COLORADO: THE CENTENNIAL
STATE
BY CLAY
LARROY
Leisure
travel is
a wonderful experience that everyone should have in their lifetime. Even
business travel can be made enjoyable. There are some aspects of travel that
can detract from your enjoyment. When
planning to fly for a trip, don't forget any frequent flier miles you might
have racked up. It does you no good to hang onto those once you've already gone
on your big vacation. Even if you don't have enough miles to cover the whole
trip, many airlines will allow you to discount your rate using your miles. When you want to
plan a vacation contact me!
DENVER “THE MILE HIGH CITY”
About
Denver
Work is a side note in Denver, where locals live for its happening
arts scene, its proximity to a tremendous natural playground and some 300
glorious days of sunshine a year.
Cosmopolitan cool meets a
pioneering Wild West spirit in this laid-back Colorado city. Denver lies on the
western fringe of the Great Plains, the colossal Rocky Mountains continually
catching your eye beyond. It conveniently sits at exactly 5,280ft (1,609m)
above sea level, hence its nickname, ‘Mile High City'.
Denver's arts culture is
booming. The Denver Art Museum's 70,000 artworks fill two massive buildings,
including a spiky Daniel Libeskind number. On the first Friday of every month,
art lovers sign up to First Friday Art Walks, in-depth explorations of arty neighborhoods
including the Art District of Santa Fe, home to scores of indie galleries and
art studios. Second Saturdays at RiNo (River North Art District) draw hordes to
open studios, art sales and food trucks.
Creative Denverites also
hang out in LoDo (Lower Downtown), a revitalized pocket of Victorian and
turn-of-the-century buildings crammed with coffee shops, brewpubs and cool
eateries. Running through it is the 16th Street pedestrian mall, whose
red-and-grey-patterned promenade depicts the skin of a diamondback rattlesnake.
Sport is an addiction for
Denverites, and the city is home to seven pro teams. Grab a beer and phenomenal
views from The Rooftop, a swanky deck overlooking legendary baseball diamond
Coors Field. Or join 76,000 roaring fans and cheer on NFL side the Denver
Broncos.
Snatch a little action of
your own on two beautiful stretches of paved bike paths along Cherry Creek and
the South Platte River. It's hard to resist the lure of the Rockies too, with
countless opportunities for hiking, climbing and skiing.
Denver is also home to
some of the USA's finest microbreweries, and hosts the annual Great American
Beer Festival, where visitors get merrily drunk on over 3,000 varieties of
beer. Colorado is one of a clutch of US states where you can legally buy
marijuana too, so if you're feeling dizzy - it may not be the altitude.
Tourist Information Centers
VISIT DENVER, Visitor Information Center
·
1600 California Street, Unit 6
Denver
United States
Denver
United States
·
1 800 233 6837.
Excursions
Estes Park
·
Surrounded by the Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt
National Forest, the village of Estes Park has spectacular mountain scenery at
every turn. Fishing, biking, horseback riding, river rafting, hunting, hiking
and skiing are all possibilities in Estes Park, which is 103km (64 miles)
northwest of Denver. Wildlife tours in the surrounding Rocky Mountain National
Park offer the chance to see elk, moose, marmots, pikas, coyotes and big horn
sheep.
Estes Park Visitors Center
500 Big Thompson Avenue, Estes Park
Estes Park Visitors Center
500 Big Thompson Avenue, Estes Park
·
970 577 9900.
Grand Lake
·
This historic mountain town is nestled below the Rocky Mountain
peaks and based around Colorado's largest natural lake, Grand Lake. Get a sense
of the town's Western charm by walking along the boardwalk that boasts more
than 60 bars, galleries, restaurants and shops. If you want to get your feet
wet, head to the beach where you can swim, fish or boat. If it's boating you're
particularly interested in, visit the Grand Lake Yacht Club, one of the highest
yacht anchorages in the world. During the winter months, Grand Lake is known
for it snowmobiling terrain. It has been ranked as one of the top 10
snowmobiling destinations in the USA with 483km (300 miles) of trails.
