The Perfect Itinerary: Westminster, Colorado

With a cure for COVID insight, it’s time to travel again! And where better to go than Colorful Colorado?! That’s what I chose to do, so I’m here to give you the PERFECT itinerary for Westminster, Colorado!

This past week, I traveled back to my second home and this might be my favorite trip to share with you all so far!

For the past year, I have been trying to make it back and, like many of you, it meant so much to me to finally be able to make it happen. 2020 and unfortunately the beginning of 2021 posed an entirely new set of threats, challenges and barriers to life. It kept us from loved ones, prevented us from going outside and seeing the world, canceled many plans for many people.

Being able to go connect with others felt like reclaiming my life and getting back some normalcy. (Or, new normal).

Overall, it was exactly what my heart, body, mind & soul needed. I’m here to help give you a similar experience when you go!

Where to stay: Origin Hotel Westminster

We chose to stay at the Origin Hotel in Westminster, a brand new location for the independent hotel chain.

Let me start off by saying if I could live in this hotel forever, I would. From the decor to the details to the service…EVERYTHING about it is perfect and SO me!

From the moment I walked through the doors, I was blown away by the attention to detail in every inch of this hotel. The design is full of character: from colorful books to read by the fire, to clocks that show the time of Westminsters across the world, to my favorite, the Tiffany blue Galanz fridge. I was ready to buy my own (and still might)! Even the lights and fans had dimming settings so you could get your perfect cozy experience during your stay.

The decor is the most amazing mix of retro and industrial modern, which pretty much describes my ideal interior decor. It was warm and inviting while still being the luxurious spot you’d want to take your most extravagant friends.

Photographs by Luke Wetter Photography

The staff even left us a little treat of local Cotton Candy which I snacked on while enjoying the view of both the mountains and Denver downtown from my room.

My favorite experience from Origin and one of my favorites from the trip is riding the bikes that they lend out with my friends around a lake only a few minutes from the hotel. Seeing the Colorado sun light up the mountains in the morning air is an unforgettable experience and one that I wish I could relive every single day.

Origin has a few other locations in the U.S., including Austin, TX where I plan to go later this year! I will definitely be going here if they have space available.

Where to eat: Famille Restaurant

The next morning after our bike ride, we re-energized ourselves at the hotel’s restaurant, Famille which serves French-style food with a Colorado twist.

I ordered the Berry Good Smoothie and Pain Perdu (baguette french toast with frest fruit, cinnamon creme, banana brulee, and caramel & raspberry sauces). This is my absolute favorite breakfast food and oh did it do the job. The bananas we’re perfectly crisped, the strawberries fresh and paired with the smoothie, it was the perfect pre-hike meal that later, I would find I (desperately) needed. Seriously, obsessed.

Famille partners with local farmers for their food, so I shouldn’t have been surprised but I do have high expectations. I love food.

What to do:

With this being central to major cities like Denver, Boulder, and Golden, Westminster is a great place to stay if you want to only be in one place during your trip. There’s amazing hiking around (I’ll cover some of these in my other itineraries) and Red Rocks, a natural amphitheater that’s the place to go in Colorado for concerts.

However, Westminster itself also offers a variety of things to do!

The first I would recommend is renting bikes (or borrowing the ones from Origin if you stay there) and taking a stroll around Lake Arbor for a shorter ride or Lake Standley for longer. These lakes are both located just minutes from the hotel and offer beautiful views of the mountains to wake you (check out the video above to see just how amazing it is).

After you grab food, hit the Butterfly Pavilion, a top hit for things to do in Westminster. A not-so-fun fact is that the butterfly population – specifically Monarchs – are becoming closer to extinction each day. The Butterfly Pavilion aims to educate and preserve the life of insects while allowing you to experience butterflies all around you!

Map

Map created with Wanderlog, for itineraries on iOS and Android

If there’s anything else you want to know, please drop a comment below and I’ll update this post with the answers!

I hope you enjoy your trip to Westminster, Colorado using my itinerary! Also check out some of my other favorite travels, like Seattle and Minneapolis!

Xoxo,
Gina

All opinions are my own.