When you hear the words ‘winter’ and ‘Colorado,’ I bet one thing comes to mind: skiing. But, if you’re like me and skiing is not your thing, there’s plenty to see and do in the Mile High City. Today, I’m sharing all the details from my long weekend in Denver, plus a tip on how to save on car rentals if you’re under 25!

Denver was not on my radar until my longtime guy friends told me about the cheap flight and hotel deal they found and invited me to come along. After crunching the numbers, I was sold on the Colorado trip and excited to check a new state off my list!

Our flight landed in Denver on Friday evening. Still running on East Coast time, it felt much later, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Next Door near our hotel and rested up for the next day’s adventures.

On Saturday morning, we loaded up our rental SUV from Hertz. Being under the age of 25, renting a car can be expensive! A lot of companies slap “underage” fees onto the rental price. However, if you’re a AAA member, Hertz waves that fee. At $30 per day, the savings really add up. We thought it would be a shame to go to Colorado and not experience the Rockies at all, so being able to rent an affordable car and head into mountains was a huge perk.

Just 25 minutes outside of Denver, our first stop of the day was Red Rocks Amphitheater.  The contrast of the red rocks, white snow and blue sky was stunning. Thanks to an honors geology course I took during my sophomore year of college, I have to admit that the nerd in me did wonder how and when the rocks formed. Plus, I found it fascinating that the naturally-occurring amphitheater is acoustically perfect. Attending a summer concert there is now officially on my bucket list!

Parka: Discontinued by The North Face, similar option

After Red Rocks, we headed west towards Idaho Springs. Although we sat in a good bit of ski traffic, the scenic drive through the mountains and a guy in the car in front of us hopping out to do ridiculous—but nonetheless entertaining—dances made the time go by quickly. When we arrived at St. Mary’s Glacier, the place where we planned on doing what tons of Yelp reviewers called an “easy winter hike,” we realized that the Colorado definition of easy hike is not the same as it is in South Carolina. Everyone else in the parking lot had snowshoes, trekking poles, facemasks and pickaxes. We were completely underprepared! I said, “Guys, I think we’re in over our heads” and my friends laughed with relief that we were all on the same page. The straight-uphill hike was definitely not going to happen. But as any good millennials would do, we snapped some pictures anyway.

Needing a new way to fill the rest of our day before we had to return the rental car,  we ended up on a Coors Brewery tour instead of on a glacier. 😂 Oh, the irony! The Coors Brewery, frankly, was not high on my list of things to do when we planned the trip. I’m not a beer drinker and I don’t particularly like touring distilleries or breweries (vineyards are a whole different story!). However, the Coors tour was not a bad way to spend an afternoon. I enjoyed the relaxed pace and friendly people. And who can complain about getting free drinks at the end of the tour?

Later that evening, we finally ventured into Denver’s Lower Downtown neighborhood, called LoDo for short. The moment I walked into Union Station was love at first site. The Beaux Arts–style depot hosts restaurants, a coffee shop, a bookstore, a bar, an icecream parlor…basically everything you could want! Not to mention, the mix of modern and retro decor is beautiful. There’s custom-designed train benches, blue leather drinking booths, and vintage touches of metal buckles and brass fittings throughout the Great Hall. I especially enjoyed the atmosphere of Terminal Bar, where we sat and chatted over cocktails. My drink of choice: The Jerry.

Sunday morning, we returned to Union Station to brunch at Snooze. Then we made our way to RiNo, the River North Art District, to check out the murals that plaster practically every building. The neighborhood was a little too grungy for my taste, but definitely is a must-see if you’re into street art or want to take Instagram pictures with artsy backdrops like we did. Again, #millenials.

Coat: J.Crew Factory | Pants & earrings: From a boutique in Columbia that sadly closed | Riding boots: Franco Sarto, similar options 1 and 2

After wandering around RiNo, we spontaneously scootered to the state Capitol. Electric scooters are popping up everywhere now it seems, but this was my first time riding one. Aside from almost getting clipped by a car once, it was surprisingly fun!

We capped off our day with drinks at The Cruise Room, a martini bar tucked away in the Oxford Hotel. It was downtown Denver’s first bar, opening the day after Prohibition ended in 1933. With the art deco decor, red glow and free jukebox, The Cruise Room was one of my favorite spots from the entire trip.

I genuinely enjoyed the vibe of Denver. There’s something to be said for friendly people and all the amenities of a city, plus having so many outdoor activities to partake in right in your back yard. After experiencing Denver in winter, I’m itching to go back in the summer (a Rockies game would be so fun!) and also to explore more of Colorado. If you have any recommendations on where I should visit next in the Centennial state, let me know in the comments!