Denver, Colorado, is a delightful city for a girls getaway for a weekend. It’s a brunch town, home to some unique shopping spots, and is a great basecamp for nearby outdoor adventures.

My friend Hope flew in for a whirlwind weekend showing off some of my favorite spots and trying a few new places in Denver.  Here’s how to spend a 3-day weekend in Denver.

Friday: Barr Lake to Distillery 

Hope landed about 7:30am and instead of b-lining into to city, we took a detour to Barr Lake State Park. The boardwalks and gazebos in the wildlife reserve make for a primo place to spot birds, including bald eagles. You also get to enjoy a great view of the Rockies in the distance. It was super windy and chilly, so we cut our walk short and opted for a leisurely brunch instead.

• 

• 

• 

Brunch:  On and Off

I had been wanting to try On and Off Cafe, a fairly new quaint cafe in the Highlands we walked to from my condo. Perusing the menu, I honed in on shrimp and grits, my favorite Southern dish. Hope went for the House Omelette, which she said was delicious. My shrimp and grits topped with scrambled eggs were excellent.

UPDATE 8/22/26: On and Off Cafe has closed.

• 

Afternoon:  Going Wild at Denver Zoo

Since she works for San Antonio Zoo, Hope wanted to spend an afternoon at the Denver Zoo. I hadn’t been in ages, so I delighted in spend a few hours strolling around around.  My favorite area, the Toyota Elephant Passage is a unique habitat of ten acres where you can see elephants, rhinos and tapirs.  We saw all three!  I even fed a couple of stingrays some shrimp in the interactive experience of Stingray Cove.    

@jenniferbroometravel

Afternoon at #Denver #Zoo #denverzoo #wildanimals #colorado #zoolife #superstar #wildlife #coloradocheck #denverfun #zoovisit

♬ Superstar – Beatrich

Since Hope needed some hiking boots for our Saturday adventure, we stopped in REI’s flagship store in Denver.  If you want to get lost in an outdoor adventure’s paradise in a store, this is it.    

Happy Hour:  The Family Jones Spirit House

My neighborhood is highly walkable, and we walked to The Family Jones Spirit House for happy hour. Family Jones Distillery is in Loveland, but this stylist tasting room is an easy walk from my condo. For spring they have moss accents on the walls and the chandelier looks like a giant bird’s nest. The plush blue velvet booths give it a luxe vibe. We both went for The Cesar. It’s made with Jones house gin, lime leaf infused lemongrass Jones, ginger and lime. It’s refreshing and went down way to easily. We both ordered a second one as we noshed on cheese plate. The pickles are to die for!

UPDATE 8/22/26: The tasting room in LoHi is closed, but distillery in Loveland is open.

• 

• 

• 

After our happy hour we headed to Dimestore Delibar for an early dinner.  We had made a reservation for the rooftop but didn’t get it.  Food was still delicious though as we dined on the patio.  I went for the pesto gnocchi.  This quirky eatery has great outdoor seating and even has a market filled with unusual finds from cheese to candy.  (Dimestone Delibar has closed)

Saturday:  Day Trip to Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday we hit the road to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park. First stop was at Barking Dog Cafe in Lyons for lattes and breakfast burritos. It was such a lovely morning we sat outside in the sunshine enjoying a leisurely breakfast. 

Stopping at the Estes Park sign is a must before heading into Estes Park. Fall River Road is my preferred entrance into Rocky Mountain National Park, because it’s usually not as crowded as the Beaver Meadow entrance.  We stopped for some of the iconic things in RMNP including hiking in little in Hidden Valley, stopping in Moraine Park, and seeing elk as we left out of Beaver Meadow entrance, which almost always elk around near that entrance. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Exploring Elkhorn

Afterwards, strolling along Elkhorn Avenue, Estes Park’s Main Street, we popped in and out of boutiques and shops. For a late lunch, Casa Grande is perfect for spliting nachos. Hope got to indulge with a margarita, but since I was driving, it was an Arnold Palmer for me.

After a quick change back in Denver, we headed off to one of my cousins for dinner. We spent hours gabbing and dining on the wonderful homemade naan pizzas my cousins Pam and Ryan made.

Sunday Funday: Exploring LoDo (Lower Downtown)

Staying up way too late with my cousins, we slept in before a walking adventure Sunday morning. Confluence Park, Union Station Larimer Square were all stops as we walked through LoDo, Denver’s lower downtown.

Hungry for brunch, we snagged a patio table at Urban Farmer.  A mimosa pairs beautifully with their avocado Benedict.  

Next we headed to the Dairy Block, once home to Windsor Dairy. I’s now home to fun eateries and an eclectic array of shops and boutiques.  A couple of my favorite shops are the The Vintage Label and Alchemy Works.  We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon soaking up a little sunshine, laughing and chatting as we tasted wines at Blanchard Family Wines, making for a perfect Sunday Funday. 

@jenniferbroometravel

3 spots for #sips in Denver!#happyhour #brunch #sundayfunday #colorado #springvibes #eats #drinkon #cocktailsoftiktok #denverfoodscene #cocktails

♬ Let It Ring – Reiley

For one of my favorite hikes near Denver, check out post on North Table Mountain. For an easy one, Flatirons Vista is great option. For some pioneer history, check out Four Mile Historic Park. If you need a hotel close to the airport, Hyatt Place Peña Station is an excellent choice.