Denver

The city prepared for this moment for years, creating an infrastructure of hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and leisure and cultural venues to please the most demanding world traveler. The Mile High City sits 5,280 feet above sea level, its altitude accounting for the 300 days of sunshine.  This also means the sun is stronger since there is less atmosphere between land and sun.  The simple solution is sun block and more fluids to stay hydrated, just drink twice as much water as you normally do at sea level and you’ll be fine. 

A trip to Denver has so much to offer.  The city’s history evokes images of cowboys, Indians and an untamed ‘wild west’ while the 21^st century metropolis has everything from world renowned entertainment and shopping to unparalleled natural beauty.

Denver’s decision to serve as the gathering place for Democrats follows the city’s long history for bringing together different groups.  First there were Native Americans, including Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Ute and Crow.  Then came the Spanish explorers searching for treasures who were responsible for giving the state its name “Colorado,” due to the abundance of red rocks in the landscape.  There were also cowboys and the mountain men trading furs with the Indians. 

The 1858 Gold Rush led the city to become a boom town with saloons and gambling halls.  It also led to Denver’s first railroad, mansions on tree lined boulevards and the finest stores, restaurants and theaters between St. Louis and San Francisco, giving the city the title ‘Queen City of the Plains.’

Denver boasts two mythical American figures.  First there is Buffalo Bill, a Pony Express rider, army scout, buffalo hunter and the world’s first superstar with his amazing Wild West Show.  He is buried high atop Lookout Mountain where the Buffalo Bill’s Grave and Museum (Top of Lookout Mountain I-70 Exit 256, Golden, Co. 80401 Tel. 303-526-0744 www.buffalobill.org) attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Secondly there is the ‘Unsinkable Molly Brown’ who became rich during the gold rush and survived the sinking of the Titanic. Visit Molly Brown House Museum (1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Co. 80203 Tel. 303-832-4092 www.mollybrown.org) and learn the truth behind the myth.

The city has experienced consistent growth since the 1960’s when it doubled in size.  In the 1990’s it grew 30 percent – the equivalent of 1,000 new residents every week for 10 years.  Today with a population of 2.6 million residents the seven county Metro Denver area covers 4,500 square miles and is the 19^th largest urban center in the nation… but also has the largest park system. There are 200 named parks and 14,000 acres of parks nearby.  The nature loving city has two buffalo herds and an elk herd.  The mountain panorama is 120 miles long as it is against state law to build any building that would block the view of the mountains from the Colorado state capitol.

 GETTING THERE AND GETTING AROUND

Multiple daily flights operate from most cities in the country making the Denver International Airport the 4^th busiest in the nation and 9^th busiest in the world. It’s only a 22 mile drive from downtown Denver yet is the largest in the nation covering 53 square miles – large enough to hold both Dallas Fort-Worth and Chicago’s O’Hare airports.

The airport has access to all major car rental companies and there is frequent shuttle service provided by Supershuttle Denver (Tel. 303-370-1300 www.supershuttle .com) or Denver Airport Shuttle Express  (Tel. 303-342-3424 www.aspensnowmassexpress.com) which also offers shuttle service to all Colorado ski resorts and Denver hotels. 

Taxi service is provided by Metro Taxi (Tel. 303-333-3333) or Yellow Cab Denver (Tel. 303-777-7777).  And for limousines and sedans there is Carey Limousine (Tel. 303-360-5204), Execucar Denver (Tel. 800-410-4444) or Towne & Country Limo (Tel. 303-576-8121)

Downtown Denver prides itself in being a walking city. Free shuttle buses stop on every corner of the 16^th St. Mall while the light rail trains offer fast connections from downtown to key locations.

Denver is rich in culture and truly dedicated to art.  One percent of all construction must go to public art and $40 million a year are collected through a self imposed sales tax for cultural programs. The city recently added two new art museums and a world class opera house and there is a third art museum and new symphony hall on the way. 

The Denver Performing Arts Complex (Speer Bl. & Arapahoe St., Denver, Co. 80204, Tel. 303-893-4100 www.denvercenter.org) is the largest in America, after Lincoln Center, with 10 venues seating 10,000 people.  And The Denver Museum of Nature and Science (2001 Colorado Bl., Denver, Co. 80205 – Tel. 303-322-7009 www.dmns.org) is the country’s fourth largest.

The Denver Art Museum (13^th & Bannock St., Denver, Co. 80204 Tel, 720-865-5000 www.denverartmuseum.org) has an extensive collection of American Indian, pre-Columbian and Spanish Colonial art and European and American paintings and recently added the Daniel Libeskind designed Hamilton Building to double its size. The Museo de Las Americas (861 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, Co. 80204 Tel. 303-571-4401 www.museo.org) is a cultural Mecca for Latin American arts, ancient to contemporary. New cultural institutions include the Museum of Contemporary Art which opened its doors in 2007 and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House which is one of only three in America to feature in-seat translation devices.  And when it comes to performing landmarks there is the

Red Rocks Amphitheatre & Park (Exit 259 off I-70, Denver, Co. 80465 Tel. 303-697-6047 www.redrocksonline.com), a majestic 9,450 seat venue flanked by 300 foot red sandstone rock formations  that has hosted everyone from the Beatles to U2.

