Global Gary

We visited the Mile High City in early July. Denver boasts nearly 300 days of sunshine and we experienced temperatures of 30 + Celsius with gloriously blue skies. Having read in the press about the unwelcoming nature of US border control, the reality was the opposite. Everyone we met at the airport could not have been more friendly. The main reason for the trip was that the chorus Sue sings in, Amersham A Cappella, who are current UK National Champions, was one of three UK representatives at an international barbershop competition.

The landscape around Denver is stunning. The city is situated on high rolling plains, 12 miles east of the “foothills.” These are a series of gentle mountains that climb to 11,000 feet. Just beyond are the Rocky Mountains, a series of snowcapped peaks (even in July!) that rise to 14,000 feet. The picturesque mountain panorama from Denver spans 140 miles. There are 200 visible named peaks, including 32 that soar to 13,000 feet and above.

Magnificent 7 // Denver, Colorado

1. Take a half or full-day tour
2. Cheer on a local team
3. Get to know the city
4. Visit a museum
5. Take a stroll in a garden
6. Go to the movies
7. Browse the 16^th Street Mall

Getting there –

We flew direct from Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to Denver. It was a day flight and as we had enough Avios points we flew Business Class.  Very comfortable, good service and food. The flatbed seats were much appreciated on the overnight return flight.

Denver airport is huge, but reasonably well signposted and our bags came out fairly quickly. We then took a train to Union Station in downtown Denver -this cost $1.10 using the RTD My Ride app and took around 45 minutes.  From Union Station, we took the 16^th Street Mall bus (free) and walked to our respective hotels.

Where we stayed –

We stayed at two different Hotels. Sue had to stay at The Sheraton on 16th Street as all competitors are allocated hotels to stay at. I stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites on Sherman. The former is an impressive large modern hotel, with a nice pool and a favourite of conference attendees. The latter is slightly further out (a 10 minute walk). Although a Hilton brand, self-service breakfast is all plastic cutlery, paper plates and bowls. Selection of food is limited. And both lifts broke down causing major problems for people with mobility issues. Sue had the better deal!

Food, glorious food –

We ate at various restaurants during our stay. The most memorable were The Delectable Egg for breakfast, Potbellies for sandwiches at lunch and La Loma for Mexican food in the evening

First impressions –

For such a large airport, navigating our way was easy. Everyone working there was genuinely friendly. When we arrived at Union Station, getting to our hotels was straightforward. The sunshine and blue skies made a great first impression.

Magnificent 7

1. Take a half or full day tour

Denver is surrounded by stunning scenery that is a must to experience. There are lots of tours from Denver. The choice depends on how much time you have. It also depends on whether you are planning a road trip while visiting Denver. We chose the Red Rocks and Beyond half-day tour. This took us to the majorly impressive Red Rocks amphitheater, a view of the Great Divide, Buffalo Bill’s grave and a stop in the quaint town of Golden. Our guide was Brennon, who was informative and more than happy to answer our questions.

2. Cheer on a local team

Denver boasts many professional sporting teams: Colorado Rockies (baseball), Denver Broncos (American football), Denver Nuggets (basketball), Colorado Avalanche (ice hockey), Colorado Rapids (soccer) and Colorado Mammoth (lacrosse). 

We went to Coors Field to watch an afternoon baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox. Coors Field is four blocks away from Union Station and very easy to get to. The Colorado Rockies mascot is a triceratops as when they were building the stadium the bones of a triceratops were discovered. The stadium can hold around 48,000 when full and the facilities are pretty good. You have to go through an airport-style scanner and your bags are thoroughly searched. Unusually, unopened food and drink packages are allowed to be brought in. There are lots of opportunities to buy food and drink in the stadium.

The Colorado Rockies have never won any major honours; however going to a game is still a great experience. We were lucky to see the Rockies win. In the previous 89 games this season the Rockies had won just 20 of them.

3. Get to know the city  

As in most new cities, we try to take a walking tour. This helps us get to know more about the city we are visiting. Our tour was with Discover Denver Tours. It was a 2 ½ hour leisurely stroll around the legislative and major public buildings. The tour continued through to the 16th Street Mall, Larimer Square and finished at Union Station. Our guide was Max who was very enthusiastic and informative. This was a “free” tour, where you pay at the end of the tour (or when you leave it). We paid the going rate of $20 per person. We felt it was well worth the money and we learnt a lot about Denver

4. Visit a museum   

There are so, so many to choose from. We visited the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Illusions, the Molly Brown Museum and the Museum of Western Art. There are many more we could have visited.

I particularly enjoyed the Museum of Western Art. The paintings seemed to represent life as it was when settlers ventured west in and through Native Indian lands. The Santa Fe railway commissioned a number of the larger canvases. These depicted the natural beauty of the landscapes and were hung in ticket offices as advertisements. The museum is tucked away in a pretty house on Tremont Street, opposite the Brown hotel.

Sue’s favourite was the Molly Brown Museum. Margaret Brown was a force of nature. Many films have been made about her, and in her lifetime she was never called Molly. We took a guided tour (booked a day in advance) and learnt about her life, her championing of the suffragette movement, and her survival of the Titanic disaster. She was portrayed, fairly accurately, by Kathy Bates in the James Cameron film Titanic.  

5. Take a stroll in a garden

We enjoyed strolling around Denver’s Botanical Gardens. As with botanical gardens around the world, the effort and skill it takes to present local flora at their best in some extreme weather conditions is astounding. It was a very pleasant and relaxing way to spend a morning.

6. Go to the movies

Sunset Cinema is an annual outdoor movie series that takes place in Sculpture Park in summer. Take a blanket and maybe a cushion to sit on.  The films start at 7.30 pm and you can go there from 6.00 pm. Get there early to claim a good viewing position and visit the food and drink vendors.

Sunset Cinema works in partnership with Denver Arts & Venues and we booked our (free) tickets with Eventbrite.  We saw The Greatest Showman.  There is something liberating about watching a movie outdoors, rather than in a closed, dark cinema.

7. Browse the 16^th Street Mall

This is a mile-long pedestrian-friendly street running from Union Station to Broadway’s Civic Center Station. Buses are the only vehicles allowed along the mall. They are free to ride and stop at each intersection. The Mall offers numerous opportunities to spend money. You can shop at boutique stores, dine or visit museums. There are many coffee shops as well as seating areas to relax and people watch.

Just off the mall is the historic Larimer Square with boutiques housed in heritage architecture. This is a must to visit, as is Union Station at the beginning of the mall.

Of Note

• There are many other tours to take in the city. For example, there are food tours, bike tours, and microbrew beer tours, to name a few.
• Americans generally eat early. Very often last food orders are at 8.30 pm. 
• Portion sizes are huge by European standards. It is not uncommon to see people sharing a starter and main course. We noticed a lot of Americans taking their leftovers home in a take-away container to eat the following day.
• Tipping is important and budget for a minimum of 12.5%
• Cards were preferred to cash.
• Sartorial elegance is not of prime importance most of the time. Generally most things go.

Fun Fact

The 13th step on the west side of the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level — one mile high. In Denver’s rarefied air, golf balls go 10 percent further. Alcoholic drinks pack more of a punch than at sea level. The Mile High City is also extremely dry, so it is a good idea to drink more water than usual.