Zac Rates Colorado: Day Five

Recently, Lara and I spent a few days in Colorado for a belated honeymoon. Using Denver as our base of operations, we took in plenty from that city as well as from Boulder and Colorado Springs. Here is the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Denver Zoo

Located at 2300 Steele Street, the Denver Zoo contains 80 acres of animals in both indoor and outdoor settings. A train is available that loops around the bird and primate areas, and the zoo offers regularly scheduled shows and feedings. Parking is free.

When it comes to zoos, it’s easy to be jaded. If you’ve seen one giraffe, you’ve seen them all, and the welfare of animals in captivity is always a concern. That said, Denver Zoo manages to acquit itself fairly well. None of the animals seemed miserable, and there were quite a lot of them. Biodiversity is a strength here, as the zoo offers a look at everything from snakes and frogs to penguins and polar bears to elephants, zebras, birds, monkeys, and more. Tigers were unavailable during our visit, but c’est la vie. 

One caveat: come during the summer, and you will encounter throngs of overly excited children. This can make navigating some of the indoor exhibits a bit of a challenge, but once outside, there is plenty of room to walk around. It’s also worth mentioning that this is not a safari-style zoo: most animals are penned in, with the notable exception of peacocks, which roam freely. Lastly, some may balk at the price ($17 for adults, less for kids and seniors), but considering all there is to see here – and the lack of an additional charge for parking – it’s a worthwhile expenditure.

If you loathe zoos, Denver Zoo is unlikely to make a convert of you, but if you have a bit more tolerance, this one will reward you.

8/10

The Atomic Cowboy

Located at 3237 East Colfax Avenue (with other locations on Broadway and on Tennyson), The Atomic Cowboy is home to Fat Sully’s Pizza and the Denver Biscuit Company. There is a full bar, limited outdoor seating, and the establishment is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

The Atomic Cowboy blends a fun, funky atmosphere with solid food and a few noted idiosyncrasies, some good, some not. It was jam packed at the time of our arrival, and rather than hand us a pager, The Atomic Cowboy sent me a text when our table was ready (good idiosyncrasy).

Once inside, we found that the menu reflects the dual branding. One side is pizzas (by the slice or pie) and salads; the other is biscuit sandwiches, biscuit platters, and sides. Though The Atomic Cowboy is presumably run as one business, the food actually comes from two different kitchens, so if people at your table order from different sides of the menu, you won’t get everything at the same time (bad idiosyncrasy). The service also lagged a bit due to the volume at the time of our visit, but I’ve experienced far worse.

As far as the food is concerned, the pizza slices are huge, and the toppings fresh. I opted for a shrimp and grits biscuit platter, however, and was not disappointed. The shrimp and pancetta were plentiful, and the biscuit added a nice textural contrast.

The pricing here is hard to pin down. The $10.95 I paid for my shrimp and grits was reasonable, filling as it was. However, pizza starts at $3.50 a slice, with 45 or 65 cents for each topping (depending on the topping). This can easily put you at $5 a slice, which would be outrageous if the slices weren’t as big as your head.

The Atomic Cowboy is an interesting concept and worth a visit if you have the time to spare. But if you’re starving or sporting a headache when you walk in, this place will wear you out fast.

7.75/10

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

Located at 2001 Colorado Boulevard, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science features three floors of exhibitions, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium. Special exhibitions rotate every few months, and parking is free.

Though some exhibits are stronger than others, the DMNS isn’t a wasted experience. Its pricing structure, on the other hand, is maddening. Adult admission is $14.95 and does not include IMAX, the planetarium, or the rotating special exhibit (Robot Revolution at the time of our admission). Want to see everything? Be prepared to shell out $26.95, something which we opted to forgo.

Among what we did see, the Gems and Minerals, Expedition Health, and Prehistoric Journey exhibits were the strongest. Even if rocks aren’t your domain, you can’t help but be awed by the massive glistening crystals on display. Meanwhile, the Expedition Health features an array of interactive biometrics that gauge everything from heart rate to wingspan, culminating in an amusingly disturbing aging simulation that gives you a glimpse of yourself at 70. The Prehistoric Journey then gave a good sense of just how much life has evolved and changed over the years. On the other hand, the Space Odyssey exhibit was rather dull, the Egyptian Mummies exhibit disappointingly small, and the Wildlife Exhibit couldn’t hold a candle to the actual wildlife found at the zoo a short distance away.

Children who have frequented few museums may get more out of the experience, but the DMNS simply wasn’t a “wow” to me.

7.5/10

Thai Chili and Sushi

Located at 16221 East 40^th Avenue in Aurora, Thai Chili and Sushi serves pan-Asian cuisine daily for lunch and dinner. Delivery is available, and discounts are given for every $15, $25, or $35 spent on an order.

As it was across the street from our hotel, convenience more so than anything prompted us to give Thai Chili and Sushi a try. The menu is fairly extensive, covering everything from Chinese to Thai to sushi. Beyond Menu made online ordering quick and painless. As other reviewers noted, the staff here can be somewhat curt, but I got out order without incident.

The food ended up being hit and miss, with more of the former than the latter. The potstickers were dry and bland, and the egg rolls (free when you spend $15) were so-so. On the other hand, the miso was surprisingly tasty, and the panang curry featured tender beef and lots of rich sauce. The portions were also fairly generous for the prices ($4.95 for six potstickers, $1.95 for a pint of miso, and $8.95 for beef panang curry) paid.

Thai Chili and Sushi is a no-frills eatery that isn’t likely to top any “best of” lists, but if you’re staying in one of the hotels on 40^th Avenue and craving Asian, don’t be afraid to give it a try.

7.25/10

Bonus Tip: Tattered Cover

This local bookstore chain (locations on 16^th Street, East Colfax, in Littleton, and in the Denver International Airport) is well-laid out with plenty of seating and has a fairly comprehensive selection. They sell plenty of knick-knacks in addition to books, and the 16^th Street location even has an Espresso (on-demand book machine). The prices charges for new titles are fairly high, but Tattered Cover does sell pre-owned books as well, often at much better rates. Though Amazon beats just about all as a book source these days, as brick-and-mortar stores go, Tattered Cover is a nice local alternative.