Denver Travels

Denver Skyline Print

My handsome boyfriend and I are heading to Denver later this spring and so... I've been searching the old Interweb to get familiar with this fabulous, laid-back city. I came across the Design*Sponge Denver City Guide, complete with a Google Map of all the hottest Denver destinations.

On my list of (art) places to visit:

• Museum of Contemporary Art: I checked out the current happenings at MCA Denver and am most interested in seeing Eduardo Sabia's photo exhibition, Tainted. D*S suggests sipping a glass of wine at the rooftop MCA Café. Supposedly there are beautiful views of downtown Denver. I hear the gift shop is also a must!
• Denver Art Museum: I'm super bummed to see that I won't be in town for the exhibition of Nick Cave's Sojourn installation, or for Mark Rothko's Figure to Field exhibition. I might have to come back to the Denver Art Museum later in the summer just for a trip to the DAM!
• Navajo Street Art District: I'm excited to see that there are First Friday festivities happening in the Denver art scene. Apparently the Navajo Street Art District is filled with artist co-ops, galleries, performing arts series. Sounds like my cup of tea. 
• HINTERLAND: This is an art space made from reclaimed and salvaged materials. The husband and wife duo behind HINTERLAND feature contemporary art in the space. I worry that if we go, my boyfriend might never come home. Their website advertises a beautiful studio space with an exposed brick wall for only $360/month. Drool.

So after all the artsy stuff, maybe we'll be active...?

• Denver B-Cycle: I've been a big fan of bike-share programs since renting bikes in Paris via the Velib system back in 2008. I can't wait to cycle around Denver and actually see the city. Biking gives such a different perspective than driving. 
• Rock Climbing: We plan to do a bit of rock climbing in Denver, as the crew we'll be visiting is pretty active and skilled at scaling mountain faces with bare hands. Bad ass, you say? Obviously.

After being artsy and outdoorsy, shopping is obviously next on the agenda. 

• EVOO Marketplace: Ummm taste-testing extra-virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars from around the world? Yes, please! I'm just starting to experiment with more artisanal olive oils in my cooking, so this is very exciting.
• The Old Map Gallery: This shop has antique maps and vintage prints from all over the world. I would love to go to brunch, then head into this old map gallery to check out all the pretty places and ponder bringing a fabulous destination home.
• lulu’s furniture & decor: this furniture shop is family owned and seems to have a great assortment of fun decor items, from big ticket furniture to smaller accessories. 
• The Perfect Petal: The Perfect Petal is a flower shop and gift boutique all rolled into one. I'm extra excited to visit this little shop because they are one of the few boutiques in Denver that carry my family's wares, Sorrelli jewelry! 
• Common Era: A shopping destination with apparently great hipster, girly clothes at affordable prices.
• Goldyn: I might have to stop in to this high-end fashion boutique to scout some of my favorite brands on sale. Apparently they stock Loeffler Randall, Helmut Lang, Elizabeth and James, Alexander Wang, and Rebecca Minkoff pieces, and sometimes have outlet prices for off-season goods.
• Scribbles: I want to go here just for the sheer, overwhelming cuteness of this stationary store! The website shows gorgeous, light-filled retail space with fabulous displays and merchandising. Plus, I am a sucker for letterpress and old-fashioned cards. Can't wait to check it out!

There are a million more recommendations on the D*S Denver City guide than the few that I am pining to visit. If we get to see even half of the sites I've mentioned, I'll feel accomplished! I'm very excited to see some of my favorite people out in Colorado (including my uber talented sister). Can't wait for our little getaway!