You Experience Denver and Visit Philly
I have been fortunate enough to visit 45 of the 50 United States. There are a lot of things that I can say about the US, but one thing I can say is that from a natural beauty standpoint, the United States is stunning. Sorry, but from an architectural standpoint….other countries do a much better job of creating a beautiful design aesthetic.
That said, I wanted to talk about how I like to frame visiting Denver. Why I say you have to experience Denver versus visiting it and why I wouldn’t drop someone off in a random part of town and hope they discover all that Denver has to offer.
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Listen to the Episode
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Show Notes
American cities are sometimes tricky to navigate around. I’m not talking about just the literal action of moving from one space to another. Im also talking about knowing where to go, what’s interesting, where to avoid and spaces that are safe.
I get frustrated with travel and location related content because often this tension is glossed over. How in the hell would someone who’s not from town even know where where to go and what to do? Then, they lean on the content created by social media influencers, many of whom aren’t from the cities or towns that they are creating content about.
In my travels across the United States I’ve noticed that there are cities that you experience vs. visit and Denver is definitely one of them. These are the cities where people aren’t sure what there is to do, where to go and how to go about doing things.
What I often find when talking about Denver with people who are planning to visit is the following:
- There is a gap in knowledge about how many activities, events and venues there are in Denver. I think that most people just think we are skiing or hiking and that’s it.
- Many people think that the City is much closer to the mountains than it actually is.
- That we all smoke pot and basically do nothing else.
Experience Denver vs. Visit Philly
I absolutely love both Denver and Philadelphia. But, on a recent trip to Philly, I realized something-you visit Philly and Experience Denver. Hear me out.
Once I arrived at the Philadelphia airport, I took the train into town. You can do that too in Denver. But, Philadelphia’s city center is significantly larger than Denver. Even though in many ways…Denver has become a large city.
As I wandered up and down the beautiful Philadelphia boulevards, I realized that in some ways this would be difficult to do in Denver without a lot more guidance on where to go. I realized then why most people just stick to the 16th Street Mall, it’s just easy to do.
In Philly you can make your way to the oldest residential street in America, eat at Reading Terminal Market, go shopping see stunningly old architecture and take a selfie at the Love sculpture in Love Park.
When I tell you that Philadelphia is one of my favorite American cities and that I prefer it to New York City-I’m serious.
You can’t compare the two cities because Denver is a completely different type of city to experience. It’s not as old, has a different city identity and a different vibes.
When I talk to people about their vacations in Colorado, if they’ve enjoyed themselves, weren’t stuck in a convention center or had a local who could give them some suggestions or guidance they tend to share all of their adventures while here.
Literal adventures.
Going to watch a Denver Nuggets, Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Rockies or Colorado Mammoth Game. Yes, we have all of those teams and I should also mention the Denver Barbarians who are part of USA Rugby that I think is still headquartered in Colorado.
Then there’s all of the theater that you can enjoy. It’s often said that the Denver Center for Performing Arts is the second largest theater venue in the United States following Broadway in New York City. I don’t know if it’s true or not, I do know that we have an incredible amount of theater to enjoy in Denver. I even recently scored a $10 ticket for The Color Purple, a performance that was so well done that people gave a standing ovation 3/4’s of the way through the show.
Then there is all of the live music. From seeing shows at Red Rocks, Mission Ballroom and my new favorite venue to enjoy-Levitt Pavilion (did you know they had free concerts-I grabbed tickets for 3 concerts this summer) including the SWV block party, Denver group Flobots and the Brazilian Day event.
So Many Patios
When people think about Denver they think about snow, and ironies of ironies, it’s snowing as I work on this post. But, the weather is surprisingly good. I’ll link to a short podcast episode that I recorded about the weather in Colorado. And I’ve accepted that most people won’t believe me. But, what people might not realize is that Denver has a strong patio culture. There’s nothing better than sitting on a patio and enjoying a coffee, a glass of wine or something to eat while talking to people who are new to you.
Experience Denver
Whether it’s a goat yoga class (those yearlings are surprisingly heavy) working out at Red Rocks, roller skating around town with Denver Urban Skate, riding a bike during Denver’s Cruiser Ride or walking up and down the street during !Viva Streets Denver!
And don’t forget all of the free events throughout the year.
- Juneteenth-I bet this one surprised you. Denver hosts one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the United States.
- The National Western Stock Show
- Jazz Festival
- Cherry Creek Arts Festival
- The Chalk Art Festival
Just to name a few. Then there’s the hiking, biking, snowboarding and other random ways we’ve created to experience our state and its natural beauty.
- Frozen Dead Guy Days-I heard it was great in Estes Park.
- Ski Joring
- Night skiing
- Hot Springs
- And don’t forget the road trips to the Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and our beautiful neighboring states. New Mexico being my favorite.
In the end, I feel like I have written and recorded a love letter to Denver. You need to experience it vs. just visiting the City. What will your next adventure in Denver be?