mclcbooks
By Eric Peterson
Denver has grown and changed as much as any city in the Western U.S. in the past 20 years. As it's come of age, there are more reasons than ever to come delve deeply into the Mile High City rather than merely treat it as a stepping-stone to a mountain getaway.
From the vibrant downtown to the increasingly standout culinary scene, Denver has plenty to offer visitors, whether their itinerary ventures into the Rockies or is contained within city limits.
Photo caption: A fall morning in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Louis Ballast slapped a piece of cheese on a hamburger at the Humpty-Dumpty Barrel Drive-In in northwest Denver in 1935. The Barrel has long been closed, and Louisville, Kentucky, and Pasadena, California, also claim the honor. Get a cheeseburger at the Wynkoop Brewing Company (1634 18th St.; tel. 303/297-2700; www.wynkoop.com) before paying homage to the possibility of this culinary first at the historical marker to the event at the former site of the Barrel (now a bank's parking lot at 2776 Speer Blvd.).
Photo caption: The Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado's first brewpub.
Not only is the Great American Beer Festival (www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com) big, attracting about 50,000 people to the Colorado Convention Center downtown during its annual three-day run in October, but it's getting more popular every year: Tickets sold out in just 45 minutes for this year's event, expected to feature more than 2,000 beers by 500-plus breweries from across the U.S. There are always scalpers on the street, but savvy suds-lovers can volunteer for the event and end up with a few freebies.
Photo caption: Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.
A light-rail train is in the works to connect Denver International Airport (www.flydenver.com) with Union Station downtown. It is expected to begin running in 2016. That same year, a 500-room Westin is slated to open as part of a major expansion that got underway in Summer 2012.
A few roads will be re-routed and two pinnacles of the airport's iconic tented roof will be unhooked from the ground in late August and temporarily attached to towers to make room for the hotel and light-rail station.
Photo caption: Denver International Airport.
One of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the U.S., the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife (6550 Gateway Rd., Commerce City; tel. 303/289-0930; www.fws.gov/rockymountainarsenal) Refuge is also a huge environmental success story. The 15,000-acre parcel was used for chemical weapons manufacturing from World War II until 1969, when it was all but abandoned. Bald eagles subsequently roosted here in winter, ultimately leading to a massive cleanup that workers completed in 2010.
Today, the refuge is home to over 300 species, including bison, deer, and burrowing owls, and offers a getaway for hikers and anglers just a few miles from downtown Denver.
Photo caption: Burrowing owls in summer at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Denver.
Denver has grown and changed as much as any city in the Western U.S. in the past 20 years. As it's come of age, there are more reasons than ever to come delve deeply into the Mile High City rather than merely treat it as a stepping-stone to a mountain getaway.
From the vibrant downtown to the increasingly standout culinary scene, Denver has plenty to offer visitors, whether their itinerary ventures into the Rockies or is contained within city limits.
Photo caption: A fall morning in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo caption: The Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado's first brewpub.
Photo caption: Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.
A few roads will be re-routed and two pinnacles of the airport's iconic tented roof will be unhooked from the ground in late August and temporarily attached to towers to make room for the hotel and light-rail station.
Photo caption: Denver International Airport.
Today, the refuge is home to over 300 species, including bison, deer, and burrowing owls, and offers a getaway for hikers and anglers just a few miles from downtown Denver.
Photo caption: Burrowing owls in summer at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Denver.