The Way We Did August
Denver craft fairs, elevated fast food, and a hike to a massive stone arch.
August always brings a shift to Colorado. We begin to lose daylight as the sun sets earlier each day. Crowds become smaller at the launch of a new school year. And warmer outdoor gear slowly gets unpacked. It’s always bittersweet; we mourn over summer winding down, but then jolts of excitement hit thinking about the fall colors that will soon make their debut across the state. This year we managed to take it all in while settling into a different but familiar routine.
Restaurants
We are always on the hunt for coffee shops that have three key features - great coffee, delicious food, and a cozy atmosphere. Denver’s Kaffe Landskap checks all the boxes. This Scandinavian café has a passion for responsibly sourced coffee beans and local ingredients. And their clean food match the minimalistic, clean lines of their restaurants’ decor.
Dave and I visited their café at Union Station before heading to an arts & crafts market nearby, which I’ll share below. It was a quiet retreat from the bustling trains unloading swarms of passengers just outside the door. Dave ordered a half lemonade, half cold brew coffee, and a greek yogurt parfait layered with house-made granola, blueberry compote, chia seeds, and honey. I ordered an oat milk latte, and a smoked ham, egg and cheese croissant sandwich with house-made chipotle sauce. We enjoyed our breakfast at one of the long, wooden community tables, watching travelers through the tall glass windows wondering what big adventure they were about to embark on.
Kaffe Landskap has two Denver locations, both with varying operating hours. Their café at Union Station is the only one open on weekends.
Link: Kaffe Landskap
Everyone has their go-to, easy and reliable fast food joints. Ours is Illegal Pete’s, although we’d like to think it’s a slightly elevated version of fast food. Illegal Pete’s is Colorado’s local [and better] version of Chipotle. Everything is customizable, with build-your-own burritos, tacos, salads, bowls and nachos. The ingredients are always fresh, the restaurants are super casual with a rock & roll vibe, and most locations have bars serving draft beers and house margaritas.
Their menu is interactive, meaning our meal and portion sizes are always exactly how we want them, and prepared right in front of us on the other side of a glass partition. Dave’s order is typically a Mexican Coke brazed carnitas burrito bowl with rice, cheese, and lettuce. I always order chicken tacos with rice, cheese, lettuce and sour cream.
Out of the countless times we’ve eaten at Illegal Pete’s, we’ve never had a bad experience. There are over a dozen locations across the state, each adapting to the neighborhood they’re a part of.
Link: Illegal Pete’s
Bar Dough is an intimate Italian experience. The restaurant is just wide enough to fit a bar, a long row of community hightop seating, and a group of bench tables set against the far wall. But the tight space and super cool modern decor creates a fun, lively atmosphere exuding great energy.
We made reservations fairly early on a Friday evening, and the place was already buzzing. Our server was quick and super helpful with all of our questions regarding the menu. Dave ordered their bread salad and Bucatini All’Amatriciana, a pasta dish with fennel sausage, heirloom tomato, basil and pecorino. I stuck with a classic wood-fired Margherita pizza and an arancini ball. The experience made us feel like we were in NYC all over again, unintentionally overhearing other conversations while shouting to have our own.
Bar Dough has one location in northwest Denver in the LoHi (lower highlands) neighborhood, and is a great casual-but-cool meet up spot for friends.
Link: Bar Dough
Seasonal Activities
Summer doesn’t just bring open-air farmers markets to Denver, craft fairs are also popping up all around the city. The Urban Market is one that showcases an eclectic mix of jewelry, art work, and one-of-a-kind trinkets sold directly by the artists. We browsed at items like detailed wildlife paintings, hand etched wooden coasters, and homemade soaps with intoxicating aromas. The market itself was pretty small, but with it located beside Union Station, there was a plethora of other shops to explore that rounded out our morning outing.
Urban Market is held from noon to 6pm on select weekends from June through November, and is located just outside of Union Station.
Link: Urban Market
Hiking Trail
Royal Arch Trail is a popular hike in Boulder that leads to a natural stone arch. It’s about three miles roundtrip, and begins in the city’s historic Chautauqua Park. After a steep climb through Bluebell Canyon, the reward is not only the massive arch, but a perfectly framed panorama of the town and surrounding foothills.
We were already in for a treat walking up to the trailhead, and getting the grand view of Boulder’s iconic Flatirons. Although it was tempting to just sit and admire the immense sandstone formations, we pushed on toward the wooded pine trees at their base. From there the trail got pretty challenging. It was very rocky, uneven and comprised almost entirely of tall stone stairs - likely why this section is nicknamed the “Boulder Stair-master.”
When we reached the top, we found a shady spot to rest and enjoy the view. As Royal Arch towered over us, we watched other people and their dogs squeezing through its opening to catch a glimpse of the expansive vista. Although the trail was strenuous, and we expected our legs to be jelly the next day, there was a huge feeling of accomplishment that came with adding yet another classic Colorado hike to our list.
Link: Royal Arch Trail