My Denver Wish List

Soon, I'll be jumping on an early morning flight to Denver to spend 3 days before Eric has to work and I have to come back home to work, too. We will be relying on public transportation to get around, but we'll be staying in a new-ish vacation rental called Sonder. I have things I want to get to and also a Denver CityPASS, so let's look at this ambitious wish list I have:

Photo by Marc Pineda on Unsplash

For Eric's birthday, I bought two walking tours as experiential gifts. One was for Sacramento, which I'll be talking about soon, and the other is a street art walking tour in Denver. 

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Meow Wolf's Convergence Station

Since visiting Omega Mart in Las Vegas by the art collective known as Meow Wolf, we have made the goal to visit all of their locations. When Eric found out he was going to Denver for work, he knew he wanted to go. I'm just tagging along to enjoy it too. Meow Wolf makes interactive art that is highly popular, because each location has a different theme and story that you get to follow and figure out for yourself.

Photo by Evan Strock on Unsplash

Denver Botanic Gardens

I love a good botanical garden, because I want to see all the native plants that can be found in a destination. It's a lovely way to spend a quiet few hours while taking photos of beautiful things. 

Photo by Caleb Jack on Unsplash

Denver Downtown Aquarium

This was not on the top of my list, but I am really eager to see for myself what seems to be a place that people either love or are terribly disappointed in. It's included in the CityPASS and I always enjoy seeing cool fish. 

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Denver Museum of Science and Nature

So, I just heard that for about another month, DMSN has an exhibit on poisons. I'm very intrigued by that, as I am most of the special exhibits that come to these sorts of hands-on museums. I try to get to a lot of the rotating ones that come to OMSI here, and I like to see how other science museums differ from ours.

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Denver Art Museum

Okay, you already know how much I like a museum. I met a few people at the Travel Goods Show who do a lot of adventure travel. When I mentioned I'm a city traveler who goes to a lot of museums and fun restaurants and they admitted that museums are awful to them. That's a shame, because I learn so much from museums. I may not want to spend my whole day there, but viewing regional art always benefits me.

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Historic Chinatown Marker

Every Chinatown is different, yet still familiar. It's always interesting to see those areas in cities that are primarily white. Now, Denver, like a lot of the west, has been the victim of anti-Asian riots in the late 1800s, and their Chinatown was lost, but they have since put up this marker, a mural, and plaques to remember their once prosperous Chinatown district.

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History Colorado Center

This is another hands-on museum that showcases Colorado's history, mostly through the indigenous Puebloans that built the area. I find that history is best learned through interactive exhibits and by talking to docents who love their city and their job.

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Other things to see/do

If there's time, I'd like to pay a visit to the Denver Zoo, which I've heard is lovely. I'd also like to visit Molly Brown's house. If you've watched or learned about the Titanic, then you know Molly Brown was one of the survivors. I want to try ice cream from a giant milk can. I want to eat at a restaurant that was a former mortuary. And I want to eat at one of the many brunch restaurants called Snooze A.M.

I will also be checking out Union Station, the Milk Market & Dairy Block, and the historical Larimer Square.

Have you been to Denver? If so, what are your must-see, must-do, or must-eat recommendations?

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3 Weeks' Worth of Clothes In a Backpack

I rarely take trips that are longer than 10 days to 2 weeks, but I also like to have options when I travel. That can be difficult when you also want to travel light. As you know, if I go solo, I pretty much always pack in a backpack, because I don't like to hold people up trying to wrestle a bag into the overhead. It's entirely doable though, especially when traveling in the summer, spring, or early fall.

Now, the way to really get a lot out of your travel wardrobe is to not pack by day and instead pack a small mix-and-match capsule wardrobe. I did bring along one thing that didn't go with everything, and that was this red Trailblazers shirt I would wear on the plane, but it goes with almost everything else and it's made of a moisture-wicking athletic fabric, so it's perfect for hot weather and repping my city. I always bring along an outer layer and wear it on the plane (you can always take it off if it's too warm, but the plane is often cold), and this athletic jacket is perfect. Let's see how all the tops match (almost) all the bottoms I brought along with:

You can definitely swap out any of thes bottom pieces with something you like more. I enjoy a good pair of jeans with stretch and sneakers for walking all day, but if you prefer a pair of leggings, a longer skirt, or a comfortable pair of sandals, go for it. I almost always choose neutral bottoms and one fun piece that still goes with everything. 

So, I brought a total of 3 bottoms, plus the pair of jeans I was wearing. You don't have to bring that many, but if you're a chronic overpacker, this is definitely not going to feel like enough. In all honesty, it gives you so many options, without being overwhelming. Here we have jeans, my favorite pair of shorts (Columbia), my favorite black joggers (PrAna), and a snap skort (PrAna). I chose this color skort, because I also have a favorite pair of green joggers that I often take on trips and I don't need everything to be black. They also have 2 regular pockets, a zip pocket, and a slip pocket on the undershorts. 

One of my packed tops is this fun shadow puppet bunny that I bought at a market in London that has a longer back than the front. My other packed things here is this pair of scalloped ballet flats (Skechers). They don't take up much room, they go with most things, and they're super comfy to walk in all day.

My next top in my  bag is a white linen tank, because it breathes well and can be dressed up or down. I also packed a longer cardigan that can keep me warm, but looks great with dressier items. It's a perfect item to wear to a nice restaurant that might be a little enthusiastic with their air conditioning, as a lot of places in the summer tend to be.

