After weeks of hard work, extensive papers, presentations and labs spring break is nearly upon us, and while for some this may mean a trip the tropics and margaritas, not all are so lucky.
Even if this spring break finds you broke and stagnant in Denver there is no need to resign yourself to the couch downloading seasons of “The Office” wishing your were bathing on the equator. No, the time has come to get out in the mile high city and bathe in all her beauty for the third week of March.
Denver is a central and historically revered road tripping destination. Back in the days of the Beatniks, revolutionary runaways Jack Kerouac, Butch Cassidy, Alan Ginsberg and many others made their way to Denver to experience the American Dream. These days you can explore the literary and jazz scene at the Mercury Café where week-night swing dancing, salsa and jazz quartets take precedence among the swirl of the bohemian café environment. Open mic nights, poetry readings and small band performances also are regular attractions.
If jazz doesn’t quite cut it, maybe it’s time to explore Denver’s electronic and dub-step music scene at clubs like Beta, the Church or Vinyl. Boulder DJ Pretty Lights will be throwing down Friday night, March 12, after finals at the Gothic Theater and Saturday night, March 13, at the Ogden Theater. Dancing the night away is a sure way to start the break off on the right beat.
For a bit of the outdoors, consider a hike on Boulder’s Mt. Chautauqua, a few minutes walk from the hill. Take a bike ride to Cherry Creek National Park to explore trails and meet fellow dog owners or visit the Garden of the Gods to view massive rocks and maybe experience a bit of enlightenment. If you are in for a longer adventure, maybe a day trip to the sand dunes for sand boarding is in order.
A lonely day is best spent wandering through the Denver Zoo to witness gorilla’s picking their noses with glassy nostalgic eyes. Sing a song to the sleepy polar bear atop his well-crafted rock-like iceberg. Sip a $4 Icee and browse the selection of animal print t-shirts to update your spring look.
If money is tight, try visiting any number of Denver bakeries for discounted day old pastries. Grab a baguette from Pajama Baking Co. on Old South Pearl Street, good company and head to Washington Park for a picnic.
Swing by Whole Foods for some cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes and perhaps some Coloradan-native New Belgium Brew to complete the spread. Tired of watching Wash. Park joggers? Use that nifty RTD pass and ride down to the city for some exploring. Get off at Union Station and head away from the city to wade in the icy Platte River.
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, brings a multitude of opportunities to sport Irish flair, including parades downtown, Irish-step dancing and beer gardens by Coors Field. St. Patrick’s day is far more than the elementary school days when you wore your most brilliant green and ate shamrock cookies until your mouth turned green while your head buzzed from sugar intake. No, now that you are of age and responsible it’s time to pound Guinness and find a partner to pinch while watching Boondock Saints and marching to it’s opening song’s Irish melody until your hungry enough to attempt a trek to Casa Bonita.
Overall there are far too many things open to you this break to justify the vegetative state and a flurry Maury, Steve Wilcos and infomercials on daytime TV.
Use yelp.com to read reviews from Denver diners and pick somewhere to eat beyond Evans and University, like one of the plethora of ethnic options spanning Colfax. If all else fails, you could always visit one of those world-class ski resorts a few hours away and shred the stress away.
