Perhaps this is why they call it COLORado. I planned a trip to Denver to hike the Rocky Mountains. What I didn’t know is that one of the most gorgeous views during my trip would be the trees right in my friend’s neighborhood.
We took a short drive through Baker and other Denver neighborhoods to visit a farmer’s market on my last day in Denver. It was a perfect Fall day and the colors of the trees were more vibrant than this Floridian has ever remembered Fall being!
Apparently, the right combination of conditions in 2021 allowed for one of the most colorful Falls in Denver in a long time. I’m so glad I got to see it as we browsed the local farmer’s market. I couldn’t stop taking photos! Read on to see more photos of just how gorgeous it was!
Neighborhood Walk
I was staying around the Baker neighborhood in late October when I visited Dasha. I flew in on a Thursday and Dasha had to work from home the next morning. So I took a little stroll around the neighborhood.
It was a perfect weather day. Blue sky, sunshine, and a light breeze. Baker is a really cute area that includes bustling Broadway where I went to Adrift for drinks and Pie Hole for pizza on previous trips to Denver.
This time I enjoyed the simplicity of the neighborhood, from the leaves on the trees to the little library boxes of books.
I also enjoyed seeing the Halloween decorations around the area! I had not fully celebrated the season yet back home so it was nice to see others getting into the holiday spirit in this neighborhood.
Incredible Color
What caught my eye everywhere I went was the fall foliage. The colors were out of control! The yellows, oranges, and reds were incredibly vibrant.
On my last day in Denver, Dasha and I drove about 5 minutes to the Platt Park neighborhood to visit a farmers market. As we drove through the small neighborhoods, stop sign to stop sign, the sun was bright through leaves that fell like rain around the car. The trees were glowing!
I said to Dasha that maybe I was biased because I haven’t experienced Fall in a while living in Florida but it seemed like this was the most colorful Fall I had ever seen!
Turns out, this actually was a uniquely colorful Fall for Denver. A perfect combination of natural causes led to the exceptionally bright colors in Denver while I was there in October 2021.
An article published a few days before I flew into Denver explained that the wet Spring and mild temperatures of Fall were the cause. I took this as a sign that I was meant to be exactly there at that time—because I love autumn as a season and I do miss it now that I’m living in perpetual summer.
I wanted to soak it in as much as I could on my last day.
South Pearl Street Farmers Market
First, we had to make a farmers market run!
The South Pearl Street Farmers Market in Denver is at South Pearl St on Sundays from 9:00am - 1:00pm. It typically runs from Mothers day in May through roughly November 14. But I’ve seen some people saying it sticks around into December!
The market has many farm produce stands and specialty food items as well as vendors with various products for sale (e.g., jewelry, soaps, wood carvings, and more).
I especially loved seeing the many bins of GOURDgeous gourds!
I usually buy gourds in October but for some reason I didn’t get into the spirit of the season last year.
Denver inspired me, though. I took advantage of feeling so inspired and photographed these autumnal veggies as I waited for Dasha!
Dasha loves to visit the farmers market specifically for the produce stands. She stocks up for the week.
The Miller Farm stand seemed to have the best deal in the whole market. You stuff a bag full of any produce you can fit for $15. We arrived just before closing so they allowed Dasha to double up with 2 bags for the price of one!
Once we finished at the farm stands, I was immediately drawn to the smell of roasted nuts! They were wafting up toward the produce and I felt myself float over to them like in a cartoon.
I had to buy some! The roasted pecans were $8 for a small bag. Mine!
They were a great treat that I helped myself to in small, disciplined amounts over the course of an entire month after getting back from Denver. I wish I had more right now…so good!
Dasha was especially drawn to the roasting peppers! They were seasoned and salted and piping hot! These had an amazing smell, too, that resulted in a line of people waiting for a batch.
We didn’t have to wait on a line because the market was closing up and the crowds were thinning out. We ended up buying some to add to our much-anticipated homemade brunch.
We walked around a bit more to see what else we could find. Eventually Dasha bought some farm fresh eggs and we got a couple scones to go with our meal.
More Leaf Admiration
As we were walking around, I was still admiring the trees. The sidewalks were coated with a decorative layer of color on every block.
Dasha and I were obsessed! The leaves on one tree looked so soft that we had to go up and touch them. And I couldn’t stop taking photos.
These trees and their leaves were damn sexy!
Finally: Brunch
Back at Dasha’s, she made a delicious almost 100% farmers market meal with the peppers, scones, and eggs! It felt good to eat well after being outside on such a beautiful day. Fresh air, a healthy walk, good company, and a yummy meal—life is good!
In Conclusion
The first half of my last day in Denver was super fulfilling!
All my senses were heightened and happy: My eyes were pleased with the beautiful fall colors, my nose took in the lovely farmer’s market smells, my taste buds were satiated by our farmer’s market selections, and my friend was by my side filling my ears with good conversation!
The rest of the day we would spend making our way to the airport with a stop over in the Rino district. Cider street art, and scooters await! Tune in next time for my last post about my October Denver trip.
