Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: April 2024
Denver is nicknamed the Mile High City as it sits exactly one mile above sea level. It’s nestled near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and boasts of having more than 300 days of sunshine per year. Besides providing easy access to the mountains, Denver is a lively metropolis and contains several sights and attractions within the city.
We’ve explored many of the national parks on the Canadian side of the Rocky Mountains, which is the largest mountain range in North America. They stretch 4,800 kilometres (or 3,000 miles) from New Mexico to northern British Columbia. It was about time for us to get a change of scenery, so we decided to head to Denver to embark on a two week road trip through Colorado and New Mexico to see the American side of the Rockies.
We flew into Denver the night before. This was our first flight with baby M, which surprisingly went much better than expected. She mainly slept the entire way. The flight from Toronto wasn’t too long, just over three and a half hours. But then we had to get off the plane, pick up our luggage, find our car seat in the oversize baggage area, take the (extremely long) shuttle to the car rental place and wait in line to get our vehicle, which took another couple of hours. And then we had an issue with one of our credit cards.
We were slow to get started the next morning, and not just because of the baby. We had to make a few phone calls to get our credit card issue sorted out. And then we had to return to the car rental so they could switch the credit card the reservation was under. I’m not sure why we couldn’t do this over the phone. But the weather was miserable so it’s not like we were missing much. It was cold and raining. Hard. And then the rain turned into wet snow.
By the time we got everything sorted out, it was late in the morning. We checked out of our hotel and headed downtown to visit a couple of museums. We started with the Molly Brown House Museum. From the parking garage we made a quick detour to check out the Colorado State Capitol. Free guided tours are offered during the weekdays, but we were visiting on a Saturday. Instead we just admired the building from the outside.
The Molly Brown House Museum showcases the life of American socialite Margaret Brown, also known as the Unsinkable Molly Brown. She is perhaps best known for surviving the Titanic and for her efforts to organize relief for other survivors. She was a philanthropist and human-rights activist, and also enjoyed travelling. The museum is located in her former home, which has been restored to give a sense of what it looked like when she was alive. Inside the rooms there is more information about Margaret, her family and how the house was restored.
We walked back to our car for a quick bite to eat and to free M from her baby carrier. We rented a bigger sized vehicle, which was already coming in handy. We simply popped one of the backseats down, put out a blanket, and let the baby thrash around.
It was still raining by the time we headed out again. So we grabbed our umbrellas and walked over to the Denver Art Museum. It is one of the largest art museums between Chicago and the West Coast and features an extensive collection that spans across two buildings.
We likely wouldn’t have time to see all the collections, so we started with the Martin Building, the larger of the two buildings. This building has seven floors and contains the museum’s encyclopedic collections, including work from architecture and design, Asian art, Indigenous arts of North America, European art before 1990, western American art, photography, and more. Since our schedule revolves around the baby and we weren’t sure how much time we’d have, we prioritized the collections we were the most interested in.
Besides art, the museum also provided a nice view of the surrounding area.
We made our way across the bridge to get to the Hamilton Building, which showcases the museum’s collection of African art, modern and contemporary art, and the temporary exhibits. We did a quick walk through and then headed out. It was still raining. But we were done for the day, or mostly done. We just had to drive to Colorado Springs.
L
Great guide! I have been wanting to make a long weekend trip to Denver and the surrounding area.
Thanks for your lovely comment. We had initially planned to do more stuff outside while visiting Denver. But given the crappy weather we’re happy that there are a bunch of museums to keep us warm, dry and entertained.
Yes, I hated that for you guys but you clearly made the most of your trip!
Thankfully the weather improved and we didn’t get much rain after that, just a snowstorm as we were driving through the mountains, but more on that later.
I can’t wait to read about it! Sounds like quite the adventure!
Oh man, what are the chances that you got one of the 60 something days of rain during your visit! 😂 It looks to me that you still made the most of it!
The Titanic museum looks so fascinating and more so that it was related to Molly Brown, the character Kathy Bates played in the movie. I’ll have to keep Denver in mind as our T is obsessed with Titanic.
Congrats on surviving your first flight with M!
Oh I know! I was not impressed with all that rain and wet snow! But, if we were going to have a day with miserable weather, it worked out that it was in Denver as we planned to visit these museums anyway. We would have liked to have gone to the Denver Botanic Garden, which is mainly outside, but we’ll have to save that for next time.
The Molly Brown Museum was pretty cool. It was neat to learn more about her story and connection with the Titanic. It makes me want to rewatch the movie. It’s cute that T is obsessed with it.