For all the information on these and many other cultural facilities and city happenings visit www.denver365.com

Denver has the 10^th largest walkable downtown in America.  Start your tour at the State Capitol with a dome covered by 200 ounces of 24k gold and modeled after the U.S. Capitol.  From there visit the urban oasis that is Civic Garden Park and proceed to the Colorado History Museum (1300 Broadway, Denver, Co. Tel. 303-866-3682 www.coloradohistory.org) honoring Native Americans, cowboys, explorers and miners.  Then visit the $64 million Denver Public Library (10 W. 14^th Ave. Pkwy., Denver, Co. 80204 Tel. 720-865-1472 www.denverlibrary.org) with 47 miles of bookshelves and a $20 million art collection.  Finally make it to the 16^th Street Mall the true heart of downtown Denver.  Built at a cost of $76 million, this mile long pedestrian path is lined with stores, restaurants and more than 200 trees.  Fountains, plazas and outdoor cafes make it a perfect people watching spot.  Every 90 seconds there are free shuttle buses that traverse the mall.  On the southern end there is a two square block entertainment and shopping complex featuring 50 stores and restaurants.  There is also Lower Downtown or the LoDo District (1616 17^th St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-628-5495 www.lodo.org) with more than 90 sports bars, cafes, brewpubs, restaurants and the 50,000 seat stadium Coors Field (2001 Blake St., Denver, Co. 80205 Tel. 303-rockies www.cooradorockies.com), home to the Colorado Rockies.

There’s plenty of shopping to be done at the 16^th Street Mall, but for those who hunger for more there’s nothing like the Cherry Creek Shopping District which is just 3 miles from downtown and is considered the largest and most varied shopping area between Chicago and San Francisco. The district offers the Cherry Creek Shopping Center (3000 E. 1^st Ave., Denver, Co. 80206 Tel. 303-388-3900 www.cherrycreekmall.com) with 160 stores including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany, Burberry and Macy’s.  Across the street is Cherry Creek North (1^st to 3^rd Aves. and University Bld. to Steele St. Tel. 303-394-2904 www.cherrycreeknorth.com), a 16 block district with more than 300 boutiques, spas, restaurants and galleries. Other shopping areas include Larimer Square (1430 Larimer St. Denver Co. 80202 Tel. 303-534-2367 www.larimersquare.com), a vibrant little enclave with Victorian buildings that house specialty boutiques and chef-driven restaurants and Historic Olde Town Arvada (7307 Grandview Ave. Arvada, Co. 80002 Tel. 303-420-6100 www.historicarvada.org) a charming and friendly area that captures the era of yesteryear combined with modern boutiques and restaurants.

The Art District of Santa Fe just south of downtown Denver is a unique and cultural district with more than 40 galleries, restaurants and shops.  This is the largest concentration of art galleries in Colorado.

DINING & NIGHTLIFE

When it comes to restaurants the following stand out.

Alto (1320 15^th St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-893-2586 www.altodenver.com) serves contemporary American and Northern Italian cuisine with live music in a hip urban setting.

Zengo (1610 Little Raven St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 720-904-0965 www.modernmexican.com) fuses Asian flair with Mexican fare.  Chef Richard Sandoval has created one of the liveliest restaurants serving some of the most exciting food in the world.

Prima Ristorante (1100 14^th St. Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-228-0770 www.ktrg.net) Denver chef Kevin Taylor is revered and has several of the city’s best restaurants.  Located inside Hotel Teatro, Prima serves contemporary Italian cuisine featuring handmade pasta and a modern take on Italian classics.

Samba Room (1460 Larimer St. Denver, Co. 80202 Tel 720-956-1701 www.e-brands.net) takes you on a getaway to Rio where the Latin fusion cuisine surpasses your highest expectations.  The exotic cocktails, bossa nova music and superb service only enhance a truly memorable dining experience. 

The Oceanarie (1400 Arapahoe St. Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-991-2277 www.theoceanerie.com) offers ultra fresh seafood and superior steakhouse offerings.

The Capital Grille (1450 Larimer St. Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-539-2500 www.thecapitalgrille.com) has four private dining rooms and specializes on dry aged steaks, chops and an award winning wine list.

The Buckhorn Exchange (1000 Orange St., Denver, Co. 80204 Tel. 303-534-9505 www.buckhorn.com) is a landmark.  Denver’s oldest restaurant opened its doors in 1893 and is known for exotic meats including buffalo and elk steaks served in a genuine Old West setting

There are more than 8,000 hotel rooms in downtown Denver and 42,000 rooms citywide.  From luxurious five star properties to trendy boutique hotels you are destined to find the perfect place to spend the night. 

Brown Palace Hotel & Spa (321 17^th St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-297-3111 www.brownpalace.com ) is a four star landmark built in 1892.  The centrally located hotel features five exceptional dining venues and a nine story atrium topped by a stained glass ceiling.   It’s only 5 blocks from the Convention Center. Hyatt  Regency Denver (650 15^th St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel. 303-406-1234 www.denverregency.hyatt.com) has 1,100 rooms offering spectacular views of the city and the Rocky Mountains.  Adjacent to the Convention Center and a block from the 16^th Street Mall its location can’t be beat.

Hotel Teatro (1100 14^th St., Denver, Co. 80202 Tel 303-228-1100 www.hotelteatro.com) is Denver’s most luxurious  and intimate boutique hotel.  Across from the Denver Performing Arts Center Hotel Teatro is filled with outstanding design details such as the theater costumes hanging in the lobby or the photographs from theatrical performances. The superior service and style has made Hotel Teatro Denver’s ‘best hotel’ according to Zagat.