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Affordable Fun in Denver Without a Car

ColoradoPosted by Kacy

8 Jun

Our trip to Denver, like most of our travel lately, was somewhat spontaneous. I’ve wanted to visit Colorado for years, and even put it on my 2016 Travel Wish List, but I’ve always felt that if I was going to fly to the middle of the country I should go visit my family in Oklahoma.

When I saw that my former favorite band (The Flaming Lips) were playing my favorite album (The Soft Bulletin) at an outdoor amphitheater that’s long been on my bucket list (Red Rocks), I knew the stars had finally aligned and that I just had to get myself there.

It wasn’t an easy trip in planning or in execution, but in the end it was every bit as wonderful as I’d always hoped.

We had to make sure to pay attention to three things during our trip:

  • Finding affordable things to do in Denver
  • Getting by without a vehicle
  • Finding plenty of dog-friendly activities
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver skyline

Denver Skyline from Prost Brewing Co.

Since we were traveling over Memorial Weekend, car rentals were pricier than we would have liked. We opted against renting one and instead decided to spend the majority of our time within Denver city limits. This was kind of a disappointment because I would have loved to have seen Boulder and done lots of hiking in the mountains. We’ll go back and do that another time for that. However, Denver itself does offers plenty to do without breaking the bank or getting behind the wheel.

It was also easier to stick to the city because we decided to take Ashton with us. Our usual pup sitters (Tom’s parents) were on a really cool vacation of their own, and it’s not any cheaper for us to board him than it is for him to tag along. Plus, he’s an old guy and I don’t know if he was boarded before we adopted him. My overprotective dog-parenting just won’t let me do it. Honestly, if I could, I would take him everywhere.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - beering with Ashton

Crazy Dog Lady

Fun, Affordable Things To Do in Denver Without a Car

Denver isn’t a huge city, so it’s definitely possible to get by without a car. Most neighborhoods, even the less popular ones, offer quick access into the city.

Get to Know a Less Buzzy Neighborhood

You’ll hear a lot about RiNo (River North), LoDo (lower downtown) and the Highlands to name a few when planning a trip to Denver, but staying in one of those neighborhoods could make your trip more expensive.

We stayed in quiet Whittier, and could walk to downtown within a half our or so, or take a short Lyft ride. Opting for an Airbnb over a hotel also saved us a lot of money. We still felt right in the middle of the action most of the time. Our hosts were incredibly friendly, even picking us up from Union Station and driving us to the guest house after we arrived in the city. The accommodations themselves were perfect, cute and comfortable.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver airbnb
I highly recommend this little guest house if you’re visiting Denver, as long as you’re not afraid of a couple of very large, but very sweet dogs greeting you at the door on occasion.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Airbnb welcoming committee

The welcoming committee.

Budget Tip: The Denver airport is very far outside of the city, but a new light rail recently opened offering direct service to Union Station downtown. You can connect to other parts of town from Union Station (admittedly, not that many), or take a more affordable cab from there. Tickets are $9 for a day pass, with access directly outside of Denver International Airport. 

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - RTD Light Rail entrance Denver

Trippy entrance to the RTD Light Rail service outside the Denver International Airport.

Get Your Nature Fix at Local Parks

Denver has a ton of green space. Even if you can’t make it out to the mountains there’s still plenty of nature to explore. Over the course of our trip we visited two popular parks, City Park and Washington Park.


City Park was a short walk from our Airbnb and is home to the Denver Zoo and Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We opted just to explore the grounds with the dog on a beautiful sunny morning.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - City Park Denver

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Duck Lake City Park

Duck Lake is aptly named: watch your step.

Even in a landlocked city, I always seek out water views. City Park has two lakes: Duck Lake (above) is smaller and borders the zoo while Ferril Lake (below) is more expansive with a bordering walking trail.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - City Park Ferril Lake

Ferril Lake: less duck poop than Duck lake.

We took a scenic break at Ferril Lake so Ashton could catch his breath (watch out for your pets in the higher altitude) and ham it up for the camera.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Ashton City Park

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - taking a pet to Denver

Glamour shots.

He was pretty happy he got to tag along, don’t you think?

The next day, we took a Lyft (they’re not paying me, Uber if you want) to the Washington Park neighborhood for brunch and then explored the area. It had a kind of old money feel with lots of gorgeous houses and tree-lined streets.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Washington Park Denver

A mix of old and new in Washington Park.

This park was prettier than City Park, in my opinion. Unfortunately, it was a really cold and windy day so we didn’t stay too long.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Wash Park DenverI was surprised how rare it was to catch a glimpse of the mountains in Denver, but we did manage to do so from Wash Park… sort of. Can you spot them?

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver mountains in the distance

Squint and you might be able to see them.

Explore the 16th Street Mall and LoDo

One of Denver’s most popular attractions, the 16th Street Mall is packed with shops, restaurants and museums. We spent a lot of time here, as it was close to Union Station where we began and ended our trip.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver Union StationUnion Station is definitely worth a visit, even if you don’t take the light rail. It was recently renovated and is beautiful inside and out.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver Union Station interior
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver outside Union StationThe rest of our time in LoDo was mostly spent eating (find more on our favorite restaurants here), but it’s also a great area to take a walk, go shopping or do some people watching.
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver piano
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver LoDo running trailBudget Tip: If your feet get tired, there’s a shuttle that will take you up and down the 16th Street Mall for free.

