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20 October 2014

Coffeeneuring Challenge - Thump Coffee

Coffeneuring Challenge #3 - a visit to Thump Coffee in Denver

Thump Coffee sponsors a local bike racing team in Colorado, so of course when I told my dear friend Sue Lloyd that I was embarking on a Coffeeneuring Challenge, she immediately said, "I hope you will be biking to Thump Coffee!" Of course I will, I answered quickly, realizing I had a near obligation to bring focus to this coffee shop which sponsors cycling, and not just any cycling team - Sue's team.

Thump Coffee in Capital Hill, Denver, Colorado. They are serious about bikes and coffee.
My friend Sue Lloyd racing in August 2014. She races for Thump Coffee and is a very decorated state and national racer. Sue also owns and operates Inspired Training Center in Denver.

Chasing Mailboxes 2014 Coffeneuring Challenge continues with visit #3 in week 2 of 7:

Adventure #3
Coffee Shop: Thump Coffee
Website: www.thumpcoffee.com
Address: 1201 E. 13th St. 
City: Denver
Neighborhood: Capital Hill
Date visited: October 19, 2014
Bike ridden: cruiser bike, in shorts
Miles ridden: 10.5 miles
Weather: warm and sunny 72 degrees
Coffee enjoyed: North Fork drip coffee
Eats: butternut squash muffin

Comments: The fall leaves are changing in Denver, just past their prime, the city's streets are full of color and falling leaves. The Rock and Roll Marathon took place this morning in Denver under perfect blue skies and sixty degree temperatures. I walked four blocks from my house to see the runners and cheer on my friend Chris Rodriguez as she passed in good time and in good form. Before completing more home improvement projects on a fine Sunday, I decided to pedal to Thump Coffee, which then turned into a spontaneous bike tour around the Capital Hill neighborhood of Denver, Colorado.

The Denver Rock and Roll Marathon passed through Denver and my local Washington Park on Sunday. Always inspirational to watch the runners.

Supporters lined the route to cheer on the runners. There goes Chris looking strong in pink.

Capital Hill gets its name from its proximity to our state capital building. Although Denver appears to be flat when you land at our international airport, there are rolling hills throughout the city. My singlespeed cruiser bike told me that Capital Hill is indeed a hill.

Location of the Capital Hill neighborhood in Denver
Capital Hill has a funky urban style with mixed architecture from builds and rebuilds over a century and a half. It will forever have a popular inner city lifestyle for those wanting plentiful neighborhood restaurants and the skyscrapers of downtown Denver just blocks away.




Denver's early wealth was based in mining and large homes were built on the hill. These home are a labor of love for the families who now take on their maintenance and upkeep. Those homes without care have been scraped away and replaced over the decades with modern apartments. The homes that do remain are of truly remarkable architecture.




That is my cruiser bike in front of a Capital Hill home highly decorated for Halloween

This is the Molly Brown house in Denver, one of the many homes owned by the unsinkable Molly Brown of Titanic fame. Her husband J.J. Brown was a very successful early Colorado mining (gold ore, silver) millionaire.

The Molly Brown House

From Molly's House you can see the newly restored golden dome of our State Capital Building, built in the 1890's, Molly could have watched its construction. Molly and J.J's house on nearby Pennsylvania Street was built in 1894.

Denver State Capital Building
The skyscrapers of downtown Denver

This is our Governor Mansion, although most Governors have not preferred to live here. They use it instead for special events (that is another name for political fundraising).

Colorado Governor's Mansion
 
Did you know one of six United States Mints is located one block from our state capital building in Denver?  The first US Mint was founded in Philadelphia in 1792. The Unites States operates six mints located in: Headquarters in Washington, DC; production facilities in Philadelphia, PA; West Point, NY; Denver, CO; and San Francisco, CA; and the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, KY.

This coin Mint in Denver also appears to be as "secure as Fort Knox"

The expansive lawns of Cheeseman Park are located in Capital Hill. The beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens is located on the east side of this park.

Cheeseman Park is on Capital Hill

I enjoyed cruising around Denver today, exploring the city streets through the changing leaves from the saddle of a bike. Thank you Thump Coffee for your sponsorship of bike racing, and for a darn good cup of coffee.

Photos from my experience at Thump Coffee:



 
I chose the North Fork Drip


We don't experience earthquakes in Denver, so old brick is very common and adds instant coffee shop character.
Lots of worker bees in Thump Coffee. I went outside instead and played Denver Tourist on a Bike on Sunday.

Stay tuned for week three as the coffeeneuring challenge in Colorado continues ...