It’s official: I’ve caught a bit of a travel bug. Last year, we did one family vacay to Tampa with Beckham to test the travel waters. Literally, since we were on the beach.
This year, we chose to take him to the mountains and see a new city: Denver, CO. By the end of this trip we were already planning our next one to a very exciting destination (a few actually) that I’ll fill you in on later.
We had two full days in Denver that were packed full of fun that included our entire little family. Everything below we did with our 3 year old in tow, and we had a great time!
Family-friendly itinerary when you have 2 days in Denver:
Lunch and Games at The Stable
This is a new and massive indoor/outdoor activity facility that includes ice skating rinks, basketball courts, indoor driving range, restaurant, and more. We chose to stop in for lunch as it was close to our hotel. The restaurant had a relaxed, bar atmosphere but one that had families like ours enjoying time together.
Hike at Rocky Flats National Park
If you look up ‘family friendly hikes’, this is one of the first results that appears. This national park is right at the foot of the mountains and is a mostly flat walk through the nature and wildlife. It was perfect for us with Beckham as one of his first experiences with a longer walk/hike of that kind. Bonus: the prairie dogs we saw might be the cutest things ever!
Dinner at Tap & Dough
An upscale pizzeria, Tap & Dough was a delicious break in our first day. The atmosphere is gorgeously picture-worthy and includes a ski gondola fitted out as a booth you can actually dine in.
Mini-Golf and Go-Karts at Adventure Golf and Karts
We ended our first day with a little go-karting! Drew and I hadn’t been in years, and it was Beckham’s first time. It was fun to see him light up with excitement as we drove around the track going ‘faster than fast’ (he is a big Cars fan IYKYK).
Morning Coffee at Summer Moon
The BEST coffee. Drew and I fell in love with this coffee shop when we were living in Austin, TX, where the concept originated. We are very lucky to have one now in Kansas City, and were pleasantly surprised to be able to get our fix while in Denver, as well.
Wildlife Drive and Walk at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife
This experience was absolutely fantastic and one I would recommend to anyone heading to Denver. The drive the through the park takes around 30-45 mins as you drive slowly and enjoy the nature and wildlife. Seeing buffalo grazing within feet of us as we parked and enjoyed the views was an experience none of us will forget. The scenery is gorgeous and all of us were able to relax and enjoy nature during our morning here.
Lunch at Hopdoddy and Walking Around Union Station
This is another our our Austin favorites that transplanted to other areas in the US. We have yet to find a burger that beats theirs and the truffle fries have absolutely zero competition. Whether you are in Austin or Denver, this is absolutely worth a try. You may have a truffle fry addiction afterwards, but that’s a wonderful side effects.
Their Denver location is situation in the midst of Union Station and surrounded by bars and other restaurants. Walking around this area provides a beautiful look at some of Denver’s architecture.
Shopping Trip at Cherry Creek Mall
You know I had to go check out the shopping! We took a few hours at Cherry Creek to pop into Louis Vuitton, H&M, and Zara among others. Cherry Creek has been a destination for shopping in Denver for decades. They even have indoor play areas for kids in the event dad wants to watch them while mom gets that shopping time for herself (which is exactly what we did).
Colorado Train Museum
With Beckham being a big fan of basically any and all vehicles, I added this activity to our agenda just for him. The drive to get to this museum on the west side of Denver was right against the mountains, providing a beautiful backdrop on the way there as well as while we visited the museum.
The museum itself was not massive, but provided great opportunities to get into and explore varying types of trains and learn about their uses throughout history.
If you are tight on time, our itinerary is a great way to get a taste of Denver that will start your love affair with this beautiful mountain city. Happy travels!
