The drive on the winding drive, with its beautiful greenery and Echo Lake, through periodic sprinkles of rain and fog, was really nice; almost therapeutic.
I had my first visit to Denver (actually leaving the airport) this spring for what was expected to be a very busy business trip. Even though most of my time would not be my own, I was looking forward to seeing a bit of the “Mile-High City.”
My flight arrived on a Sunday, a few hours before I was able to check in to my hotel, so I decided to get acclimated to the sixteen-hour time difference by taking a drive on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway - touted to be the highest paved road in North America. It was a bit further away from Denver than I expected, but traffic was brisk (I'm putting that lightly since I think several of the cars caused sonic booms as they passed me), so I managed to get to the base of the road without unnecessary delay. I stopped along the drive at the very quaint Echo Lake Lodge to buy something touristy for my kids and grabbed a much-needed cup or two of coffee. The drive on the winding drive, with its beautiful greenery and Echo Lake, through periodic sprinkles of rain and fog, was really nice; almost therapeutic.
By the time I returned to Interstate 70, I was ready for food so I stopped in at the Main Street Restaurant in Idaho Springs (1518 Miner St, Idaho Springs), home of the
Clear Creek High School Golddiggers (their cheers must be awesome), for a very nice late lunch and more coffee.
Over the course of my visit, I had a few memorable meals:
I ate at the Delectable Egg for lunch, twice – which is easy because of the number of locations they have. I like breakfast, particularly for lunch, and Delectable Egg did that well.
On my third day, after complaining to a colleague about my Denver food experiences, it was suggested I try a new restaurant nearby, Max’s Wine Dive (696 Sherman St, Denver). It turns out this is a branch of an award-winning Houston restaurant that had just recently opened in Denver. It was a very nice place, with good food (I didn’t get the chicken and champagne), but I happened to stop in on a night that seemed to be reserved for romantic couples. Awkwardness aside, it was a very nice meal and I would certainly eat at Max’s Wine Dive again – maybe with a date though.
On my final night, I had dinner at Shanahan’s (5085 S Syracuse St, Denver), an upscale steak restaurant, where I treated myself to the biggest lamp chop I have seen in my life. After a long few days of work, it was a welcome way to end my stay in Denver.
Overall, I found Denver (as sprawling as it is) to be a bustling city with nice people and a place I would like to discover a bit more.
(All photographs, such that they are, were taken by me. All rights reserved.)
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