Next up is a basic cropped black tee. It is roomy, without being too long. You can get them in a bunch of colors, and I do have it in others, but black tends to hide dirt, if you happen to spill food or whatever on yourself.

Last, is this high-low split tail tank top. I've had this for forever and I love it. It can be sporty or casual or even dressy, depending on what you pair it with and accessories to add.

Okay, last last is this travel dress I love from PrAna. I have it in both rust and black and wish I had purchased it in a third color before they discontinued it. It has big pockets, it's the perfect length and it's amazingly comfortable. It looks layered, has a split hem on the back of the tank, and gives your body extra air flow when it's really hot out. You can add another layer, like I have, by throwing on a tee over it, making it look like two separate pieces, add the athletic jacket for a sporty look, or the cardigan for date night. 

While we're at it, that cardigan is a great cozy loung piece when you're just hanging around your hotel room. Throw it on over your pjs (these are from H&M and purchased from Poshmark) instead of a robe.

If you've been following me on Instagram, you probably know that I bought this new backpack from a local company, Portland Gear, because it is waterproof (benefit if you live in Portland or another rainy place), it has a wide opening, so you can see everything inside and make it easier to pack, and because it came in this new pink color. Love!

All of my clothing fits in a medium packing cube and my underwear, socks, and extra bra will fit in a small one that I also put my travel lighted makeup mirror in for some cushioning. This bag fits everything else I need, too: my toiletry bag, my second pair of shoes, travel hair straightener, backup battery + cord, snacks, laptop, charging cords, a reusable grocery bag, a rain jacket, my reusable water bottle, and my tiny purse with all my everyday essentials in it. You can carry it if you want, but if you're traveling on a very budget airline and are limited to one personal item, then you can consolidate and this full bag still fits under the seat in front of you.

This backpack looks bigger than it actually is, mostly because it's wider than other backpacks I take, but it's easy to carry, has just enough pockets for everything and also has top handles and one of the front to help you pull it out of a car trunk, the overhead, and from under the seat. It also has little feet, so it sets upright when you're trying to pack and unpack it. When I posted about it on IG during my last trip, a friend said he and his wife saw it and purchased one for each of them for their next big trip. 

This is the standard size, but it also comes in a compact size for those who don't need to bring as much, use it as a commuter bag, or don't travel with a giant laptop like I do. This is the only bag I'll be taking on my next trip, which will be short, but it'll have enough room to bring back things that I may buy, too.

Anyway, I wanted to show you this great bag, but also how you can create 21 different outfits with not that many pieces, so you can wear an entirely unique outfit every day of your trip for 3 weeks or less, in case you care about looking different every day in pictures. I have traveled with much less and haven't felt limited by what I've brought. In fact, I'll have a much smaller selection on this next trip, which I'll document as I go. 

What's your biggest packing struggle?

Shereen Travels Cheap Turns 14!

After, basically, a year of California travel (though I'm not complaining) and a quick road trip to Vancouver BC, we're finally getting back on track with more regular (for us) travel and our lives. While we didn't end up going to Hawaii this year, we have two trips in the books and two (or three) more on the calendar. The blog has hit yet another milestone. We've been around for 14 years! 

Although we were promised a Travel Goods Show move to Chicago, it has once again returned to Las Vegas, which is great news to me, because I love Vegas, I have family there, and it's much easier and cheaper for me to go and stay there than it is most other destinations, though New Orleans was a great trip in 2020. So, I made some new contacts there and was excited for the new trends. This next year sounds to be even more exciting.

This last month saw us in Sacramento for a family reunion. We stayed three extra days to do some sightseeing and touristy stuff, catch up with some family outside of the reunion, eat some good food, and just generally enjoy a change of scenery and our nice hotel room in Midtown.

I have set up a Linktr.ee storefront for all the recommended travel items, clothing, and services I use that you might want to use, too. I'm working on more videos, some of which may be part of a new membership I'm starting for those of you who are looking for more travel content, more in-depth packing help, and other info and recommendations to help you travel better. 

Next up, we have a short trip to Denver and then a longer trip to Nashville that will include a Dollywood visit. We are tentatively planning a trip to Vegas for late November, early December. 

I know we talked about the possibility of pushing off our trip to Toronto to this year, but we decided to pivot instead. And now, next year, we're talking about Greece and/or Malta. I've been dying to go to Malta for over a decade, and you've heard me get excited about it more than a few times on here. 

Also, 2025 will see a return of me in Vegas several times, possibly a weekend in Seattle, and perhaps an early warm-weather getaway to New Mexico at the beginning of the year.

Coming up on the blog: 

• Packing tutorial for late summer getaways
• Mix-and-match packing for fall travel
• Visiting the Sacramento Train Museum
• Sacramento Underground and gunslingers tours
• Street art around Sacramento
• Where to travel for less this fall/winter
• Using Denver CityPASS
• Denver street art walking tour
• Meow Wolf's Convergence Station 

And here are some of the most popular past posts that you may have missed:

• 8 Budget-Friendly International Destinations for December
• How To Pack Your Road Trip Cooler
• Where to Travel Alone in 2024
• How London Explorer Pass Can Save You Big
• 5 Budget-Friendly Destinations for the Solo Traveler

I've got a lot more planned for the future, but I would also love your feedback on what you're looking forward to as well, Feel free to use the comments for your suggestions. Thank you for continuing to follow along on my travels, coming back to learn about cool destinations, and learning about the new travel trends and tips to make your trips cheaper and more fun. 

Where are you hoping to travel over the next year?