Last updated: August 8, 2020
I went to Denver, Colorado to celebrate with my sister Emily for her 30th birthday party.
We also played TopGolf, joined the Denver Zoo, hand-fed some birds, and had the best corned beef hash I’ve ever had.
Emily Gray’s 30th Birthday Party
The party was hosted at her friend Chris’s house.
I enjoyed meeting all of her friends, especially Joel, Rod, Lauren in the red dress, Laura, Chris, Jitin, and Grace.
Party Pictures
Denver Neighborhoods
I tried to learn a little bit about some of the popular neighborhoods in Denver.
- Capitol Hill: Old mansions, higher-end, eclectic, expensive, approx $1700/mo rent, close to downtown. Parking is awful, and some people actively avoid going to friends houses here because parking is so bad.
- Plat Park/Wash Park (Washington Park): Tree-lined streets, historic, big park that many youths enjoy for picnics and volleyball, very expensive. Similar perhaps to West 4th St / West Village in NYC.
- Lo-Hi, or Lower Highlands: All the best bars are here.
Snacks Recap
- Winner: Meatballs
- Loser: Broccoli
Denver Zoo
Earlier that day, my sister and I went to the Denver Zoo. We became members!
Our favorite part of the zoo was where we could enter the bird cage and feed the birds.
Lorikeet Adventure Feeding
Denver Community Church
On Sunday morning, Emily invited us all to join her at her church service. Church is an important part of my sister’s life, and she has made a lot of great friends through her church group.
We attended the Uptown location of Denver Community Church (DCC). It is inside a large old traditional synagogue that’s been converted and slightly modernized. It includes the original stained glass windows and two huge organ bays above.
The church features a 5-piece band, cool pastor, free coffee and tea, and friendly people. This particular sermon was about being in a relationship with God. The highlighted passages of the Bible were John 1:1 and Genesis 1.1, 2.
I enjoyed hearing the pastor speak. Some pastors are GREAT speakers. He used humor, such as making fun of how different people pronounce the word apricot, or joking about certain animals “giving up,” like a squirrel who stopped collecting nuts. There was an example used of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone. I did not like it when he made fun of people who used selfie sticks, for obvious reasons.
One thing I noticed about the parishioners: lots of boots! Mostly women, but a lot of men were wearing boots, too.
Great Diner: Steuben’s
I can highly recommend the Steubby Snacks and the corned beef hash. I also had the Greek salad and chicken wings.
Summary
Denver is neat. My sister has a great group of friends. I’m looking forward to going back for ski season and to feed the birds at the zoo again. Follow my sister on Instagram @eegray12