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Denver -
the best The mile
high city, gateway to the Rocky Mountains, Denver is much more than the
starting point for American skiing holidays. The fittest residents of any US city (officially), enjoy more
hours of sunshine than Miami Beach and combine sporty outdoor pursuits with
an active arts scene. From
Europe itÕs not the easiest destination for a weekend break, but British
visitors to the USA will not be disappointed if they add Denver to their itinerary. 1. Monument: Mile High Spot. One mile
above sea level, things really are different. The sky is bluer due to less pollution and water vapour in
the upper atmosphere, it take
four minutes to soft boil a three minute egg, golf balls travel 9% further
and special high altitude tennis balls have been made using less bouncy
rubber. When the impressive
State Capitol Building (Tel. 303 866 2604) was under construction at the end
of the 1890Õs, the words ÒOne mile above sea levelÓ were carved into a step
at the precise point, but someone got their calculations wrong. In the 1960Õs, college students
re-measured the steps and added a brass marker at the correct spot. To get an overview of the city and a
superb panorama of the Rocky Mountains, climb the 93 steps to the rotunda,
but because of the altitude, take it slowly. 2. Shopping: 16th Street Mall As the
largest city for six hundred miles in any direction, Denver has always been a
shopping capital. A one mile
long street has been closed to traffic and turned into a vast outdoor mall,
with free electric busses running every ninety seconds on special
roadways. Watch out for the
squirrels which dart around the trees and greenery. Larimer Square, a restored section of DenverÕs oldest
street, is very different and home to art galleries, cafes, night clubs and
boutique style shops. 3. Outdoor Mecca: REI At one
time, climbing shops were small specialist places, strictly for anoraks. Recreation Equipment International
has converted an abandoned transportation building into a temple to outdoor
pursuits. You can try before you
buy, because within its cavernous interior are test tracks for boots and
bikes, a shower area for waterproofs, a dark section for torches, a stove
corner and right in the middle, a large artificial climbing pinnacle. Oh, thereÕs also a slalom course for
kayaks right outside. If youÕre
not a sporty type itÕs still worth a visit, because the new REI store is
world famous for taking retailing to a new level, and if you do love escaping
to the outdoors, then youÕll be able to browse here for hours. 4.
Tour: By Bike In Denver,
everyone rides a mountain bike.
Going to work, to the shops or just out for fun, a bike is the best
way to see the city and there are more than 450 miles of paved, designated
cycle paths. An easy ride starts
at the kayak rapids by REI, through Confluence Park, along the Platte River
to the aquarium; itÕs just nine miles long so it will take between three and
four hours. A four to six hour
trip covering thirty miles begins with the Cherry Creek Bike Trail through
lower downtown, then visits the observatory and university campus, almost
encircling the city. Experienced
riders can take a bus into the Rocky Mountains and tackle a ten mile stretch
of superb single track at White Ranch Country Park. If your legs give way, busses have bike racks. Renting from Blazing Saddles (Tel.
