What to do in Denver?

[weech]

We're taking a family trip to Denver in early October to visit my brother for a week. My parents are coming and we're renting a house in the highlands (bro lives in Englewood).

What should we do while we're there? Any good (not super expensive) restaurant recommendations? What's the weather going to be like? None of us have ever been to Denver, so any information is helpful!

DS will be 18 months and my mom is handicapped, so we probably won't be hiking any mountains

[flygirl555]

Definitely no shortage of things to do in Denver! In Englewood, you'll be near Park Meadows and there's just about every restaurant you can think of there.

The Highlands is a terrific area with local restaurants, boutique stores and Happy Cakes - a great cupcake shop. If you like NY style pizza, you must try Pizza Alley. They have a $20 special that includes a HUGE salad, breadsticks and a large pizza. Great deal!

I do recommend taking a ride to Colorado Springs and visiting "The Garden of the Gods." Boulder and Golden are also fun to visit and have cute shops and restaurants. In Golden there's a free tour of the Coors plant (not sure how it would be for your 18 month old) and in Boulder you can visit the Celestial Seasonings tea factory (also free), then head over to the Pearl Street Mall (an outdoor pedestrian mall).

You'd probably all enjoy the zoo and science museum (located next to one another). The science center has one of the only 3D HUGE IMAX theaters in the nation (they reopened it about six months ago).

Another fun thing to do us to have lunch at the Aquarium restaurant. I've also heard the Children's Museum is good, but have never been. Not too far from that is the 16th Street Mall in downtown - a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with tourist-type shops and restaurants. You'll also see street performers on the weekends.

If you have the energy for a full-day adventure, your child doesn't mind being in the car awhile and you can handle the altitude, definitely visit Rocky Mountain National Park. Leave Denver early, like by 7 or 8 am (it's about a 90- 120 minute drive each way) and bring jackets / sweatshirts because it's at a higher altitude, so it can be snowing, even though it's warm in the city. Pack a picnic lunch / snacks / drinks as there are few places to purchase food within the park. Even if you just drive through the park and don't get out of the car, the scenery is breathtaking and you are sure to see some wildlife.

The weather can vary - especially of you plan to visit the mountains too - so dress in layers.

Have fun!

[weech]

Thank you so much! I hadn't thought about going to Colorado Springs -- I put it on my list. Rocky Mountain National Park also sounds really fun, even if we just drive through. Have you ever been on the train that goes up Pikes Peak? My bro said he wanted to take us on it, but I'm not sure about an 18 month old on a 3 hr train ride.