Peachhead Approved Family Vacation, Denver 2015

My husband and I are fans of the band String Cheese Incident so when we heard they were playing at Red Rocks in Denver, Colorado, we ordered our tickets and booked our flight. We flew into Denver on Southwest Airlines. It is a short 2 hour flight from LA. We rented a car from Silvercar. I had recently heard about them, and this was my first time using them. All of their cars are new Audis with navigation, satellite radio, and even wifi. You book your car online through their app. When you land at the airport you tap on a button on their app to let them know you have arrived; you then get your luggage and walk out to catch the shuttle (which was there waiting for us). The cars are stored 10 minutes away. When you arrive at the lot the employee lets you choose which car you want, helps you load your luggage, and then makes sure you understand everything about the car--they even programmed our hotel and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in the navigation for us…great service.

After leaving Silvercar, we drove about 25 minutes to our hotel, the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel. This hotel is in a great location right next to the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. This is a great area full of restaurants, bars, and shops. There is a free city shuttle that runs up and down the mall. The Sheraton is a very large hotel with 1231 rooms and 82 suites. There are a number of restaurants including Yard House. There is also an amazing soup, salad, and sandwich place called Zoup. I had the most unbelievable lobster bisque and mushroom bisque soup. We stayed in the executive suite, which was a very nice sized room (700 sq feet). It had a separate living room with a fold out couch, a work station (complimentary wi-fi), dining table, refrigerator, and microwave. They even provided free bottles of water, which was a nice surprise. I like to work out when I am on vacation so I was excited to see they have a very large fitness center that is open 24 hours and has a nice amount of cardio equipment as well as exercise machines and weights. They also provide headsets for your workout. There is a nice pool on the 5th floor, with comfy lounge chairs. The pool also has day beds that are complimentary and available on a first come first serve basis. The pool does get crowded, so if you want a chair and it is a nice day, be sure to get out there early. The pool has a very lively scene.

Our first night in Denver we ate at a Mexican restaurant called Tamayo, located in Larimer (just off of the 16th Street Pedestrian Mall). We were there for happy hour and enjoyed the different flavored margaritas they had, such as the mango puree and pineapple margaritas. All of the food was great, including the chips and salsa, queso fundido, tacos, and corn on the cob. When we finished dinner we called Uber to take us to Red Rocks Amphitheatre. It worked out perfectly as it was only a 25-minute ride and the fare was $25 each way. If you do not have your tickets ahead of time, be sure to tell your driver to drop you off at the box office. From the box office there are shuttles to take you to the concert venue (needless to say this a big place) or you can ask your driver to wait for you to get your tickets and then continue to drive you to the top to the entrance. When the concert was over we walked down to the Trading Post, where the taxis were lined up. This is also where Uber will pick you up. Very simple.

The next day was a beautifully warm, sunny day so after my workout, I hung out at the pool all day. We had dinner at Russell’s Smokehouse, also located in the Larimer Square (off of the 16th Street Mall). The food was wonderful, and I have to say these were probably the best baby back ribs I have ever had. They were very meaty and tender, with a wonderful flavor from their popular BBQ sauce. After dinner I walked around 16th Street mall and took the free shuttle up and down 16th Street, exploring. They have so many great shops and restaurants. I met a friend for drinks and dessert at Corridor 44, a champagne bar. They have a great variety of drinks to choose from. I started out with the key lime sparkling martini, and finished with the raspberry truffle. They have a happy hour with $4 champagne cocktails, as well as draft beers and well drinks.

On our last night, before the concert, we had dinner at Venice Ristorante & Wine Bar, located in Lodo, near Union Station. We used Lyft to take us there, and it only cost $6.00 from the hotel (we could have taken the free shuttle on 16th Street, but we were short on time). If you haven’t tried Lyft, you can sign up using the code Linda028442 and you will receive a $20 credit on your first ride. The restaurant was wonderful, and the food was superb. They began the meal by bringing out a variety of breads to choose from. We started out by ordering the Burrata e Prosciutto, that was beautifully presented and tasted wonderful. Next was the Caesar salad, served in a crusted parmesan basket. For dinner we shared the Scaloppine ai Capperi (veal scaloppini sautéed in a pinot grigio lemon sauce with capers, roasted artichokes, and garlic). It was delicious. For dessert we shared the chocolate lava cake, which was served warm accompanied by hazelnut gelato. The entire meal, including the drinks, was fabulous. The service was exceptional, as well (thanks, John). I will definitely return to this restaurant.

>[?When we finished dinner, we called for a Lyft to Red Rocks and they were there within minutes. One difference between Lyft and Uber is that Uber has the tip built into the price of the ride, and Lyft asks the amount of tip you want to leave when you complete your ride. After the concert I tried to get an Uber but the wait was 25 minutes, so I tried Lyft and he was there already waiting for us.

 

Denver is a great city, but I didn’t really have time to explore it. I look forward to returning with a friend and discovering more of this beautiful city.

I want to thank the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel for offering me a special rate for this weekend.

Linda Perry, July 2015
Linda@Peachhead.net
www.peachhead.net
Twitter: Peachhead