I was a bit anxious about how M would handle the flight, especially since it was around her bedtime and we were worried that it would be disruptive to her sleep. She was such a champ. And so patient afterwards when we had to deal with getting our luggage and picking up our rental car. We had no issues putting her to bed when we finally got to our hotel either. I imagine it’ll get harder once she starts to walk though!
Yup, once they start walking, running and climbing… have fun! 😆
Ha, thanks! She’s already starting to try to crawl. She hasn’t quite figured it out yet. But I guess we should probably start baby proofing the house.
It looks like you still made the most of your time in the city despite the unfavourable weather. It’s a good thing that big cities boast astonishing tourist attractions and plenty of opportunities for indoor activities on such occasions.
You know, I had no idea that there’s such a thing as the Molly Brown House Museum in Denver. Apparently, Kathy Bates’ portrayal of Molly Brown in James Cameron’s 1997 masterpiece was spot on -she was even way cooler and more awesome than what we see in the film! As someone whos been fascinated by the story and history of the Titanic, I’d like to stop by the museum
Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
For sure. The heavy rain and wet snow wasn’t ideal, especially since we really wanted to visit the Denver Botanic Garden, but there were plenty of indoor activities to keep us busy. And we were planning on visiting these museums anyway.
The Molly Brown Museum was super interesting and a great way to learn more about her and her legacy. And agreed, Kathy Bates nailed that character in the movie. It made us want to rewatch it and visit some of the other museums related to the Titanic, especially the one in Belfast.
Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
🥰🥰🥰
And the first thing I notice in The Unsinkable Molly’s house is the bear with an open mouth under the piano! It seems like the right day to visit museums – indoors and out of the rain/snow!
There certainly were some questionable design and furnishing choices back in the day! Out of all the days of our trip, if we were going to have miserable weather, this was the best day for it as there were plenty of museums to keep us busy. The rest of the time we were outdoors enjoying the landscape. Thankfully we had much better weather for that (minus a wicked snowstorm when we were driving through the mountains, but more on that later).
I’ve heard that the Denver airport is pretty crazy! I still haven’t been to CO, but it’s high on my list. I’d enjoy the Molly Brown House, it’s always neat seeing how people lived. I remember seeing chairs at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris and thinking how in the world are chairs art haha
The Denver airport has such a strange layout. Thankfully we had a much easier time with everything on the way back. I know what you mean about seeing furniture in an art gallery. I didn’t realize that was a form of art. But then again, I don’t really get most modern or contemporary art either.
An awesome post Linda. So glad to finally see a bit of Denver itself. It does look like a good city. I like the look of that art gallery, especially the whisk broom and dust pan. Travelling with little M no doubt was a challenge but will be so worth it in time. Babies do not really understand lineups and waiting yet and that seems to be what current day traveling is all about. Thanks for sharing. Have a great Thursday. Allan
Thanks for your kind words. We weren’t sure what to expect with the flight or road trip, but it went much better than I thought. You’re right, it was so worth it. It’s too bad the weather wasn’t the greatest while we were in Denver, but we were planning on seeing these museums anyway. The only thing we weren’t able to do because of the rain was the Denver Botanic Gardens. It turns out we probably wouldn’t have time to do all three anyway given how much time it took to get our car rental and credit card issue figured out. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Beautiful photos, such a nice area! I love the exterior of the museum house!
Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s too bad the weather was so shitty, but at least we could avoid the rain by visiting a couple of museums. I’m such a fan of Victorian architecture and liked the exterior of the Margaret Brown House Museum too.
It could be worse! Count your blessings. 🤙🏻😊😊😊😊
That’s very true! And at least it wasn’t all snow!!
Snow is a bad word. 🤭😂
Oh I’m sure I’ll be missing it soon once it gets hot and humid here!
If you have snow, you must have a snowmobile! 🤙🏻😎
I’ve actually never been on a snowmobile before. Seems like it would be fun to try.
Really? It’s a must! You will love it, I grew up with a snowmobile under my bum! Try it! ❤️
Something to add to the list of things to do for next winter. Assuming we have enough snow. This winters seem to be getting milder (and the summers hotter).
I agree, we used to go to northern lower Michigan to ride but they have far less snow these days. The owners of these expensive sleds must be angry!
No kidding. The same can be said about people who ski and pay for a private membership. I’m okay just sticking to the hiking trails 🙂
A cheaper hobby! 😂🤙🏻
You bet! And many of the parks are free during the winter.