Check out a Brewery… or Five

Denver is almost synonymous with beer, and there are many to try inside city limits. While I tend to prefer wine over beer, I had a great time tasting local Colorado brews.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Great Divide breweryWe tried Great Divide Brewing Co (famous for their Yeti Imperial Stout), Crooked Stave (sour beers galore) and Prost Brewing (German style beers) over the course of our stay.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Prost BrewingEach had a different vibe. Great Divide was hip and crowded, with beers that weren’t quite to my taste. Crooked Stave was even hipper and also crowded, but sour beers are my favorite so I as a fan. Prost has an awesome outdoor beer garden that’s pet friendly, with easy drinking beers that are perfect for a sunny afternoon.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Tom and Ashton at Prost brewing

My two main men.

For a complete list and map of Denver breweries, click here.

Picnic in Confluence Park

Another LoDo gem, Confluence Park is perfectly scenic and serene. It’s a great place to picnic or catch up on your reading.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Confluence Park A friend of ours who lives in Denver described Confluence Park as “where all the hippies hang out” so take from that what you will.
We walked through the park going from Prost back to LoDo and caught lots of fun sights along the way.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver Bridge to LoDo
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver scenesBudget Tip: If you’re in the area, stop by Corks wine store where nothing is over $15. We may have grabbed a few cans of wine for sipping back at the Airbnb. Yes, cans. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Underwood Rose can at Corks Wine Store

A fine vintage.

Gaze at Street Art in RiNo

You guys know I’m obsessed with street murals, and RiNo has some of the best I’ve seen outside of São Paulo.

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - RiNo street art
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - RiNo mural
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Keep Smiling
Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Denver street art

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - RiNo street art

Even the dumpsters were decorated. You fancy, trash.

See a Show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Affordable Things to Do In Denver - Red Rocks hike

That’s a big, red rock.

Okay this one is kind of cheating, but from what I understand it is possible to get to Red Rocks without a car. There are several shuttles from downtown Denver to Red Rocks so don’t count out seeing a show just because you don’t have a vehicle.

Luckily, our friend offered to drive us so I can’t vouch for a specific shuttle service but get thee to Yelp and Trip Advisor and I’m sure you can make an educated decision.

So how was the big bucket list trip to Red Rocks? Found out here!

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15 Comments

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Comments

  1. Parita says

    June 10, 2016 at 8:36 am

    Looks like you had a blast!! Denver is definitely on our list of places to visit 🙂

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      June 13, 2016 at 12:50 pm

      It’s a fun place! Next time we hope to get out and explore the rest of the state.

      Reply
  2. Jessica says

    June 10, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    This made me so nostalgic for our trip to Denver! And I’m so jealous that literail system is there now, we had a MAJOR debacle with our car rental and ended up wasting like an hour trying to get out of the airport.
    See you sooooon!! ?

    Reply
  3. Ray says

    June 11, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    I heard that Denver has been developing itself as a strong craft beer destination in recent years. Can’t wait to get there one day and compare it with Indianapolis!
    Also, love the “wine in a can” concept. Brilliant, really. You don’t have to worry about accidentally breaking glass and it is easily recyclable afterwards.

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      June 13, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      The whole state of Colorado seems pretty into craft brewing, it’s definitely its own culture over there.

      Reply
  4. Ruth says

    June 21, 2016 at 12:03 am

    Love your tips! I am one of those who try to travel without a car as much as possible. It we are on vacation, I rather be on vacation from the car too. I do not want to stress out about finding places or a parking lot.

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      June 27, 2016 at 11:09 am

      I completely agree! That is why I am so drawn to cities that are easy to navigate by foot. In DC, I spend as little time in the car as possible 🙂

      Reply
  5. Packing my Suitcase says

    July 3, 2016 at 9:53 am

    What a wonderful trip!! Your dog is soooo cute. How nice to meet other travelers out there who also take their dog to travel.
    Great tips and photos 😀
    Happy to have you on #MondayEscapes

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      July 11, 2016 at 10:15 am

      Thank you! A trip is so much more fun with a dog along!

      Reply
  6. BeckyB says

    July 4, 2016 at 5:55 am

    Fabulous post and adore Ashton especially in his glamour shots. Thanks also for the tips on Denver, we’ve only been through on a train or seen the airport. Plan to rectify that now 🙂

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      July 11, 2016 at 10:17 am

      It’s a fun little city! If you can get out into the mountains, even better!

      Reply
  7. Alyssa says

    July 6, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    Wow, you did it up in Denver! I’m in Colorado until tomorrow and I feel like all I do in this state is drink craft beer and hike! Certainly not complaining. I came here via train into Union Station and it is so nice, love it.

    Reply
    • Kacy says

      July 11, 2016 at 10:22 am

      I wish I could have done some real hiking. Next time!!

      Reply
  8. Brian says

    December 15, 2016 at 12:17 pm

    Glad to see there is so much to do around Denver even for those without a car. I love visiting Denver, but I always rent a car. Next time I’ll forgo that!

    Reply

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