A FEW DAYS IN DENVER

If there was ever a way to set the tone for the new year a few days in Denver would be it. I’d never been to Colorado, but it didn’t feel like it once I arrived. Something about Denver made me feel so at home while offering a plethora of new and exciting things to take in.

I stayed at the Westin Denver Downtown and as particular as I am about hotels I must say I truly enjoyed my stay there. Aside from being clean and attentive the hotel was located in the heart of downtown Denver, right on the 16th Street Mall which is a pedestrian mall stretching 16 blocks. The street is lined with shops, restaurants and tons of attractions- an assortment of ways to stay entertained.

From my room and the pool deck I got to see the most amazing views of bustling downtown and the gorgeous sight of the mountains in the distance was the icing on the cake.

After a long day of sightseeing, people watching and traversing the city it was nice to come in and unwind with a colorful drink at the hotel’s V’s Lounge to keep the spirits up (see the pun there; I’m cheesy I know).
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On our 2nd day we decided to rent a car and head an hour and a half away from downtown Denver to Winter Park resort. I love skiing, it’s such a fun adrenaline-pumping sport so hitting the slopes was an absolute must while in Colorado. The drive there was beautiful but I must admit a tad on the scary side weaving through the mountains and driving through the snow which got denser and denser the closer we got- not to mention the increasing difficulty I had breathing with the high altitudes.

It was all worth it though because when I arrived at Winter Park I could not believe my eyes, the resort was simply breathtaking. It was a picturesque winter wonderland. The entire time I skied down the mountain whizzing past snow covered picture perfect trees that looked drawn on all I kept thinking was I feel like I’m in a life-sized postcard or inside a snow globe.

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I’m a bit of a foodie and one of the top things I always like to do whenever I’m in a different city is to try out new restaurants. A few notable ones from this trip were City O’ City (an eclectic vegetarian restaurant), Shanahan’s Steakhouse (where I piled up on side dishes- surprisingly delish), and Balistreri Vineyard.

The winery is a gem and was undoubtedly my favorite eatery of them all. It offers wine tastings and tours but I went for lunch and the quaint, rustic setting made for a nice ambiance, service was top notch and the food and wine were even better.

All in all my first time in Denver definitely did not disappoint. It was a wonderful trip- everything from the food to the location to even the look of the Christmas-light-wrapped trees illuminating the downtown night sky made for a great adventure and if you haven’t been to Denver I highly recommend it!