A MILE HIGH AND RISING

When you say Denver, you immediately think Broncos. This team’s six trips to the Super Bowl has made this “queen city of the Plains” famous for its football. Now Denver can add another star to its sports crown: the Avalanche hockey team, which just won the Stanley Cup for the second time. Denver is a macho sports town, but surprisingly more people pay to attend performing arts in Denver than professional sports, according to the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Quick Tips:

In this “mile-high” city, you can take an inland ocean journey, visit a thrilling amusement park, see a Broadway-type theater production, and stroll the new multi-million Denver Entertainment & Fashion Pavilion on the 16th Street Mall–all in the downtown area. If you’re curious to see where Unsinkable Molly Brown of “Titanic” movie fame lived, you can visit the Molly Brown House/Museum in Denver’s old Capitol Hill historic district. Denver springs to life after dark. LoDo (lower downtown) , a hot new area rising from the ashes of the old Denver, sparkles with fine restaurants and bars. More beer is brewed in the Denver area than anywhere else in the U.S., and LoDo has two of the largest in the nation. For more information, contact Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800 645-3446 for recorded information; 303 892-1112 for a live voice, or visit www.denver.org.

Best Way To Get Around:

Denver has light rail and city bus system, plus a free 16th Street bus serving Denver Pavillions Mall and other points.

Contrary to popular belief, Italian food are not always pastas with tomato sauces. The Barolo Grill in Denver's Cherry Creek North area serves delicious Italian food with a definite Northen Italian accent.

Pastas are on the menu are very different from the traditional spaghetti, lasagna or vermicelli in most Italian restaurants. For example, Barolo’s rotollo is a rolled spinach pasta served with roasted eggplant, mushroom and Ricotta. I ordered it, and it's delicious.

Their pastas are homemade or imported from Italy. Select olive oils, balsamic vinegars, prosciutto ham and regional truffles, which are imported from Northern Italy.

This Italian restaurant also serves a risotto dish consisting of rice slow simmered in red wine and chicken broth, tossed with braised veal and black mushrooms. Throughout the meal, we dined on generous rounds of Barolo’s rosemary bread, served with olive oil for dipping.

Owner Blair Taylor’s favorite appetizer is fritto misto. This lightly battered fried selection of fried shrimp, calamari and scallops is served on curly endive with a spicy Harissa mayonnaise dip that provided the right accent for this fresh crispy seafood.

One of the things that makes this Italian restaurant special is that Taylor journeys to Italy several times a year to keep abreast of what’s new in Italty in the wine and food industry. For 10 days in July, he closes the restaurant and takes his entire waiting staff to wineries and restaurants in Italy. Another time he goes with his executive chef. Their carefully planned itinerary features wine tastings, sampling regional cuisine, and excursions to the renowned prosciutto and cheese manufacturers of Italy.

On a third trip, he takes in one of the world’s largest wine fairs in Verona, Italy. The result of these trips is a Denver restaurant that serves fine and authenic Italian food and wines as they do in Northern Italy.

The restaurant has lots of atmosphere. In the winter months, a cozy fireplace burns in the dining room. The owner is very friendly. We noticed that he goes around to tables and visits with with his customers, many of which he knows by name.

It's great gourmet dining with finest seafood in a casual family atmosphere. Tables have formica tops with paper placemats so the kids feel comfortable. The kids get crayons and a plastic fish when they are seated. Food is served on ceramic dishes and with heavy tablewear. Aquariums, seafood murals, miniature trees and greenery create a cheerful dining atmosphere.

The seafood is exceptional, as you might expect, but the appetizers, salads, and side dishes are also great. Their portions are very generous, so I didn't indulge in their desserts. Try their Oriental Ginger dressing on a green salad. It's very special.

I really liked their tostado appetizers filled with cream cheese, green onions and served with a hot sauce. I also had their California swordfish, and it was delicately seasoned with just the right herbs. The portion was so large that I asked for a take home carton, and I enjoyed it for another meal.

Fresh sourdough bread is served family style in a big oval "mountain". Their birthday club allows you to have a bargain price once a year. You get a discount equal to your age when you join the club and show your driver license within 10 days of your birthday.

This is one of our favorite family dining and family play places. It is noted for its famous family style chicken dinners.

It has been a popular family restaurant for many years. Our grandchildren love to frolic on the beautifully landscaped grounds, pet the farm animals who come up to the fence and ride in the horse-drawn carriage that circles the grounds. Plus they can climb on make-believe bronzed animals and sit on old-time farm machinery.

The newest fun facility is their Americana Barn, which adjoins the lobby. Before entering the barn, you’ll pass through a carriage house displaying antique carriages. The two-story barn has open area for enjoying cocktails and beverages before dinner. Or you can savor a piece of pie and a cup of coffee in the barn after dinner.

In addition to providing old-fashioned fun, White Fence Farm serves up tasty homestyle food at a reasonable price for the grandparents, parents and children. For one price, the waitstaff keeps bringing back freshly-filled bowls of side dishes to go with your choice of entree. Their red kidney bean salad is especially tasty. I especially like their broiled white fish. If you choose chicken for $10.75 per person, pieces of crispy fried chicken are heaped family style on big platters. Other entrees include steak, turkey, fish, shrimp, and pork. Lighter versions of these meals are available to seniors for $6.95.

