Earlier this month Cody & I had a sweet little weekend trip to Denver to celebrate his family! Luckily- between the celebrating & spending time all together - we also got to do, see, eat and drink ALL. THE. THINGS. Today, I’m sharing with you a summation of what all that entailed!

If you are interested in what I packed for our trip, check out my blog post here on just that! (P.S. I swear by the rain boots and hat)

Day ONE

We touched down around 8:30 am local time and holy guacamole was I HAPPY I brought my coat in my carry on! It was COLD - by Arizona standards - but I have to say it was so refreshing to be in that weather!

Once we picked up our rental car we headed straight into town to pick up the keys to where we were staying! Luckily Cody’s sweet cousin let us stay at his place while he was out of town - and let me tell you - if we ever move to Denver I want to live somewhere as lovely as that! It was a part of a huge renovated industrial building with tall ceilings, huge windows and the dreamiest views of city life!

Initially during out stay we had planned on heading up to Rocky Mountain National Park, but due to road closures thanks to all the snow they had had the previous week, we opted for exploring the city instead! Based on where we were located, we walked to the nearest Free MallRide pick up and headed to Union Station!

Once we got to Union Station we headed in and made a few rounds to check it out! I will say the inside of the station was much smaller than I had anticipated but it was so incredibly gorgeous! Considering all we had had to eat up to this point was airplane pretzels & coffee we popped into Terminal Bar for lunch! Unfortunately they had a kitchen fire that morning so we were out of luck on food but thankfully the bar was open so we opted for a liquid lunch.

We had THE sweetest waiter and I’m thankful still for all their recommendations! We ultimately tried three different drinks - A cidery cocktail - a tart cherry gimlet & a creamy chocolate drink! I would say the cider one was my favorite given how seasonal and yummy it was! The cherry gimlet was incredibly tart but also refreshing and Cody loved the Cherry flavor (his very favorite). Lastly, we luckily were gifted a free drink after an order mix up and while the drink was STRONG it was oddly delicious and something I think Willy Wonka would have in his factory if he decided to get into the booze business.

Once we were warmed up at Terminal, we headed out front to get some shots with Union Station (read: my blogger dreams were coming true). We had a photo bomber, a few lost tourists but ultimately we had tons of fun! From there, we headed over to the Diary Block (again - be still my blogging heart!)

After spending about 15 minutes just admiring the whole entrance, we finally started walking down the street stopping for many photos…

an art gallery or two…

and a gigantic slice of yummy pizza for lunch!

On our way to our next destination we stopped in (bakery) to check out the yummy options & opted for a few delicious sweet treats.

Walking around Downtown Denver I couldn’t help but feel comfortable and at home. The weather was crisp, the humans were kind and it was truly beautiful. It reminded me of Indianapolis but also was this brand new place I was honestly ready to start apartment hunting in… come 2021 we might just be back (for real)!

We absolutely HAD to go to Tattered Cover Book Store while we were in town. While Cody is not as into bookstores as I am, he’s a real trouper and comes anyways which I appreciate. There were so many amazing books and the feel of being there with cozy & quaint little corners and spots for reading and chatting - I felt right at home.

Once we were done here we headed back to the apartment to get ready for dinner we were having with family & afterwards called it an early night thanks to travel induced tiredness.

Day TWO

While we had every intention of waking up super early for some sunrise shots and other photography work I was doing for a few brands our bodies decided we were sleeping in so we got started a bit later in the morning. Once we were dressed and ready to go we headed to Cody’s home town of Littleton. He showed me his schools - his homes - the special places that built him. During our time in the area we headed over to one of his favorite bites - The Cow Eatery and had breakfast! The food was SO GOOD I absolutely would go back! One of the best bits was sharing their famous cinnamon rolls.

Once we were super full we kept exploring the area by heading up to Red Rocks. It was so beautiful and I absolutely want to see a show there someday! I don’t recommend, however, walking up there after a big breakfast. That and the elevation had me taking things real slow.

After spending quite a bit of time there, we headed back to the car and popped into a wonderful local coffee place, Atlas, and enjoyed seasonal drinks. This was one of those places Cody went to all the time and loved and it was so special to try something that wasn’t just local and delicious, but important to him!

With caffeine in our system we headed to Golden for the Coors Factory Tour! Golden is such a beautiful town I really wish we had more time to explore- if we head back this summer like we’re hoping to, I really would love some extra time there!

Now- some info on the Coors Tour as this is the states second most popular tourist destination. When you get there, you typically are taken by a shuttle from the parking lot to the factory. When we visited this wasn’t the case (not sure why) so just be prepared for that in case! Once we parked (without cost) we walked a few blocks to the factory.

Quick note: DO NOT BRING IN A BAG. They are very strict on this and made multiple women even with larger wallets/clutches return them to their cars or stash them in a bush. I literally brought my ID, phone and credit card and it served me well!

One thing I didn’t know - and thank god we got there when we did - was you actually have to wait in an extremely long line to get in. Because the tours go in groups of people, and only so many can be in each group, you may end up waiting hours to get in. We waited about an hour plus some to get in - which was fine - but depending on your time and what your schedule looks like this might not work for you! Once you’re in, you start the tour by purchasing tickets ($10 - some discounts available) and getting your photo taken. It’s a self guided tour so it can take as long or as short as you want - we spent maybe 45 minutes on the actual tour and the rest drinking. (Note: You DO NOT have to be 21 to take the tour, but you won’t be able to sample beers if you’re under 21! There are soda options and water for those under 21 or someone opting for the non-alcoholic option)

Once we were done with the tour (and gift shop of course) we made our way back to Denver to get ready for his family’s gathering and enjoyed the night celebrating with them!

Day THREE

With a short day to do things we decided to sleep in took it easy. We originally planned to do some exploring but opted for a relaxing day, a few photos and an early arrival to the airport! Overall, our time in Denver was so refreshing and fun! I adored it more than I really thought I would (especially the cold!) and look forward to planning our next trip!