Where will you wander today? Whether it’s close to home or to a far off land, there’s always something interesting to see. For example, this colorful message can be found on the back of a Denver, Colorado Goodwill store.
Incidentally, I found the placement of the no trespassing sign both unfortunate and ironic but the mural is great.
Since it gets dark so early, we spent most of our Denver evenings perusing thrift stores, antique malls and bargain stores like TJ Maxx. We were pretty diligent about our retail therapy especially at Found Antique and Artisan Mall in Wheat Ridge.
They have about 65 vendors in 12,000 square feet of small rooms, nooks and crannies. It’s sort of a maze where every turn presents opportunity to find unexpected treasures like these rosettes made from old ties.
They have tons of handmade items and numerous vintage items that I had never seen before. From a mid century era baby monitor called the Baby Sitter to a sixties era Fred Flinstone/ Dino the Dinosaur toy, there are many interesting things to admire. That Flinstones toy is fabulous but comes with a $465 price tag. That was a bit out of my price range but they also have some eighties era Carebears like some I had as a child. Finding them marked vintage was a bit offputting (because I can’t possibly be old enough to call my toys vintage) but they were far more affordable than Fred.
Anyway, it’s a great store in a fantastic space and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the Denver area. They also have a location in Wisconsin if that’s closer for you. Get the details here!
Some people look for pretty flowers and beautiful works of art. I seek out the side door with its exposed brick, hand painted advertising and weird shadows playing off the fire escape.
Here’s one of many weirdo things I photographed with my phone in downtown Denver last year. I need to go through my camera pictures because there are some good ones to share but I just haven’t gotten around it. Perhaps this No Spend Month will provide time to do this.
Meanwhile, isn’t this an interesting building?
It’s the Barteldes Seed Lofts and Condos. I couldn’t resist looking up their website which provided far more historic perspective than I expected. In fact, their home page explains that the five story building was constructed at the turn of the 20th century to support 600 pounds of seed per square foot, a necessity for this wholesale facility.
It was transformed into office and residential loft space in 1987.
It’s high end and there are no vacancies so I guess I won’t be moving in anytime soon. It’s just as well. Even at 600 pounds per square foot, the building might not support my book and LP collections!
The proximity to Union Station would make getting around easy but the closeness to Tattered Cover Book Store wouldn’t help with the book collecting problem! These are two of my favorites stops in this neighborhood so I hope you will read these stories too.
This place is on the list for my next trip to Denver. It’s a breakfast joint and they’re committed to locally sourced and delicious food as well as to recycling about ninety percent of their waste.
Plus one percent of their sales go back to the community.
If the food is half as good as their philosophies, there’s much to look forward to. They even have vegan and vegetarian options as well as some French toast that looks divine. The creativity and consideration toward non-carnivores found in small chains like this place makes dining out fun for people like me.
Want to learn more? Visit their website!
Are you in the area? I would love a review! Meanwhile, I’m just gonna enjoy this fabulous sign!
What’s your stance on New Year’s Resolutions?
Studies show that about sixty percent of us make resolutions but only about eight percent of us follow through on them.
I’m a planner and a goal setter so I usually have two or three of varying size.
One of my 2020 resolutions was to read 100 books. Check!
Another was to travel as much as possible with a couple of big trips in mind along with some weekend getaways. That clearly didn’t work out.
And there were some smaller ones that fell to the wayside but others came to light as the year progressed. For example, I log the miles that I hike and intentionally walk every day and am very close to reaching 500 miles.
Planning is in my nature and one of my stronger skills. I’m good at breaking down a large project into small pieces that can be completed in phases. Sadly, 2020 sort of beat the desire to plan right out of me.
And yet, here I am, contemplating goals for the new year. It isn’t productive to wait for the flip of a calendar page to start but a new year feels like a fresh start and an irresistible opportunity to take a run at planning again.
The picture above is from a Denver sidewalk. Most of us will never make it to the moon. But what’s the phrase? Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.
Reading, walking and traveling may not get me to the moon or the stars but these things will give me opportunity to improve myself and that’s pretty good too.
Denver’s Union Station isn’t just a place you go to get somewhere else. It’s a destination unto itself.
The train station, in the city’s downtown, is over a century old and home to a hotel, shops and restaurants. Soaked in light streaming through enormous windows and decked out with fancy chandeliers, crown molding and antique art, this place is a fantastic reminder of the golden days of train travel.
Declining train travel had left this amazing building at risk and facing a wrecking ball less than a decade ago. Fortunately, a multi-million dollar restoration and revitalization project put the place back on track.
Get it? Train track? Hahaha…ahem.
Forgive me. I do like a good pun occasionally.
Anyway, I paid a quick visit to admire the space and imagine all the people who have made their way through this amazing terminal throughout the decades.
Another local icon, The Tattered Cover Bookstore has a small shop here so I popped in to buy something – my idea of payment for using the station’s public restroom.
The old ticket office is now a bar. While I don’t drink, I had to stop and admire their work. The adaptation was ingenious and well done.
During these Covid days when many of the businesses were closed or limiting occupancy, there were few people lingering to enjoy the historic vibe of the place. In fact, I seemed to be the only person even remotely interested in the soaring 65 foot ceilings or the spectacular Christmas decorations. Although, most commuters might not do that sort of thing anyway. Pity too because it really is an impressive place.
All the same. I really loved it there and fantasized about how fun it would be to hop on a train to somewhere near or far.
Most of all, I was completely taken with this sign.
There is a lot of outdoor seating but the city has a sizable homeless population and it seemed that several were hanging out in this space. I chose a near the door and experienced no problems but it is something to consider.
If you’re in Denver, stop by and check out Union Terminal. My new favorite bookstore is also in the neighborhood along with many other shops and restaurants.
Make the Journey Fun 