Denver
Mile High City In The Rocky Mountains

Cities have personalities, and this one is all part of the wild west of America. When it was founded, there were seasonal encampments of Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans across from the site of the original town. In its early days, this was definitely a frontier town with cowboys and cattle, miners and saloons.... and Indians.

Native Americans celebrate their heritage now with the Denver Pow Wow. It's an enormous yearly event usually in March. It features three days of traditional dancing and singing as well as a large marketplace of native American goods and foods.

A town of cowboys and sophisticates, it's a great place to visit when you're looking for a combination of outdoor and big city experiences. The Denver Art Museum and the Colorado History Museum have excellent exhibits of contemporary and historical native art and artifacts.

If you're a beer lover, the Mile High City is home to a large number of local and national breweries. Many restaurants have on site breweries, and some of the larger breweries, including Coors and the New Belgium Brewing Company, offer tours. The city welcomes visitors from around the world when it hosts the Great American Beer Festival.

Great American cities all love their sports teams, and Denver is no exception... there are teams representing all of the major sports in America.

While you can find plenty to do in the city, it's probably those Rocky Mountains that you will want to get into. You can visit to ski or snowboard at some of the famous resorts nearby or come to hike in the summer and enjoy the view. Explore some of the parks and towns nearby. When my sister lived there, we even found old steam trains to ride.

Boulder is located in the foothills of the Rockies just about 35 miles northwest of Denver. It's a great little college town surrounded by trails and open spaces.

Estes Park is a small town that is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. The Park itself is a spectacular wilderness that has been maintained in as near a totally natural state as possible. It's a great place for hiking, backpacking, climbing, mountaineering and all kinds of winter sports. Commercial activity inside the park is limited. Stay in Estes Park if you're not up for camping.

If you're a skier, there are famous ski areas nearby. Winter Park Resort is the closest; only about 70 miles away. There are many other areas... from Aspen to Vail. Skiers go wild for that Rocky Mountain powder.

For a taste of the old Wild West, visit the Buffalo Bill Museum and grave in Golden about 30 minutes west of the city. After a life of herding cattle, working on wagon trains, and mining for gold, it was his Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows that people remember him for.

If you want your vacation to include a little of the American Wild West, or you would love the peace and serenity of the mountains, include Denver Colorado in your itinerary.

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it!   Judy and Mark

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