New To Denver Bucket List
Welcome to Denver!
You’ve moved to Denver to experience the mountains, but there’s so much more to the mile high city: Dining, live music, weekly events, outdoor adventure, and more. As you settle into your neighborhood and start getting comfortable, create a Denver bucket list and start checking off experiences- one by one.
It’s a lot to take in, but we’re here to help guide your bucket list. Here’s the things you absolutely should take advantage of now that you live in the great city of Denver!
Find Your Favorite Brewery
Denver has more microbreweries per capita than other city in the United States. If you’re into beer, you’re basically in paradise, and if you’re not, trust us, you soon will be. The new and upcoming neighborhood RINO hosts many these breweries, but the suburbs and mountain towns have them as well.
You can’t go wrong with any of the local spots, but if you’re looking for recommendations, we’re partial to New Belgium, Breckenridge Brewery and Tommy Knockers brewery. We proudly offer these and other amazing brews at our various locations, though beer selections do vary from Beau Jo’s to Beau Jo’s – just give us a call or stop by to check out what each locations offers – you won’t be disappointed!
Learn Something New
The mountains and city make way for several sports and activities you can’t get anywhere else. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Skiing
- Cross Country skiing
- Snowboarding
- Snowmobiling
- Mountain biking
- Road biking
- Camping
- Rock-climbing
- Kayaking
- Tubing
- Fly fishing
- Hunting
- Stand up paddle boarding
- Running
- Volleyball in the park
- The list goes on…
When you arrive, dive into one of these activities; they’re a great way to meet people!
Bag a 14er
A “14er” is a mountain that is over 14,000 ft. in elevation. In Colorado, there are 53 14ers, all varying in elevation, difficulty, and distance from Denver. For newbies starting out, we recommend Mt. Bierstadt; it’s about 1.5 hours west of Denver and relatively easy. Other beginner mountains are Greys, Torreys and Quandary.
Make sure to get there early (7am or earlier), bring lots of water, wear multiple layers, and bring a DIY cardboard sign to proudly display in photos at the top. Then you can brag about bagging a 14er to your coworkers–no big deal.
Shameless plug here, but for double bragging rights, you can also try to conquer our 14’r pizza pie, appropriately named “The Challenge” – you’ll no doubt be hungry after your climb!
Try to Keep Up with Events
Another sometimes unexpected perk about living in Denver is the vast amount of events happening all over the city. From beer fests, Comic Con, races, to outdoor concerts, there is something happening in Denver or the surrounding areas every. single. weekend.
Lounge in a Park
Denver has a unique park culture. In the warm months, you can head to a park and see thousands of people running, setting up volleyball nets, hanging out with their kids, or having a picnic. Some beers and wine are allowed in city parks, so bring along a sixer and chillax (but no glass)!
Denver’s three main parks are:
City Park – The biggest and closest to downtown, City Park is home to the city’s golf course and zoo. Each Sunday in the summer catch Jazz in the Park, a free jazzy celebration with food trucks and vendors.
Cheeseman Park – Small and quaint, this park is perfect for a relaxing day. Admire the old mansions sitting around this park, just a quit hop from downtown.
Washington Park – A bit further south you’ll find Washington Park, complete with boat house, Bocce ball court, and volleyball nets as far as the eye can see.
Embrace Your New Eating Habits
Once you move to Denver, your odds of going vegan, gluten-free, paleo, you-name-it go way up; it’s science. Don’t fret. Denver is one of the friendliest places for all diets. Whether you want Midwestern-style BBQ, gluten free pizza, or roasted cauliflower with cashew cream, you’re in the right city.
Throw Up at Lakeside
Lakeside is the old-school amusement park located in between Wheat Ridge and Arvada. It’s rickety rides and tilt-a-whirls evoke nostalgia and the bittersweet feeling of stomach aches.
Once per year, Lakeside has an adults-only night where you can eat all the fair food, drink cheap beer, and ride til you die.
Feel Fancy at Cherry Creek
Shop til you drop at Cherry Creek shopping mall and shops. This area has high end shopping paired with low end bargains. Check out the local boutiques Inspyre, Stitch, and Mariel before grabbing a bite to eat.
Explore Mountain Towns
Get out of town and explore old mining towns, cute main streets, and rough backwoods. Some of the best parts of Colorado are hidden in these towns. Some of our favorite include:
Evergreen – Whether it’s summer or winter, this town attracts Denverite’s with their community lake. In the winter, you’ll find ice skating; in the summer, you’ll find stand up paddle boarding.
Steamboat – This iconic ski town doesn’t get as much press as Breckenridge or Aspen, but it’s a gem that needs to be explored. Steamboat is home to some of the best skiing in Colorado and the warmest socks in the world.
Idaho Springs – We’re a little biased because our owner founded Beau Jo’s Pizza in Idaho Springs, but there’s plenty to do in this historic town. It is the gateway to skiing and mountain climbing, but stop here and stay awhile. Browse shops, check out the local brewery, and fuel up on pizza.
Nederland – Each year, Nederland hosts its Frozen Dead Guy Days which is a weekend event filled with coffin racing, frozen t-shirt contests, and beer. Check it out in March of each year.
Minturn – Nestled near Vail, Minturn is the younger brother of the two. Stroll down streets and explore backwoods in this tiny town, about two hours west of Denver.
Jam at Red Rocks
Your time in Denver isn’t complete until you attend a concert at Red Rocks. Don’t stress, there are over 50 shows per year; you’ll be able to catch one this summer!
Become Faithful to an Ice Cream Parlor
You might think Denver would be more into warm treats, but you’d be wrong. We like our ice cream just as much as our hot
Choose wisely.
Try all the Green Chilies
Green chili burgers, green chili breakfast burritos, green chili straight up. It’s another local cuisine trend here that we expect you to embrace.
Walk into a Weed Store
You’re in Denver after all! It’s your right. If you’re moving from out of state, you’ll be psyched to know it’s not all about smoking; there are drinks, edibles, weed cooking classes, and more. And if weed isn’t your thing, you won’t have trouble avoiding it.
Find Pizza, stat!
Okay, okay, the most important thing on your Denver bucket list is to find a pizza joint. A place where you can take family and friends, relax, have a local Colorado beer, and get a piping hot, hearty pizza.
Enter Beau Jo’s. We love being a part of Denverite’s lives in any capacity we can. That’s why we have happy hour, host trivia and family nights, sponsor local groups, and make each pizza with care. Stop by the original Beau Jo’s location in Idaho Springs to see where it all began, then locate the Beau Jo’s nearest you to fulfill your cravings! Several of our locations even offer delivery!