I’ve traveled the majority of my life and yet, I’ve never hated anything more than feeling like a tourist. Obviously, it’s inevitable—you can’t visit Washington DC without seeing the Mall or London without riding on the Eye or Cleveland without visiting the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, I think there’s something to be said for trying the local (or at least more unknown) places.
So, that’s my mission, to bring the local flavor of a city to your visit (which arguably should still include all the museums and sightseeing you want). This week, with the help of University of Denver student Steven Joe ‘18, I’m focusing on Denver, Colorado.
1. First off, Steven would like to point out the immense beauty that surrounds Denver. There’s always ample opportunity to hike, ski and sightsee in the Rocky Mountains. Also, take advantage to climb one of the 56 14’000 foot mountains in Colorado and “defeat a fourteener” as the locals say.
2. 16th Street Mall is a mile-long pedestrian-friendly street packed with attractions, restaurants, and shops. It also has 42 open-air cafes for people watching!
3. Dogs are allowed and encouraged in most places, but especially in all the city parks and pretty much anywhere there’s an open-air terrace.
4. Denver, much like other Northwest cities, has a huge food truck population. There’s a weekly food truck event downtown—with everything from coffee to ice cream to wood-fired cuisine—and they sometimes appear at college campuses as well.
5. Many tourists and locals attend some type of sporting event while in Denver. You have the Broncos (football), the Rockies (baseball), the Avalanches (hockey) and the Rapids (soccer). Make sure to keep your eye peeled for student discount tickets, as there are sixteen colleges in the Denver area.
6. People in Denver, much like Californians, love to abbreviate neighborhoods and areas. For example, LoDo is the Lower Downtown area and SoBo is South Broadway. They also generally abbreviate highways and well-traveled roads as well.
7. There are a ton of microbreweries in Denver (they’re the original hipsters), so if you’re over 21+ check out Cerebral Brewing, Fiction Beer Company, and Ratio Beerworks.
8. Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park can be found smack-dab in the middle of Downtown Denver and is open from May to October. It features 56 different rides as well as six massive roller-coasters that offer a panoramic view of Denver. Chances are that while you’re there, you’ll meet several groups of college students, all from different colleges.
9. The Cherry Cricket is home to what Denver claims is the best burgers—you can build your own or order off of a standard menu!
10. REI is a sportswear store that mainly specializes in outdoor equipment. Its huge flagship store is worth the trip—much like the Bass Pro Shops are often worth the spectacle—and they offer classes so you can learn to use the gear you buy.
11. Rocky Mountain Oysters are not— epeat: NOT—seafood. They are deep-fried bull, pig or sheep testicles. The more you know…
12. The Denver Zoo, located in City Park, offers a lot of close-up encounters (feeding giraffes, petting a penguin, etc), as well as guided tours by zookeepers.
13. The most popular pizza trend in Denver involves dipping the crust into honey after the pizza is finished, regardless of what type of pizza it was.
14. Although it sounds like a tourist minefield, most Denver residents frequent the Denver Art Museum, especially when there’s a new exhibit on display or studio art classes being held. From January to October, the museum also holds a mixed-media program on Fridays that includes modern art, music and hors d’oeuvres to which locals flock.
15. Finally, if you travel via airport to Denver, do not look into the eyes of the horse statue, officially known as “Blue Mustang” but locally referred to as “Blucifer.” Rumor has it that bad luck follows those who do.
If you love your hometown or have a city you’re particularly familiar with, and want to show tourists what the locals love, please contact me at hewittr@kenyon.edu and I’ll happily sit down with you to work out an article that showcases your love for your city.
Image Source: quora.com, thrillist.com, homeaway.com, roaminghunger.com