center making sure to watch for rattlesnakes sunning themselves along the trail. This is definitely their country and a ranger warned me to be careful of them as I hiked. The paranoia had a firm grip on me throughout my hike, but not enough to distract me from the spectacular views that are on display.
The same red rocks that offer such spectacular scenery in the park stretch along the front range from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison. While both spots are easily within driving distance from Denver, the best place to view wildlife is at Roxborough. Despite the homes that sit on the west side of the park, animals are in an abundance in the park. Mountain lions and bears are common visitors, but on my day out I was fortunate to have a close encounter with a beautiful deer.
I came around a corner as I approached the end of the trail and was greeted by a grazing deer. It stood on the trail just on the other side of a small creek. I couldn't have considered my fortune to be any better as I snapped photo after photo only to come to one realization: it was a long way back on the trail if I decided not to disturb the animal so I could get to my car. I knew this wasn't exactly plausible so I cautiously approached with the hopes of my presence causing it to move along.
I made my way across the small bridge that spanned the creek but still the animal wouldn't move. I was now within five feet of it snapping away and it paid me no attention. Finally, as I used my camera phone, the deer was spooked by the digital noise of a photo being taken. It quickly bounded up on a small ridge along the trail and continued to graze.
I made it through and had an excellent wildlife encounter. It's true that I would've preferred seeing a mountain lion or a bear, instead of the deer, but certainly not in as close of proximity as I had this one. There was no reason to complain as well since I enjoyed another gorgeous Colorado morning as so many Denverites like to do.
When I finished I made my way back into downtown for lunch at a favorite local restaurant. The Wynkoop Brewing Company is named for the first sheriff of the area, Edward W. Wynkoop, who in turn later suggested the city be named after the same man that gave him his appointment: Kansas Territorial Governor James Denver. Unfortunately though, Wynkoop also had a hand in the Sand Creek Massacre on the eastern plains of Colorado under Colonel Chivington, a hero of the Civil War Battle of Glorietta Pass.
The Wynkoop was founded in 1988 and once owned by Mayor John Hickenlooper. It offers a house brew suggestion next to each menu item, which is pretty spot on. All of the brews, which can also be enjoyed as a great night cap at the bar, are made right there and have great flavor. And for a state like Colorado, which ranks fifth in the breweries per capita category in the country, this is pretty important.
After a filling lunch I knew I needed a bit more exercise so I decided to stroll my way across downtown along the 16th Street Mall. The mall is the focal point of downtown Denver and offers a ton of great shopping, restaurants and sites – like Skyline Park. Parades also commonly cross the street throughout the year as people lounge and enjoy one of those sun filled days playing chess or people watching.
Enjoying the mall wasn't my destination at this point though. I was inspired to learn more about Colorado history from eating lunch at the Wynkoop, so I made my way to the historic Byers-Evans House Museum. 
The house is just a short walk south on Bannock Street from the mall and a few blocks west of the state capitol building in the cultural district of Denver. And while such places as the Denver Art Museum and the Colorado History Museum are great stops, I was intent on seeing the house; this was something that kept appearing on my growing list.
Two of the most famous families in Colorado history once lived in this house. One was the family of William Byers, the founder of the now defunct Rocky Mountain News newspaper; a paper that lasted nearly 150 years in the town but recently succumbed to economic woes. The house was built for his family in 1883 in an effort to escape an upset mistress in the Capitol Hill district of town. One room in the house, the tea parlor, is restored to how the Byers family had furnished it, but the rest of the house represents the Evans family, circa 1920.
The family of businessman William Evans, son of the second Colorado Territorial governor – John Evans – purchased the home in 1889. Governor Evans, who spent some time in the home, was appointed by President Lincoln and governed during the time of the Sand Creek Massacre. He is quoted as telling the residents of what would later be known as the Centennial State to, "go in pursuit, kill and destroy all hostile Indians that infest the Plains."
Unfortunately for Evans, these Indians were not hostile and he was removed from power. When he passed away his wife and daughter, Margaret and Anne, moved in with William and his family. Anne was an artist at heart and painted several pictures. She was a member of the predecessor to the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Art Society, which is a building that now sits in their backyard.
The family flourished in the home and lived there until they donated it to the Colorado Historical Society in 1981. It is now open for guided tours and different special group events. And while they say it's not haunted, known through paranormal testing, it has many fantastic stories that are worth taking the tour to hear.
So, with nature and history down, it was time for me to get cleaned up and enjoy a bit of the great Denver culture. I for one never knew Denver and culture ever really went together, but after living here for so long it's a misconception that I've been cleansed of; during the mining hay days an Opera House was opened in Central City that still holds summer performances
My night out wouldn't involve the opera or Denver's great performing arts complex though; I had tickets to a VIP premiere evening at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.The museum, more than 100 years old, sits on the east edge of the huge City Park right next to the beautiful Denver Zoo. It is a grand building that has as much as anyone could want in a natural history museum.
Traveling exhibits, which draw large if not sellout crowds, consistently find their way through the museum. The free cultural days that are offered by the city of Denver at all of its facilities, like the museums and the zoo, certainly don't hurt the cause either. An excellent planetarium and a spectacular IMAX theater are also great attractions for the museum and help keep visitors coming back for more.
After spending three hours at the museum though, and after a busy day, it was time to look into some of Denver's fine dining. Again, these words aren't necessarily believed to fit together, but the Denver area, particularly downtown, has some spectacular restaurants that won't break the bank. As we drove back towards downtown my lovely date made a quick call and was able to get us into the fabulous Vesta Dipping Grill on Blake Street, blocks away from the Wynkoop.
With an array of entrees from vegetarian to venison, this place has something to suit any palate. The food is melt-in-your-mouth good, and that's without the wide selection of unbelievably delicious dipping sauces.
We couldn't have been happier with our meal as we enjoyed the atmosphere and shared some excellent conversation; easily done since cell phones aren't allowed.
Unfortunately now, with so little seen of my great city, my day had come to an end. It was a spectacular day out and one that can easily be done again, albeit it not in the same manner, since there are so many great opportunities in Denver for every taste, sports definitely included. I mean heck, I'm a guy, and not once in the day was I even able to catch a game. But rest assured, there are plenty of opportunities for that too with so many great sports teams, college and professional, in the area. More on that another time though perhaps.
Thank you, Jason for sharing with us about your hometown adventure. You know I how much I love to follow you and I hope you will let us live and learn through your eyes again soon! — Stephanie aka TravelDesigned
Roxborough State Park
National Natural Landmark
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Garden of the Gods
Byers-Evans House
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Vesta Dipping Grill
Wynkoop Brewery
Sand Creek Massacre
Battle of Glorietta Pass
16th Street Mall
Denver Art Museum
Colorado History Museum
Rocky Mountain News
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Denver Zoo