Ah, you kind of make miss the west…too bad sunny Denver didn’t shine for you, but hopefully the rest of the trip had good weather.
We’re missing the west too. We’re already talking about whether we should go back later in the fall to either California, southern New Mexico and/or Texas.
Thankfully the weather was much better for the rest of the trip, minus a wicked snowstorm as we were driving through the mountains from Grand Junction to Estes Park. But more on that later.
Oh, those mountain passes can be pretty horrible in bad weather!
Oh yes. For what should have been a 4.5 hour drive ended up taking us just over 10 hours due to the treacherous conditions and road closures. We also had to make some additional stops to let the baby out of her car seat and to nurse her. But wow was that a long day!
Wow!
You should try again sometime. Denver’s a lot nicer when it’s not raining and when you don’t have credit card/rental car hassles. I’d recommend the Colorado History Museum.
I have a feeling we’ll be back someday. We also really wanted to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens. I’ll keep the Colorado History Museum in mind. Thanks for the suggestion!
Bad luck with the rain. I think it rains less in Denver than even in dry Calgary! But you made good use of it, I’ve never heard of the Molly Brown museum. What a great find. Maggie
No kidding! But hey, if we were going to get rainy weather, this was the perfect day for it as we were planning on checking out these museums anyway. We would have liked to have gone to the Denver Botanic Gardens too, but it was mainly outside. C’est la vie. We’ll have to save it for another time.
So interesting Linda as I’d like to make a similar road trip sometime. Glad it all worked out fine on the plane with your baby daughter but a shame about the miserable weather greeting you in Denver. I’ll look forward to the next instalment!
While our first day in Denver was off to a rough start, overall it was a fantastic road trip. We’re already thinking about returning to New Mexico to explore the southern part of the state. There’s so many interesting ruins and cliff dwellings that we didn’t have enough time to explore this time around. I’m so glad we had a positive experience flying with M as we have a few more trips we’d like to take this year. She was such a good traveller!
That’s great to hear. We took both of our sons long haul from being infants. Our older son goes over to Los Alamos for work occasionally and stays in Santa Fe. Usually he’s there for two weeks allowing the middle weekend for exploring. One time I’ll fly out when he is finishing and then we’ll rent a car and take a holiday there. Have visited quite a lot of NPs in the west but not been to New Mexico yet!
That would be fun!! We had a lovely time in Santa Fe. There are quite a few national parks in New Mexico which was a great way to learn more about the history of the area. We actually drove through Los Alamos to get to the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. It was interesting because we had to stop at a security checkpoint near the National Laboratory and show our driver’s license. We were then told to keep driving, not to slow down and that we couldn’t take any pictures.
It’s the National Laboratory that he goes to for work sometimes! He prefers to stay in Santa Fe and drive in rather than Los Alamos as there’s more variety of places to stay and eat. He tries to stay at the Inn of the Governors if he can, I don’t know f you spotted it. I will look forward to your posts on the area. Best wishes,Marion
That’s so cool! I can see why he prefers to stay in Santa Fe. It’s a very charming city with a lot of history. And there’s a lot of great restaurants there. I just looked up some pictures of the Inn of the Governors. Looks like a lovely spot to stay. And it has great reviews. Something to keep in mind if we ever return.
Great post, Linda! It’s been a few years since I’ve seen Denver but I did do a fair bit of hiking in that area about 30 years ago. (It actually didn’t feel that long until I put the number in!) Looking forward to your NM post. It’s a favourite state and one that I’ve visited a lot. Glad all went well with Baby M. One of my children was a bear to travel with.
Thanks for your kind words. I imagine Denver looks a bit different these days from when you visited. I was actually a bit surprised at how big the city is. I’m glad we went during the shoulder season as I heard parking at the trailheads can be cut throat. While it was nice to see the Rockies from Colorado, the New Mexico part of our road trip was my favourite. There’s so much history. And it was neat to see some of the Ancestral Puebloan ruins. We were very fortunate that M was a good traveller for this trip. Let’s hope it stays that way!
I have only been to the Denver Colorado airport, which was a pleasant experience actually. The city looks very nice and I love the museums you checked out. Baby M will be a very cultured young lady.
The Denver airport was much bigger than we were expecting, but thankfully it wasn’t very busy. The shuttle to get to the car rentals on the other hand was. And then we had to wait in a long line to get our car. I was a bit worried about the baby, but she mostly just slept in her baby carrier. So far she’s been an excellent traveller! We’re going to need to upgrade to one of those baby carrier backpacks though as she’s getting much heavier!
