The Mile High City

Denver is a sports town and you have many options. Take in a Rockies game at Coors field in the summer and then relax in LoDo (Lower Downtown) at the many bars and restaurants. You'll see more change than you ever imagined at the US Mint. To see the woman behind the Titanic, visit the Molly Brown house.

Quick Tips:

Spend a night or two in the city, and then head to the Mountains. The town of Breckenridge offers plenty of options and is a good base for further exploration. Be careful about renting a car at the airport, as the taxes and fees add about 25% to the cost. Finally, bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a jacket whether you come in February or July. The sun is strong in February and the nights are cool in July.

Best Way To Get Around:

Denver is a small city and can be easily navigated by the light rail or 16 Street trolley (free). To see the surrounding area, which is much recommended, you will need a car. If you are going to Winter Park, you might take the ski train instead of renting a car.

The Hotel Monoco is a very smart hotel. Part of a newer chain located based in San Francisco, you will be refreshed by the colorful decor and attitude. Blending modern chic with quirky comforts, you will be pampered and refreshed throughout your stay.

The rooms are decorated in vibrant colors. While a bit small, they were very well equipped with a large desk, two phone lines, modern bathrooms, robes, and a big King bed. If you are travelling alone, request a companion. The staff will be delighted to bring you up a faithful goldfish to accompany you during you stay.

The lobby is large and comfortable. Every day they offer coffee in the morning (Strong and flavorful coffee that you will enjoy drinking) and wine and cheese in the evening. The staff was extremely friendly and competent.

The restaurant Panzanno is well known in Denver for its posh environment and excellent food. There bar is well stocked with all your favorites wines and scotch.

Located downtown, the hotel is close to everything. You can walk to the 16th street mall for some shopping or down to LoDo for a night out. They have valet parking, or you can park in one of the many self-pay lots about a block from the hotel.

To get to the Fort, you drive West of Denver into the foothills. Eventually you see the Fort on a grassy hill off the road. Walking through the Adobe walls of the Fort transports you back in time to the Old West. You walk into a courtyard and listen to the relaxing Indian music as you gaze at the TeePee and the campfire. To the right there is an open air dining room decorated in smart Western style. Pause for a moment and enjoy the atmosphere before you enter the restaurant.

The Fort serves a variety of game and specializes in Buffalo. Their famous appetizer is the Rattlesnake cake. It has just enough spice to sting you. It was excellent, although a bit pricey. They have some less exotic items such as Guacamole and chips, which were also excellent and enough for the table. Their specialty main dish is a Buffalo steak. They also serve a variety of other game, steaks, fish and duck. Being in for the full experience, I had the game plate which included buffalo, elk and quail. Of the three my favorite was the elk. They offer many desserts and have a nice selection of aperitifs. I sampled the Fonseca port and their Caramel sundae, both of which perfectly finished the meal.

If you go to the Fort I recommend calling ahead for reservations and to confirm the directions. It takes about 25 minutes from Denver. I sat in the back dining room which overlooked the interior of the Fort. They also have a front dining room which has a spectacular view of the plains and Denver. If you want to sit there, I would suggest asking when you make your reservation. Their website is www.thefort.com.

Finally, if you recite the following from memory when you visit, your first drink will be free (unconfirmed, but stated on their business card):

Mountain Man's Toast

Here's to the childs what's come afore.
'An here's to the pilgrims what comes arter.
May yer trails be free of Grizzlies,
Yer packs filled with plews,
And fat buffler in yer pot!
WAUGH!

I'd be interested to know if it works!

A little hard to find, Sushi Den is arguably the best Japanese food in Denver. It is located on the quaint Old S. Pearl Street in a residential area about 5 miles south of downtown. The restaurant's three dining rooms are modern looking. The sushi bar dominates the front room, with a team of 8-10 sushi chefs nightly. Most night see the restaurant packed with a wait of 30-75 minutes. Unfortunately, reservations are not accepted.

While you wait, order some soybeans and enjoy your favorite drink. My favorite is the BIG Kirin, but they have a wide range of sake and a selection of California wines.

If you are a party of two, and can wait a bit longer, opt for the sushi bar. You will get personal service from your own sushi chef, as well as a complementary salad and dessert. You will also be mesmerized as the sushi is artistically created. Parties of 4 or 5 might request one of the large comfortable booths on the second floor.

Sushi Den prides itself on spectacular service, and superb fresh fish. For avid Sushi fans, the owner has fresh exotic fish from a market in Japan flown in daily. Additionally, there are several local rolls that are worth trying. For example, the Rocky Mountain roll is smoked Colorado trout, cucumber and guacamole. The tempura and salad are also good. We always complement our sushi with the House Salad and Shrimp Tempura appretizer. For dessert, the Coconut creme brule is tasty, although they run out of it often.

Sushi Den is out of the center, but easy to get to by car. From downtown, take Broadway south about 5 miles. (If you see Evans, you've gone too far.) Turn left on Louisiana, go 6-7 blocks. Turn right onto Pearl and go 4-5 blocks. It is one the right. They have valet free valet parking, so no worries about parking.

Remember the "unsinkable Molly Brown" from the Titanic. Well she really existed and you can see her house and hear the stories in Denver. Together with her miner husband J.J., Maggie Brown struck it rich and joined the Denver social elite. Her life was constantly surrounded by myths, which she encouraged.

At the Molly Brown House you can hear the stories while you tour her restored Victorian mansion. The staff is very avid about Maggie's life, and will give you an excellent perspective of life in Denver in Victorian times.

The museum is located in Capitol Hill which is a good walk from the downtown area. There are numerous coffee houses, shops and restaurants in the historic residential area. If it is like most day, enjoy a nice walk through the neighborhood, take the museum tour, and relax for a coffee or bite to eat. While eating you can swap your favorite "Molly Brown" story or make up a new one.

If you love Whitewater rafting, then grab on to your oars. This half day trip includes about 8 class III-IV rapids such as Sunshine Falls and Sledgehammer. The rapids are in the first three quarters of the trip. You can relax of the last half hour as you come out of the Gorge. As a bonus you get some of the most spectacular scenery in Colorado as you wind through the Royal Gorge. You will get the best possible view of Royal Gorge Bridge as you pass beneath it.

The trip from Denver takes about three hours. As an aside you can stop in Canon City, an old Western town just east of Royal Gorge. You might also stay there the night before. We stayed at the Comfort Inn, and made the short journey to the rafting shop both refreshed and excited. To get to the rafting shop, just follow the signs to Royal Gorge Bridge. After you make the right off of US 50, the shop is on the right about a 1/4 mile.

We went in August, and didn't need a wetsuit. Bring tevas or rent booties. You also need to bring sunscreen and a waterproof camera. You can raft from May until August. May is obviously highwater (and you will want a wetsuit, which you can rent).

You can also do a full day trip which I'm sure includes a bunch more rapids. There are tons of rafting shops in the area. We have rafted with performance tours twice, and they did a great job. The other trip we did was the full day at Brown's Canyon in Buena Vista. This trip is also highly recommended. You can get a discount on their website www.performancetours.com

When going home you might be a little adventurous and take the back roads. The coutry is beautiful if you have the time.