Say “Namaste” on Red Rocks with your squad. (Photo: Getty Images)
DenverThe Ultimate Girls’ Weekend Guide to Denver
By Laura RatliffWelcome to the Wild West! Despite its rough-and-ready reputation, Denver has become a burgeoning scene for arts, culture, and some of the best dining anywhere in the U.S.
With a new crop of chic fashion-forward boutiques, and plenty of opportunities to get your sweat on against a Rocky Mountain backdrop (hello, Instagram!), there’s never been a better time to plan a girls’ weekend in the Mile High City.
SEE + DO
Yoga on the Rocks
The jaw-dropping Red Rocks Amphitheater is among the country’s best (and most beautiful) concert venues, but after a few days of imbibing, your group is probably ready to get their sweat on.
From June through August, Red Rocks offers eight sunrise sessions of Yoga on the Rocks, a heart-pumping vinyasa-style class that’s distinctly Denver. Be sure to claim your mat early—the dates are usually announced in April, and the $15 tickets go fast.
Museum of Contemporary Art Denver
Denver is an excellent city for museum-goers, but even after you’ve admired the dramatic large-scale canvases of the Clyfford Still Museum or the 70,000-plus works at Denver Art Museum, you’re not done yet.
Denver’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) is home to five galleries that showcase rotating exhibitions, many of which take over the entire exhibition space.
Currently, visitors are mesmerized by the works of Brooklyn sculptor Tara Donovan, whose large-scale pieces are crafted from everyday objects like rubber bands, Mylar, and plastic straws.
Upstairs Circus
If you want to get a little “crafty” during your girls’ weekend, head to Upstairs Circus, where DIY crafting sessions meet cocktails—creating an afternoon full of laughs, fun, and a unique project to take home as a souvenir.
Upstairs Circus has two Denver locations, and you can choose what you want to make from their project menu. Beaded wrap friendship bracelets, anyone?
EAT
Safta
New Orleans wonderboy Alon Shaya brought modern Israeli food to Denver this summer with Safta, a sleek open kitchen in RiNo’s Source Hotel & Market Hall.
The space feels feminine and welcoming (“safta” means grandmother in Hebrew) but the food is hearty and filling—Shaya draws on cooking traditions from around the region but adds his own signature touch.
Try the chicken schnitzel sandwiched between slices of sesame challah and seasoned with a slick of harissa mayo.
Mercantile Dining & Provision
James Beard Award-winning Mercantile Dining & Provision can be overwhelming: it’s a restaurant, yes, but also a market, a wine library, and a coffee bar.
Don’t let that scare you off: even if your crew isn’t interested in shopping for pickled beets or artisanal charcuterie, the restaurant at Mercantile was one of the first in Denver to hone “farm-to-fork” cuisine. On a “bluebird” day, few things are more pleasant than sitting on the restaurant’s patio with a bottle of rosé.
Hop Alley
Denver’s River North neighborhood has become the veritable hub of great dining, but it was restaurants like Hop Alley, a trendy family-style Chinese restaurant, that first ushered in the rush.
Behind a minimally-marked door, you’ll find banging hip-hop and a sleek bar, complete with cocktails named after rappers—try the Daniel Dumile (that would be MF Doom to you and me) made with Suntory Toki whiskey, Dimmi, Amontillado sherry, and Lustau vermouth.
Plates are meant to be shared and include indulgent fried rice loaded with bone marrow and fluffy eggs as well as la zi ji, a Sichuan dish involving chunks of crispy fried chicken studded with dried red chilis and numbing Sichuan peppercorns.
DRINK
The Cooper Lounge
Appropriately located on the mezzanine of Denver’s Union Station, The Cooper recalls the glamorous age of train travel. You’ll sit what seems like inches beneath glittering chandeliers and enjoy a classic Martini delivered on a silver tray with a small bowl of warm mixed nuts.
Before you go, make sure you don your best LBD and make reservations in advance to ensure that your entire girl gang gets a table.
SHOP
Blush
Mother-daughter duo Christy and Casey Rosen brought BLUSH to Denver in 2004, and its been going strong ever since.
The boutique stocks a well-curated selection of contemporary women’s clothing, merging chic East Coast and European brands like Equipment and Vince with California-cool duds from Sanctuary and L.A.-based jewelry designer Chan Luu.
Perhaps the best part is the store’s dedication to customer service: the Rosens will do everything from helping you clean out your closet to arranging private shopping events.
Melrose & Madison
This cute boutique in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood feels more like shopping in your girlfriend’s closet than a designer store. The racks are loaded with cozy knits, relaxed T-shirts, chic denim, and a selection of drool-worthy accessories like handbags and wallets from Saudara, a line made by two sisters in Bali. (P.S. If you’re hitting the pool, Melrose & Madison also stocks some of the best swimwear you’ll find in the city.)
This article was published through a partnership with Jetsetter magazine. Read the original story: The Ultimate Girls’ Weekend Guide to Denver by Laura Ratliff, a regular contributor to Jetsetter.
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