Denver such a nice Country and so much like to watch all photos 🙏🌷👍🏻 so great museum to view also 😍👍🏻
Very nice trip you had and the written explanation wonderful 😊👏 many Blessings you and your loving family 💕💐
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The rain wasn’t ideal, but thankfully there were a lot of museums to keep us dry and entertained.
We were there a number of years back – started and ended a great road trip from there – unfortunately we only allowed a half day but we did manage the free tour of the Capitol as well as a nice walkabout. We left after lunch for the 4 hr drive to Grand Junction – but sure we’d gone no distance at all when we spotted Coors brewery in Golden (which we hadn’t known about at all)!! Of course we had to investigate that – which took all afternoon!!! So that was day 1 itinerary blown to bits!
It sounds like you had a much better experience driving from Denver to Grand Junction than we did! For what should have been a four and a half hour drive ended up taking us just over ten hours due to a wicked snowstorm and multiple road closures through the mountains! It’s funny how the itinerary doesn’t always work out, but it’s all part of the adventure!
Denver is one of those cities that I’ve driven through many times, but never really spent a lot of time in. Admittedly, part of this is because the Denver airport is my all time least favorite airport after having spent many a night curled up on the floor there. But now I think next time I’m in the area that I absolutely must see the Unsinkable Molly Brown house. So glad that your first flight with Baby M went so well! Looking forward to reading on your visit to Colorado Springs! 🙂
Yikes! Sounds like you had a worse experience with the Denver airport than us! Although to be fair, the airport itself was fine, it was just much bigger than we were expecting. And it took foreverrrr to get to the car rental place. We figured we’d take it easy on our first day as we weren’t sure how M would handle the flight, especially since it was at night, or the time change. She was such a champ!
You’ve seen more things in Denver than I have haha! Molly Brown is on our list but we haven’t made it there yet, nor have we been to the art museum. Art museums aren’t really my thing, but maybe one of these days we’ll check it out.
I’m still bummed that we weren’t able to see the Denver Botanic Gardens, which the main thing we actually wanted to do in Denver. The Molly Brown house was pretty neat. As for the art museum, a lot of the stuff is hit or miss. But hey, it kept us warm and dry!
Now you’ll just have to come visit again 😊
Totally! And to go on a hike with you to see some moose!
This looks like a lovely day in the city! Awesome to hear about your experience. The Molly Brown House Museum looks so interesting too!
It was nice to spend some time in the city before exploring the trails. And we had perfect weather for checking out a couple of museums given all the rain. The Molly Brown House Museum was pretty neat. She was a fascinating woman. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Linda
It sounds like you made the most of a bad weather day. I would love to visit the Molly Brown Museum, if memory served me right the brilliant Kathy Bates played her in Titanic. We always enjoy a solid art museum too. Sorry to hear about your credit card issues, that always adds stress to a trip.
Hey, if we were going to get bad weather, it might as well have been on the day we were in the city where we planned to visit these museums anyway. The Molly Brown Museum was fantastic and you’re right, Kathy Bathes played her in Titanic (and nailed that role). The credit card issue was so strange. They froze the account and when we tried to call they said it would take three days to lift the hold. I’m just glad we had another credit card with us otherwise we would have been stranded. And thankfully the person we were dealing with the next day was able to lift the hold a lot sooner.
I’m glad your first flight with the baby went well, but it’s a shame about the weather I only know Molly Brown from having watched Titanic far too many times as a teenager, so it would be interesting to visit her house and learn more about her.
The weather wasn’t ideal, but at least we could avoid it by visiting a couple of museums. The Molly Brown House Museum was pretty fascinating. She was an incredible woman. It made me want to watch the Titanic again! So good!
Amazing Baby M has flown so young, and great you have been able to get in a great road trip and nice change of scenery 🙂 I’d love to visit the Molly Brown Museum -having survived the Titanic would really be something.
I was starting to refer to our place as “my prison”. It was definitely nice to get a change of scenery and do some travelling! The Molly Brown House Museum was great. It was neat to learn more about her life and accomplishments. It also made me want to watch the Titanic again.
Denver is another place I’ve wanted to explore but haven’t had the opportunity yet. Thanks for sharing some of the sites. ☺️
We’ve spent a lot of time on the Canadian side of the Rockies so it was nice to finally see what they’re like across the border. We took it easy on our first day by exploring some of the museums around Denver. We would have loved to visit the Denver Botanic Gardens, but the weather wasn’t ideal. I guess this means we’ll just have to come back at some point. Thanks for reading. Linda
This is an interesting post about Denver that I’d love to visit one day. Molly Brown’s house is a good view of what life was like a few decades ago. With advancing technology, interiors tend to evolve, so it’s good to go back in time from time to time.
