Golden Hour in Golden, Co

With a couple of hours of daylight to kill on a June night in Denver, I hurried west to the town of Golden, CO for a bite to eat and to take in some new scenery.

I only had time for a quick walk and dinner before it got dark, so I followed the sounds of other people to figure out where to go. The Coors plant looms large on the Eastern flank of town where Clear Creek runs down from the Front Range of the Rockies and a mural painted on the side of the industrial building. The painting adds a nice touch of color against the backdrop of rock outcroppings that are presumably Table Mountain, a popular hiking spot.

While Coors certainly shares the town’s identity, Golden isn’t just a one trick pony when it’s comes to points of interest. The Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Railroad Museum, and Red Rocks Amphitheater are all nearby.

I parked near Ford Street, a main drag on the edge of town, and walked up to Washington Street (I think) to get a flavor for the local shops and restaurants. Crowds were pretty light but it was a weeknight. There were lots of cute gift shops and spots to grab a bite or drink and even someone advertising a nearby magic show. I meandered down a residential street that had lots of pretty historic houses and wild-looking landscaping.

I wasn’t super hungry so I couldn’t decide where to eat. I ended up following the crowd to The Golden Mill. The place was packed and had a great energy spilling out onto the street from its perch along Clear Creek. It was definitely the spot to be for all ages and had plenty of indoor and outdoor seating as well Z lots of merchandise highlighting local pride. The restaurant offered three different menu’s ordered in individual lines that you could carry to a table. I picked from Tex Mex, BBQ, and American fare and ended up with a yummy plate of nachos and some spicy fried plantains. I opted for a soft drink instead of one of the many alcoholic beverages, including Coors, from the sled service taps along the wall. Check out my Yelp review here.

Before too long, it was time to head east to my hotel, where I was staying for work, so I found my car and drove away. I would really like to go back to Golden to explore some of the natural areas, including hiking and kayaking spots, as well as some of the points of interests I mentioned earlier. I’ll have to check the Red Rocks calendar for a cool concert!