{"id":98884791,"date":"2016-07-25T12:02:45","date_gmt":"2016-07-25T16:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/?p=98884791"},"modified":"2016-07-25T17:57:49","modified_gmt":"2016-07-25T21:57:49","slug":"48-hours-in-denver-what-to-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/48-hours-in-denver-what-to-do\/","title":{"rendered":"48 Hours in Denver: What to Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thousands flocked to Denver<\/a> in the 19th\u00a0<\/span>century in search of gold or for a Tuberculosis cure. Nowadays some travelers still seek the vestiges of the Old West while others visit Denver for its cultural and historical attractions, shopping, recreational activities, and nightlife. With only 48 hours to spare, one can easily become breathless in the Mile High City. While it\u2019s impossible to see all of the \u201cmust see\u201d sites within 48 hours, we\u2019re recommending these places as a starting point.<\/p>\n

DAY 1\u2014METRO DENVER
\n<\/strong>
\nDenver Botanic Gardens
\n<\/strong><\/a>Put on your walking shoes and sunglasses to tackle this 24-acre garden located between Cheesman and Congress parks. Nestled within this acreage are 45 distinct gardens with rare and endangered plants from around the world.<\/p>\n

Cherry Creek North Shopping District
\n<\/strong>As lunchtime rolls around, find your way to Cherry Creek North. This area is well known for its art galleries, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Try True Food Kitchen for a healthy menu. Blue Island Oyster Bar offers fresh fish options. Idakaya Den will not disappoint sushi mavens.<\/p>\n

Downtown Denver
\n<\/strong>To get from Union Station to the Civic Center ride the free MallRide on 16th<\/span>Street. It stops at every block. Peek inside Union Station, a historic landmark filled with shops and restaurants. Walk to the Colorado State Capitol building. If you\u2019ve made advanced reservations for the free U.S. Mint tour, you\u2019ll be a few blocks away.<\/p>\n

Nightlife Abounds at Larimer Square
\n<\/strong>In the evening, visit Larimer Square\u2019s bars and restaurants. Topping the list is Rioja, a James Beard award-winning restaurant. For fish, consider Ocean Prime Denver. If you\u2019re in the mood for Mexican food, don\u2019t miss Tamayo. Carnivores will salivate at The Capital Grill.<\/p>\n

Leave time for a few laughs at Comedy Works. Before the night is over, grab a beer from one of Colorado\u2019s famous microbreweries.<\/p>\n

DAY 2\u2014VENTURE WEST AND EXPLORE (RENTAL CAR OR PREARRANGED TOUR REQUIRED)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mount Evans Road and Scenic Byway<\/strong><\/a> (60 miles west of Denver)
\n<\/strong>Adventure seekers can drive to one of Colorado\u2019s 54 peaks over 14,000 feet. Keep in mind that this journey will be on the highest paved road in North America. It doesn\u2019t have any guardrails and you\u2019ll be spending time at a high altitude. This road is usually open from the end of May through the beginning of October.<\/p>\n

Idaho Springs
\n<\/strong>Before getting on I-70 Eastbound, take a break for lunch in Idaho Springs. Colorado style pizza is available at Beau Jo\u2019s. An American menu with beer options can be found at nearby Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub.<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave on Lookout Mountain
\n<\/strong><\/a>Since the museum\u2019s opening in 1921, it has connected visitors to the Old West. At this popular stop, you\u2019ll learn about William F. \u201cBuffalo Bill\u201d Cody\u2019s life and western American life. On a clear day, aim your camera toward Denver and the horizon.<\/p>\n

Golden Gate State Park (Alternative to Mount Evans Byway)
\n<\/strong>This well-maintained state park is located outside Golden, about 30 miles from Denver. The park has 35 miles of trails rated easy to difficult and has a great photo opportunity at the Panoramic Scenic Overlook. This year-round park gives out-of-town visitors a taste of the mountains without having to travel far.<\/p>\n

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre
\n<\/strong><\/a>A concert at Red Rocks should be high on your list. Red Rocks boasts \u201cthe only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world.\u201d This location is also the home to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame (free attraction) and is a frequent destination for hikers, bikers and those interested in taking a guided tour.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t eat at the small Red Rock\u2019s Ship Rock Grille, stop at a restaurant in downtown Golden. The town offers a multitude of dining options.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve visited Denver recently, what was your favorite place? Let us know in the comments below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thousands flocked to Denver in the 19th\u00a0century in search of gold or for a Tuberculosis cure. Nowadays some travelers still seek the vestiges of the Old West while others visit Denver for its cultural and historical attractions, shopping, recreational activities, and nightlife. With only 48 hours to spare, one can easily become breathless in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":98884832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[163,69],"tags":[113,828,827],"class_list":["post-98884791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-denver","category-travel-tips-intel","tag-denver","tag-itinerary","tag-what-to-do"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98884791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98884791"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98884791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98884833,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98884791\/revisions\/98884833"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98884832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98884791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98884791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onetravel.com\/going-places\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98884791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}