I was surprised at how huge Denver is. But I can see why so many people would want to live here due to the close proximity of the Rockies. There’s also quite a bit to do in the city as well. The Molly Brown house itself was lovely and a neat way to learn more about her life. You’re right, the interior design and what’s considered in style has changed quite a bit over the years!
We’ve been through Denver but haven’t spent time there- this info makes me want to spend some time! Especially interested in Molly Browns museum!!
The Molly Brown House Museum was great. She was such a fascinating woman. It’s too bad the weather was so shitty though as we would have loved to wander around outside. Oh well, if we were going to get a lot of rain, it might as well be when we’re in the city rather than out on the trails!
With a weather like that, I can imagine how the art museum provided a pop of colors to your visit. The Molly Brown House Museum, on the other hand, seems to be a nice refuge from the cold weather outside. It looks like you chose your places well, with baby M in mind — and what a trooper she was for doing well on her inaugural flight!
And here we thought we’d have no issues with the rain given how sunny Denver typically is. Oh well. At least we had some indoor activities to keep us dry and entertained. Despite the miserable weather, M was such a champ. And she was amazing on her first flight. This gives us some encouragement for future travel plans later in the year.
So, what is the deal about Denver Omelettes?
I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as a Denver omelette. Naturally I was intrigued and had to look it up. Apparently it’s just eggs, bell peppers, onions, ham and cheese. I’m tempted to try to make this over the weekend.
The traditional tale goes like this: a pioneer women masked the taste of rotten eggs with chopped ham, green peppers and onions. This story is so prolific that it’s engraved on an official ground plaque on California Street, between 21st and 22nd streets. Take the RTD Free MallRide shuttle service to get there. Good luck!!
Ha! That’s some story! I will not be using rotten eggs when I try to make a Denver omelette! Something to add to the list for the next time we’re in Denver.
Thank you for sharing, would love to go to Denver one day.
Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Despite the weather, it was nice to get a feel for the city before heading to mountains. Hopefully you’re able to make it there someday. Cheers. Linda
So nice to see my nearby city through your eyes. Too bad about the rain. Lovely photos – you didn’t have the sun but the reflective wet surfaces made them shine.
Aww thanks for your kind words. At least we could avoid the rain by checking out a couple of museums in the city. Thankfully the weather was nice for the rest of our road trip, except for a snowstorm as we were driving from Grand Junction to Estes Park (but more on that later).
A rainy start in Denver didn’t dampen our spirits. We navigated a few travel hiccups, explored the Molly Brown House Museum, and enjoyed the Denver Art Museum’s vast collections. Despite the weather, our adventure continued toward Colorado Springs.
You bet. The rain wasn’t ideal, but we were planning on visiting these museums anyway. Thankfully the weather improved and we mostly enjoyed blue skies and sunshine for the rest of our road trip. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment. Linda
It is a shame that it rained as it looks like a great city to explore. The art museum looks really interesting.
The rain wasn’t ideal, especially since we had the little one with us. But thankfully there were plenty of museums to keep us entertained. The Denver Art Museum is massive. We could have spent the entire day there!
You are certainly troopers! How fun.
The weather wasn’t ideal, but I’m glad we made the most of it and were able to avoid the rain by spending some time in a couple of museums. At least we weren’t planning on hiking!
The Molly Brown House would have definitely interested me. That museum is too big and would have overwhelmed me! Seems like Baby M is going to be a good traveller!
I’m sorry you had an experience with our unpredictable Denver weather! The rain and snow mix can be around all the way into May. The Molly Brown House Museum is truly a Denver hidden gem. My favorite item on display is the framed insurance listing of all the items she lost on the Titanic.
And here we thought Denver was known for being one of the sunniest cities in the United States! Oh well, it gave us a good excuse to check out some of the museums instead. And the miserable weather meant it wasn’t very busy. The Molly Brown House Museum was definitely the highlight of our day.
We are heading out o Colorado in October but don’t have much time for hiking. You gave me some interesting city visit alternatives here.
Oh nice! I’ve heard Colorado is beautiful in the fall when all the leaves are changing colour. We were actually debating about whether to do our road trip in the spring or fall, but landed on the spring as we figured it would be less busy. Enjoy your time in the city. We were hoping to make it to the Denver Botanic Gardens, but the weather was working against us.