001 303 534 5255 or visit www.blazingsaddles.com) costs $25-$45 daily and
includes computrak guidance system, detailed route cards, helmets, locks,
packs, racks, bells & bottle cages. 5. Bar: Wynkoop Brewing Company Bars which
brew their own beer are something of a Colorado speciality, and the Wyncoop
(Tel. 303 623 9518 www.wynkoop.com) is the oldest Brewpub in Denver. Opened in 1988 itÕs a lively spot,
with billiards tables dotted around and offering good food. Try the Wixa Weiss beer, a so called
Òsummer aleÓ with a hint of bananas and cloves which comes with a slice of
lemon! Despite the description,
this unfiltered wheat beer is refreshing, the recipe having been acquired
from the Hans Hopft brewery in Maisbock in Germany. For a more laid back atmosphere visit Broadway Brewing
Company (Tel. 303 292 2555), and to learn more try a Foam on the Range
Brewery & Pub Tour (Tel. 970 224 2435). 6. Food: Rocky Mountain Diner Anywhere
else, this type of frontier theme-diner would be strictly for tourists and
shunned by locals, yet every lunchtime DenverÕs executives and office workers
line up to enjoy this simple Western food (Tel. 303 293 8383). It is very filling and the buffalo
meatloaf, served with a pile of mash potatoes and peas, completely defeated
me. I was pleased I hadnÕt
started with the Rocky Mountain Oysters about which the menu mysteriously
gives no description, but instead advises diners to Òask the waiterÓ. Be warned, theyÕre bulls testicles,
deep fried in batter. Real
oysters, and other absolutely superb seafood and fish, can be found at the
excellent McCormickÕs Fish House (Tel. 303 825 1107) although being several
thousand miles from the ocean, prices are a little steep. 7. Hotel: The Warwick Described
as a ÒEuropean styleÓ hotel, and pronounced War-Wick, this hotel has recently
been refurbished and is now one of the best value in the city. Close enough to stroll downtown but
far enough away not to be bothered by traffic, the rooms are quiet, sumptuous
and all have balconies, so ask for one with a view of the mountains. ThereÕs a small pool on the roof. Unusually, breakfast is included in
the price, and thereÕs a free car service thatÕs useful for travelling to
restaurants in the evening. Tel:
303 861 2000 8. Family Attraction: Denver Zoo This is the
place to see all the wildlife that hid from you in the mountains! Two weeks on the trail and all I
spied was a solitary deer, yet in one morning IÕd seen eagles, big horn
sheep, bison, elk, moose, wolf and many non-indigenous species. Denver Zoo (Tel. 303 331 4100) claims
to be the fourth most popular in the USA with 3,500 animals in the lovely
grounds of City Park but although $38,000 a day is spent on their upkeep,
like many people, I have deeply mixed feelings about watching animals in
captivity. 9. Museum: Black Cowboy Museum Denver has
some excellent museums, from Natural History to Art, but tucked away in a
small wooden house in the Five Points neighbourhood is the Black American
West Museum & Heritage Centre (303 292 2566). Of all the cowboys on the great cattle drives, up to a
third were of African American descent.
This basic, personal collection, assembled in the former home of Dr
Justina Ford, DenverÕs first black physician, aims to Òtell it as it
wasÓ. DonÕt expect modern
interactive displays but take time to read the descriptions of black life in
the wild West. The light rail
tram stop is close by, and if the house is closed, knock next door and
someone will open up. 10. Wild Conspiracy Theory: Denver
Airport DonÕt worry
if your flight is delayed, spend the time looking around one of the worlds
largest and weirdest airports. It
covers 43 square miles, twice the size of Manhattan, with a 1.4m square foot
terminal. The much praised
tent-like roof, designed to echo 34 snow capped peaks has been widely copied
and now resembles hundreds of tacky out-of-town retail parks. Take time to study the huge paintings
and strange sculpture dotted around the place, and if you really want to
freak yourself out, read the conspiracy theory pages on the internet
(http://www.anomalous-images.com/christo.html). Allegedly, a secret world domination scheme is being
hatched among the many subterranean levels of this airport. Somewhere, in the miles of restricted
underground corridors, an international elite are reckoned to be planning and
plotting, led by German Masons whose imagery is said to be portrayed in the
paintings hanging in the concourse.
The runways, itÕs claimed, are laid out in the pattern of a
Swastika. Oh yes, a bunch of
aliens are involved too. That
the airport is 24 miles from downtown Denver on a dual lane highway which
goes nowhere else fits into the theory, but is also a practical issue for
travellers who must allow time to get to and from downtown hotels. Simon
Willis travelled as a guest of British Airways and Denver Metro Convention
& Visitors Bureau Travel
Brief Getting
there: British Airways (0845 773 3377)
www.britishairways.co.uk flys
daily to Denver. Best
Guidebook: Lonely
Planet, Rocky Mountains Further
Information:
Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (800 393 8559)
http://www.denver.org |
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