The Denver Do: Wash in the Morning

Overview: In this edition of the Denver Do, I take you to brunch and a walk in the park! This is an especially cheap and solo-friendly "Do." // Expected Cost: $10-$15 for breakfast // Solo-Savvy?: Yes // Expected Time: 2 hours // Requirements: Walking shoes, reading materials (if solo), sunglasses // The Do: One of the most popular brunch spots in the city is called Devil's Food. It's on Old South Gaylord Street, which is just East of Washington Park. OSGS is a darling neighborhood spot and Devil's Food is one of it's most popular joints. You can expect to wait upwards of an hour for weekend brunch. Try to go sometime when you have time/ patience to wait. But (if you're like me) when you're hungry you get h-angry. So skip Devil's Food and continue south on Gaylord Street to Mississippi. Turn left and enter The Local, one of my favorite brunch spots in the city! // The Local is a diner with bar-stool seats and comfy booths. If you're alone, choose a spot at the bar and pull out your book. There is usually another solo-diner, though, and it's often a TRF (Totally Rad Female). Chat, if you'd like! If you require more than a single seat, keep in mind that most people in the joint are very friendly. Ask to share tables with others- the servers won't mind! // As soon as you've marked your grounds, hop right up to the self-service coffee station at the far end of the bar. If you're into home-made breakfast breads, check out today's options in the display at front. // You won't have to wait long for service, but even if you do, the coffee should hold you over. If you're starving, definitely go for the breakfast burrito: it's massive, you can choose your chili. I've personally watched two TRFs devour the whole thing. I would also suggest the vegetarian breakfast sandwich, which is on the lighter side and refreshing. Finally, the breakfast tacos are a delicious take on an old-faithful, but be sure to request that they be wrapped in two corn tortillas or ask for flour torts. A single corn tortilla disintegrates. Try both red and green salsa, made by The Local and delicious. // After brunch, wander back up OSGS. Turn left whenever you'd like and make your way to Wash Park. Once you get there, the next hour or so is yours. I would recommend walking into the paved inside track. This is just under 2 miles around and takes you past the old buildings, lakes, ducks, and other sportsters. If you want a quiet, relaxing stroll, I wouldn't recommend going during the weekend in summer: it will be packed with beer-guzzling volley-ball playing young people. Do go during summer weekends if you want to people watch and meet hot young Denver-ites, though! Still, there are always open, friendly and interesting people at Wash. Ask to pet dogs, stop to chat with the tennis players on the South end or chase the hotties running by. // Stop by the boathouse at the top of the Northern lake. This is the headquarters for the Volunteers of Outdoor Colorado (VOC). They host all sorts of fun outdoor volunteer opportunities. Grab a schedule or sign up for their next event! // You may have worked up an appetite in all of your strolling, especially if you stopped to talk to any of the other sexy/ colorful characters there. For a final treat, I'd recommend stopping by Devil's Food and ordering a cinnamon bun/ muffin at their cafe portion of the restaurant. Ask them to heat the bun for you and eat on a bench outside. It's the perfect outwardly-crusty, inwardly-gooey mid-afternoon snack. Don't worry: it's organic so it's "healthy." // That finalizes this edition ("Wash in the Morning") of the Denver Do! Next: Chillin' with the gnomies on OSG."