Denver Solo Trip (Car-Free Guide) 🚶♀️

I squeezed in 4 days of exploring Denver after a work conference in late April—no rental car needed! The highlight? A guided day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) 🏞️ that blew my expectations! 🚶♀️ Itinerary DAY 1: Downtown Walk 🐻 Big Blue Bear → 🛍️ Larimer Square (vintage shops!) → 🏭 Dairy Block → 🚉 Union Station → 🎒 REI Flagship (converted train factory). DAY 2: Art & Culture 🏨 Populus Hotel (eco-chic!) → 🏛️ Colorado State Capitol (free tours + golden dome views!) → 🎨 Denver Art Museum (check free days!) → 🌵 Botanic Gardens (Uber required). 🏞️ RMNP Tour Review I almost skipped it—glad I didn’t! Our guide went the extra mile (literally!) to spot wildlife: 🦊 Fox family near the park entrance 🦌 Elk, deer, and more inside the park 💰 A prospector in our group even showed us his vial of gold flakes (mined from the Rockies!). Why tour? ✅ No stress driving solo ✅ Expert wildlife spotting ✅ Safety in remote areas 🍜 Food Hall of Fame (and Shame) ❤️ RED LIST (Must-Try!) 🥢 Star Kitchen – Legit dim sum with carts! 🍖 Moobongri Soondae – $17 spicy pork neck stew (huge portions!). 🧋 Milk Tea People – Best cheese foam drinks (colleague smuggled one to the airport!). 🥞 Snooze – Fluffy 3-flavor pancakes (perfect sweetness). 🍽️ Earls – Solid "white people food" (great for biz meals). 🖤 BLACK LIST (Avoid!) 🍜 Jinya Ramen – Overhyped, awful noodles (only drinks/sides were edible). 🍛 Aloy Modern Thai – Too sweet (takeout fail). 💡 Next Time, I’ll… ❄️ Soak in hot springs with mountain views 🏀 Catch a Nuggets game at Ball Arena 🏔️ Hike Red Rocks + Pikes Peak #DenverTravel #SoloTrip #RMNP #FoodieFails #NoCarNeeded