The Old West is alive in Colorado's cultured, outdoors-loving capital.
Founded in 1858 during the gold rush, Denver, Colorado, is a modern-day gold mine for art, music, and theater. With the Rocky Mountains as backdrop, Denver is a 2.6-million-and-growing metropolis that enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year. Outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of Denver's 200 named parks.
48 Hours in Denver
Text By Adam Kleiner
Seven top experiences in Colorado's cultured, outdoors-loving capital. By Adam Kleiner
1. Admire the Art "Between New York and Los Angeles, there are a few places now where you can get a cosmopolitan art experience, and one is Denver," says local artist Clark Richert. His art installation "Riemiannian Tangencies" can be found outside the new glass-walled Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Inside, acclaimed British architect David Adjaye has created a light-filled, community-friendly space using recycled materials and wood from sustainable sources. Current exhibits include a video installation by Taiwanese artist Yu-Cheng Chou and photographs by South African Trevor Appleson. The MCA's formal cube contrasts with Daniel Libeskind's bold and spiky, titanium- covered addition to the Denver Art Museum, which opened in October 2006 and evokes the crags and peaks of the Rocky Mountains. The building houses African, Western American, and Oceanic art, as well as contemporary works.
2. Shop a Western Original Jack Weil, founder of Rockmount Ranch Wear, created the iconic snap-button Western shirt. At 107 years old, he still greets visitors to his redbrick warehouse store. "It's been a romance," he says of six decades in the city. Displays of vintage shirts and framed photos of Rockmount-clad celebs, including Elvis Presley, tell part of the story. Racks of contemporary Rockmount shirts, cowboy hats, and other duds crowd the wooden floor.
3. Learn About Black Cowboys Hollywood's stories of the Old West largely overlook a key demographic: One-third of the cowboys were African American. The Black American West Museum's unparalleled collection of photographs, frontier clothing, ranching tools, and other artifacts sets the record straight. "All these towns where you would never think of finding African Americans," says executive director La Wanna Larson, "we were there." Displays fill three floors of the historic home where Colorado's first African-American female doctor, Justina Ford, formerly practiced.
4. Visit a Microbrewery Colorado leads the nation in beer production. Behemoth facilities for Anheuser-Busch and Coors help the stat, but beer geeks salute the thriving craft brewing scene. Breckenridge Brewery and Great Divide Brewing Co. bottle their strong, flavorful brews in downtown Denver. Walk between their tasting rooms—and to locals' beloved Wynkoop Brewing Company. "Ask what beer sells the most," says Brewers Association president Charlie Papazian. "That way you get an idea of what locals identify as the highlight." Rockies baseball ticketholders also can sample the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field.
5. Pedal Cherry Creek Trail Bicycling magazine ranks Denver among the nation's top cities for cycling. Join packs of local pedal pushers on the Cherry Creek Trail, popular for its central location and cruise-friendly, concrete surface. The trail starts at Confluence Park downtown, where the brown water of Cherry Creek flows into the South Platte River. The trail rolls along the tree-lined creek banks, 40 miles through the burbs, and past the boat-filled Cherry Creek Reservoir.
6. Bite into Buffalo Denver's oldest restaurant, the Buckhorn Exchange features buffalo prime rib and other Western fare. Hunting trophies, antique rifles, and frontier paintings cover the walls. "It's Western kitsch at its best," says Denver Post food editor Kristen Browning-Blas.
7. Tap Toes at "The Pec" When top names in jazz play Denver, word is they take post-show beers at El Chapultepec. They also tend to sit for impromptu jams. Chet Baker, Frank Sinatra, and Wynton Marsalis have all played "The Pec." Music starts nightly at 9 p.m. A long cherrywood bar dominates the cramped front room. It's cash only. There's no cover charge and no misbehaving. "There are people here from all walks of life," says owner Jerry Krantz.
Published in the May 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler.
Text by Ashley Thompson
To get a real feel for Denver's history, culture, culinary specialties, and music scene, check out Traveler's top picks for helpful blogs, podcasts, magazines, maps, and more.
Blogs
A blog dedicated entirely to the beans and baristas in the Mile High City. If coffee is something you can't live without even on vacation, check out this blog, chock-full of coffeehouse recommendations.
Denver's "Bloggers Pub" specializes in covering social, political, recreational, and spiritual issues and events in the Denver area.
Get Real Denver compiles all the most popular bars, restaurants, shows, and clubs in the Mile High City. Check out the easily navigable events calendar, as well as witty words of wisdom from hip Denverites themselves. Useful categories include Cheap Eats, Dance and Theater, and Local Bands.
Podcasts
The Denver Post offers an impressive range of topics in their hodgepodge of podcasts. The weekly series Running Lines features Post theater critic John Moore chatting with a prominent member of the local or national theater community. New each week.
As a glimpse into the art world of Denver, listen to this one-time special podcast on the Denver Art Museum, which serves as an introduction to the Hamilton Building, the ultra-modern addition to DAM completed in late 2006.
The Post's daily morning news podcasts deliver an eight-minute digest on that day's headlines and weather.
Newspapers
The major newspaper of the city, the Denver Post also boasts impressive online entertainment and events content, including staff-created podcasts with subjects ranging from art history to the local music scene.
This once-a-month newspaper is devoted to keeping both residents and tourists in the know about Denver's downtown neighborhoods, and describes itself as a "great source for finding out where to shop, dine, and play."
One of the largest alternative weeklies in the nation, Westword has an online presence brimming with local goings-on. Check out its "Best Of" section, for quirky suggestions on finding the "Best Dinner Under $10 (for Two)," "Best Neighborhood Bar Disguised as a Swank LoDo Club," and "Best Hotel Bargain."
Magazines
Denver's self-declared premier lifestyle magazine, 303 packs its website with a plethora of Denver event photos, as well as a nice-sized list of restaurants, cafes, hotels, and spas, including addresses where you can pick up a copy of the magazine.
A stronghold in the Denver magazine media for 15 years, 5280 features monthly dining reviews, as well as feature articles, such as "The Best Bars in Denver." The "Best Bets" section rounds out some of the most talked-about events for the coming month.
Maps
Denver Trails maps out the top off-road paths for cycling, walking, roller-blading and other forms of motorless transportation through the Mile High City. The detailed map also outlines popular on-road bicycle routes within Denver and its suburban area.
Interactive map allows you to zoom in on specific Denver neighborhoods and attractions with great precision and street detail.
Books
Denver: Mining Camp to Metropolis, by Stephen J. Leonard and Thomas Noel (1991)
Colorado historians Stephen Leonard and Thomas Noel scribe the story of Denver from its infancy to the early '90s. The book is widely considered the "most comprehensive survey ever written of the Mile High metropolis," according to Amazon.com.
Denver Impressions, by Steve Mohlenkamp (2006)
Denver-based photographer Steve Mohlenkamp captures the essence of his hometown through more than 80 full-color photos of Denver architecture, sports teams, cultural events, and more. Images are complemented by fact-filled captions to help the reader get to know and appreciate all that is the Mile High City.