·
970 627 3402.
Golden
·
Colorado's origins in mining and the Wild West are clearly evident
in the city of Golden, 24km (15 miles) west of Denver. The handsome Victorian
buildings in the historic business district are beautifully restored, and
colourful shops, art galleries, bars and restaurants are set beneath the wooden
arcades. Heritage Square, 18301 West Colfax Avenue, is mainly of interest to
children with amusement park rides and a music hall. The winding, scenic Lariat
Trail from US Highway 6 leads up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's Museum and
Grave, which has original posters from his Wild West shows and exhibits
illustrating life on the frontier in the days of the famous Pony Express.
Golden is easily accessed from the Denver area via several major roadways, including I-70, C-470, US Highway 6 and State Highway 58, or by RTD buses 16, 17 and 44L.
Golden Visitors Center
1010 Washington Avenue, Golden
Golden is easily accessed from the Denver area via several major roadways, including I-70, C-470, US Highway 6 and State Highway 58, or by RTD buses 16, 17 and 44L.
Golden Visitors Center
1010 Washington Avenue, Golden
·
303 279 3113.
Georgetown
·
Lying in a spectacular mountain valley, 72km (45 miles) west of
Denver, Georgetown is a historic mining town maintained and restored in
turn-of-the-century style. The town's highlight in summer is the steam-powered
Georgetown Loop Railroad, which gives you an exceptional opportunity to see the
Clear Creek Valley area. The train curves down a mountain ledge covering 183m
(600ft). In its course, the train crosses over three bridges, including the 30m
(100ft) Devil's Gate Bridge. There's also the option to take a walking tour of
the Lebanon Silver Mine, which is the railway's halfway point.
From Georgetown, the famous Rocky Mountain National Park is a short drive away on the I-40.
Georgetown Visitors Center
1491 Argentine Street, Georgetown
From Georgetown, the famous Rocky Mountain National Park is a short drive away on the I-40.
Georgetown Visitors Center
1491 Argentine Street, Georgetown
·
303 569 2405.
Tours
Segway tours
·
Gain the benefits of a walking tour while covering the same amount
of ground as a bus tour with a Segway tour. Colorado Adventure-Segway Tours
take participants around all of Denver's historical sites in two hours. Tours
run Monday to Saturday at 0900, 1400 and 1700.
·
866 642 4919.
Walking tours
·
Click! Photo Tours offer three photography-based walking tours of
Denver: Denver Landmarks, Denver at Night, and Best of Denver. LoDo District
Inc gives walking tours of Lower Downtown every Saturday at 1000, from late May
through October. Tours take two hours, meeting at the front of Union Station,
on the corner of 17th Street and Wynkoop Street.
·
1 800 650/TOUR ; 303 628 5428.
Bus tours
·
Gray Line Denver offers a Denver City Tour, which runs daily all
year at 0830 and 1330, and lasts three hours. There is also a nine-hour
Mountain Parks Tour & City Tour, which takes in the best city sites, the
foothills, Red Rocks, Golden and Lookout Mountain. Tours run year-round at 0830
from Cherry Creek Shopping Centre.
Banjo Billy's Bus Tours also offer bus tours, but from an old school bus that has been transformed to look like a travelling hillbilly shack. Tours are offered in Denver and Boulder, and a tour's specifics are determined by the passengers and last 90 minutes. Tour schedules vary by season.
Banjo Billy's Bus Tours also offer bus tours, but from an old school bus that has been transformed to look like a travelling hillbilly shack. Tours are offered in Denver and Boulder, and a tour's specifics are determined by the passengers and last 90 minutes. Tour schedules vary by season.
·
303 394 6920 ; 720 938 8885.
REFERENCE SITES:
Denver is a city that will be
far more defined by its future than its past.
John Hickenlooper
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