Can you imagine 15,000 pediatricians in one spot? Well it happened recently in Denver where the annual AAP conference convened. I love going to the AAP conferences; there's always a ton to learn, fun activities, and meeting old and new friends.
This is my second trip to Denver so I already like this city. But this trip made me an even bigger fan. The weather was perfect. The food options were limitless. Everything I ate was delicious. I also checked out a few attractions (between conference sessions, of course). Here is how I spent 5 days in the Mile High City.
Friday: I flew into Denver and took the train from the airport directly to Union Station. The fare was $10. It was convenient, fast, cheap and good for the environment. Highly recommended.
Union Station is lovely. The architecture is beautiful. There's a lot of restaurants to pick from. We ate at Mercantile. For lunch, they have a two course prix fixe menu. I got the roasted broccoli Cesar salad and the salmon. It was delicious!
I spent the afternoon in lectures. For dinner, we ate at Cart-Driver. It was recommended by a colleague who's daughter lives in Denver. They are famous for their pizzas and cocktails. We had the Cart Driver pizza which was sausage, kale and mozzarella. We also got the charcuterie board which had a collection of meats, cheeses, bread, and accoutrements. Carbs are good for the soul.
Saturday: Morning spent in lectures. I started at 7:30. Even I was impressed with myself. For lunch, I found a quick Taiwanese restaurant near the convention center with high ratings called Chopstickers. I got the Dan Dan noodles. It was like the ones I got in Taiwan. It was pretty busy so I shared a table with someone who looked friendly. Turns out, she was also going to the AAP conference. Had a lovely chat during lunch.
Afternoon spent in lectures. My brain was getting pretty full. For dinner, we walked over to Larimer Square which is a cute area with lots of restaurants. We ate at Rioja which is Mediterranean. I had the melon (cantaloupe I think) gazpacho which was so refreshing! The grilled octopus was so tender. For dessert, we split the fig beignets which we saw everyone else had ordered. I don't love goat cheese so it was only ok for me. The fig was interesting.
Sunday: Another 7:30 start with lectures. For lunch, we did a fancy brunch at Corinne Denver which is located inside the Le Méridien hotel. My croque madame was cheesy and gooey with the perfect bread!
The AAP hosted an event at the Meow Wolf for attendees. I don't really know how to describe Meow Wolf. It's an art museum with different themes in different cities. I would say it's interactive, outside of the box, kind of freaky. It's not my cup of tea. The AAP booked the entire venue for the evening for attendees only. There were food stations set up on different floors so you can grab different foods as you walk through the museum. I thought the smartest thing to do was to take the elevator up to the top and walk down. My friend and I met another attendee in the elevator who had the same idea. So we become BFFs and spent the night wandering together. I also ran into other friends. It was a good time.
Monday: I had an extra shot in my coffee to get going at 7:30 again. For lunch, we went to a diner I saw on my favorite show ‘Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.’ The menu was like a telephone book (does anyone remember telephone books?). I got a meatloaf melt which I've never had before. I picked mac and cheese for my side. It was tasty! I would say it was more like a burger patty than a meatloaf.
It actually rained in the afternoon and I got these beautiful shots from the terrace of the convention center.
For dinner, we went to GAIA MASALA & BURGER LODO (it's really spelled like that with all caps). It's like Indian fusion with diner food? I got the chicken tikka masala cheesesteak. The chicken was good but I don't see how it was like cheesesteak (meaning the meat wasn't thin or shaved).
Tuesday: Last day of the conference. Day four of starting at 7:30. Yes I'm a champ. There were only lectures in the morning. I had a few hours before my flight so I made my own walking tour. Civic Center Park
Denver City Council
State Capitol
First Church of Christ
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Civic Center Building
Greek Amphitheater
I had time to grab lunch before heading to the airport. I went to Olive & FInch. It's like a much better version of Panera. I had the Niçoises salad. The tuna was perfect.
Here are some other pretty pictures of Denver.
I had a great time. I learned a lot, was inspired and motivated by the speakers, and connected with other pediatricians. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all the bad. As pediatricians, we absorb more because we take care of kids and that usually involves taking care of the entire family. It can be mentally and physically draining. But being with other pediatricians is good for my psyche. I picked up enough energy to keep chugging. I have kids and families who need me.
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