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Destination Rankings
Did You Know...?
Ranking Among U.S. Cities / Regions: #15
Venturers: 6
Mid-Venturers: 7
Centrics-Venturers: 7
Centrics-Authentics: 8
Mid-Authentics: 7
Authentics: 7
• Denver is the home of the cheeseburger, invented by Louis Ballast (1935)
• The 13th step of Denver’s state capitol building is exactly one mile above sea level
• Denver’s annual Western Stock show is the biggest rodeo in the world
• At 4,530 square miles, the metro area is about three times the size of Rhode Island
• Silent-screen star Douglas Fairbanks attended Denver’s East High — and he was expelled
Green spaces and cowboy chic
Although it was the color gold — meaning the gold rush in the 1850s — that gave birth to Denver, green is the color most associated with the metropolis today. Known for its parks — 200 in the city alone — it draws active travelers who love the great outdoors.
Some of the world’s top ski resorts are only a few hours away, while summer pursuits, such as whitewater rafting and biking, also are available. Culture buffs find a proliferation of museums, as well as thriving music and theater scenes. Likewise, the cuisine can include everything from emu and venison to French pate.

About Denver
Although it is rightfully called the Mile High City, Denver is not in Colorado’s mountains. Its visitors are often struck by its vast, rolling terrain with nothing on the horizon but the foothills of the Rocky Mountains some 15 miles to the west. Nor is Denver truly in the American West, despite its cowboy past; it sits only about 350 miles west of the exact middle point of the United States. A young city {1858}, Denver has experienced a population boom, having doubled in size between 1960 and 2000 to a little more than half a million people. The entire Denver metro area, comprising seven counties, has a population of 2.4 million.

The city boasts a thriving downtown area, complete with dining, museums, shopping, theater, plus the requisite hotels and a convention center. LoDo, aka Lower Downtown, in particular, is known for its Victorian architecture, much of which has been lovingly restored and transformed into retail and dining venues. Microbreweries are also big in this area, and visitors can sample local specialties at a half-dozen brew pubs — not to mention at the cafes and restaurants — in LoDo. Convention travel is big business in Denver, ranging from the annual events that take place at INVESCO Field, Coors Field and the Pepsi Center to one-offs such as the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Barring monster snowstorms that close the airport, active visitors come to Denver in winter as well as in all other seasons. They are lured by access to skiing, of course. Active travelers also are drawn by all those city parks, with their hiking and biking trails and other ways to enjoy the fresh outdoors. Visitors who like spectator sports will think they’ve died and gone to heaven. Denver is the only American city to open three sports stadiums within a 10-year period. In addition, it is the only city besides Philadelphia with eight professional sports teams, including the Colorado Rockies baseball team.
The city’s visitors, regardless of temperament, like the sense they are in a friendly, safe and clean city and appreciate that is also prettily positioned with those foothills in view off to the west.

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Things To Do for Venturers

• Get blown away at SkyVenture Colorado, an indoor wind tunnel for day and nighttime skydiving.

• Tap your foot to the late-night sounds of jazz at one of the city’s many music clubs, which include the Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge and Jazz at Jack’s.

• Shoot the rapids on kayaks at Confluence Park in Denver’s LoDo district; the park also offers more than 40 miles of hiking trails.

• Embark on a Denver version of a pub crawl, from the Coors Brewery to the brew pubs of LoDo — and ending at the annual Great American Beer Festival if you visit in September.

• Hop in the saddle at a dude ranch near the city; many of the ranches include meals by the campfire and even a bit of fishing.

• Test your mettle on the Flying Coaster, a daunting 60-foot roller coaster at Elitch Gardens theme park.

• Rock out to top musical entertainment at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, an arena built on ancient geological formations.

• Cycle your way through metro Denver on your pick of 850 miles of paved, off-road bicycle trails.

• Soar above the city in a hot-air balloon ride at sunset — Champagne optional.

• Take a chance on Lady Luck at one of the many casinos just outside the metro Denver area.

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Things To Do for Centrics

• Tee off at Kennedy or Overland municipal golf courses, or try the top-rated Arrowhead Golf Club, set amid prehistoric rock formations.

• Go eye to eye with the more than 29 species of primates at the top-rated Denver Zoo. The zoo houses a total of 3,500 animals of all types.

• Sample one of the 5,000 bottles of wine at the Hotel Teatro, which operates two eateries: the Restaurant Kevin Taylor and PRIMA.

• Rustle on over to the Buffalo Bill Grave & Museum for a look at the original posters and guns from William F. Cody’s famous show.

• Explore Four Mile Historic Park, the site of the oldest home in Denver as well as 12 miles of gardens and grounds, and stay for a horse-drawn ride and summer concerts.

• Climb aboard the Denver Ski Train, the only ski train in the United States. It links Denver Union Station to the Winter Park ski area for a day on the slopes.

•Break the bank at John Atencio for a bauble from the Signature Gold or Elements Silver collections of designer jewelry.

• Learn about the African-Americans who influenced the history and culture of the city at the Black American West Museum.

• Bring Fido and the kids to Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway, a re-created 1880s mining town with food, entertainment and even a gunfight or two.

• Enjoy dinner and a little virtual reality at Dave & Buster’s, a restaurant/entertainment center where video games vie for attention next to billiards and shuffleboard.

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Things To Do for Authentics

• Relive the sinking of the Titanic at the Molly Brown House, which honors the life of this unforgettable — and unsinkable — character.

• Shop till you drop at the Santa Fe Arts, Highlands and Golden Triangle districts.

• Get an up-close-and-personal look at more than 500 marine animals at the Downtown Aquarium, where you can also dine and shop.

• Join a free factory tour of Hammond’s Candy, which makes such old-time treats as ribbon candy and all manner of chocolate.

• Stop to smell the flowers at the Denver Botanic Gardens; time the visit to attend one in the series of summer concerts.

• Spend a day at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, where the exhibition topics range from prehistoric times to outer space.

• Pamper yourself at one of the city’s luxury spas, such as the Aveda Institute Denver or the Oxford Club Spa Salon & Fitness Center.

• Feast your eyes on the newly expanded Denver Art Museum, with a collection that runs the gamut from pre-Columbian to Western and European artworks.

• Listen up at the new $92 million Ellie Caulkins Opera House, part of the Denver Performing Arts Complex.

• Bring comfortable shoes and stroll the 17th Street Mall, a pedestrian walkway in downtown Denver with historic buildings, shops and outdoor performances.

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Additional Resources

For more information, consult the Idaho Travel Council at www.denver.org

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