With the Cherry Blossoms off the trees, Spring has definitely arrived in Washington DC. Washington DC can become a bit of a madhouse in Spring - between the Cherry Blossoms, what feels like every high schooler's school trip, and people in town to appreciate the DC beautiful spring weather, it can get busy. Our suggestion - avoid the packed museums, get outside and enjoy the monuments, the weather, the waterfront, and other outdoor activities.
Read MoreIn August, the Urban Atlas team spent a couple of days in Denver, Colorado. However, despite not being in Washington, DC, there are definitely some travel experiences worth sharing.
CC: Al Case
Overall, I enjoyed Denver. It is an interesting and walkable town - they have put a lot of work into developing Lower Downtown - known as LoDo - into a walkable and tourist friendly part of town. This is anchored on the 16th Street Mall, which runs from Union Station at the northwest end to state capitol at the southeast. I found the most interesting areas tended to be the neighborhoods that bordered LoDo, esepcially around the ballpark and Highland Park. A few places I visited and recommend:
I had a great dinner at Señor Bear - it's a new "latin-influenced" restaurant from a team that has some well regarded restaurants in Denver. With a limited menu, they have crafted some delicious options. The Crudo Vegetales, basically a collection of delicious variety of fresh vegetables is served with an amazingly delicious chile and herb crema. The crema is apparently made with avocados and has an amazing smooth and spicy sensation all at the same time. I also had the Crispy Pit Tail, which came with some fresh jicama and cabbage as well as soft taco shells, made for a delicious main course. The Albacore Tuna Ceviche was definitely a study in discreet flavors, coming with a sauce and some vegetables that complimented and didn't overwhelm the fish. The restaurant is located in LoHi - Lower Highland - which is an interesting area that I'd like to spend more time in and is super easy to get to from LoDo - a number of buses run between the two, it's only a 20-25 minute walk, and my uber cost $6.
Señor Bear - 3301 Tejon Street. Reservations suggested.
Crudo Vegetables
Coming from the humid summer of Washington, an August evening in Denver is usually very pleasant and last night was exceptionally pleasant, with a dew point of 43 °F. On top of the beautiful weather, Coors Field lives us to its reputation as a great place to watch a baseball game, relax, and spend an evening.
After the ballgame, we wandered over to the Great Divide Brewing Company at the corner of Arapahoe and 22nd Streets. This location is the original brewery which first opened in 1994, and it is still an active brewery. The taphouse feels and smells appropriate for an active brewery - so definitely don't go expecting a bar. However, it has an amazing selection of Great Divide beers for only $2 per taster. While it is not a large place and apparently super-busy before baseball games, it's definitely in a less Disney-fied part of downtown.
Great Divide Brewing Company - Ballpark: Brewery and Taproom. 2201 Arapahoe St.
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