After eating, you can sit and visit in the beautiful redwood gazebo while the children play or browse through their Country Store.

It’s open for dinner from 5- 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; from noon till 8 on Sundays. Closed Mondays and during month of January. No reservations except for groups of 15 or more. Seating is available about 30 minutes before opening time each day. Call (303) 935 5945. No reservations except for large parties, which can be placed in separate rooms.

Cafe Berlin This small German restaurant serves authentic German cuisine at reasonable prices. The waitstaff is friendly and can explain (and pronounce) the German specialties on the menu. Appetizers include many types of German sausages, imported cheeses, and Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes served with sour cream and homemade applesauce).

One of our favorite entrees is their fork-tender Jager Schnitzel. This tasty breaded veal cutlet comes topped with a delicious mushroom cream gravy.

To start our meal, I like their fresh tomato salad with parsley vinigarette. My husband prefers their thinly sliced cucumbers in sour cream dill dressing.

For lunch, you can get two side dishes with your meal in addition to a salad. We usually order their spatzle or potato dumplings with red cabbage or sauerkraut. Other choices are boiled or German fried potatoes and a vegetable of the day.

Several times I have ordered their German-style boneless skinless breast of chicken wonderfully seasoned with fresh herbs. Other German specialties include Wiener Schnitzel with fried onions, smoked pork chop with horseradish sauce, meat stuffed cabbage rolls topped with their special gravy, and German-style Bratwurst topped with a curry tomato sauce.

For dessert, the restaurant offers traditional apple strudel and other pastries. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 4 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations recommended because the restaurant is small. Patio dining in the summer and on warm days in the winter is available. Call 303/377 5896

If you like Cajun-style food and seafood, you'll enjoy this restaurant. We had lunch, which is less expensive. My mixed seafood plate with skewers of assorted charbroiled seafood, mixed vegetables, and dirty rice was more than I could eat. Cajuns eat hearty and this restaurant believes in big portions.

The place is large and noisy, but the quality of food is remarkable. The food and atmosphere brought back memories of a great trip in Cajun country in Louisiana.

The centerpiece for our business lunchenon was a pitcher of water with live gold fish swimming in it. That set the tone for a truly great and unusual luncheon with gourmet food.

From appetizers to dessert, all the food was attractively presented and wonderfully prepared. Their signature black olive spread for their breads was usually tasty and different.

My green salad with toasted walnuts, pears and Roquefort cheese was a delight to behold and eat. My venison medallions were cooked to perfection in a red currant reduction sauce.

For dessert, my class creme burlee was garnished with delicious short bread cookies. What a sweet ending to a great lunch.

Molly Brown shook the Leadville miners’ dust off her feet when she came to Denver to live in the fashionable Capitol Hill neighborhood. Her efforts to become a part of Denver’s high society were unsuccessful, however, until her life took a surprising turn after the sinking of the "Titanic."

This movie has created new interest in the Molly Brown House museum in Denver, according to the curator of museum. The Victorian house museum, which J.J Brown (the strike-it-rich gold miner) and his wife occupied, has been restored to its original grandeur to showcase her eclectic tastes. Photographs that the Brown’s had taken of the interior of the house were used as a guide. Original colors were determined by examining small microscopic chips of old paint. Even a piece of the original wallpaper was found and reproduced in Europe.

The city of Denver designated a four-block area near East 12th and Pennsylvania Street (which includes the historic Molly Brown house) as the Pennsylvania Street Historic District. Despite the diverse architectural styles and age, 53 buildings from 1040 to 1460 Pennsylvania remain in this district.

Whether or not you are a Titanic movie fan, a visit to the Molly’s "House of the Lions" will reveal much about her lifestyle and tastes.

The museum staff sponsors special events and tours. For information. call (303) 832-4092.

It’s world class shopping, dining, and entertainment at Denver Pavilions on the 16th Street Mall, with such fashionable names as Hard Rock Cafe, Virgin Records, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and Wolfgang Puck.

I like to attend their Christmas festival, with music, food and crafts, the first week of December.

It's user friendly with couches and chairs for resting between stores.

Big name stores, like Lord & Taylor, Dillard's, and Nordstrom's, plus specialty shops fill the mall and make it a great shopping experience.

The Food Court is designed to resemble the rustic mountains. A large fireplace burns in the winter in the center of the court.

Maybe it’s because butterflies are born free and float so gracefully that they attract both young and old. I bought a family membership to this center. I love to take my grandchildren here to watch the butterflies.

The grandchildren also love the insects about as much as the butterflies. In summer, hundreds of bees go in/out of glass tubes as they build their honeycombs behind glass.

I'm captivated by the many beautiful butterflies flitting from flower to flower in the lush tropical atmosphere. My grandson respectfully held very still when a large black/white butterfly landed on his head. Later he was even more awed when a volunteer encouraged him to hold a tarantula spider.

Since the center opened six years ago,over 450,000 people have come to enjoy the butterflies, lush green plants and blooming flowers on a five-acre plot. More than 1,200 butterflies representing 50 different species fly, feed, and bask in the pavilion’s tropical atmosphere. Blossoming exotic flowers flourish in the 70 percent humidity and 75-85 degree temperature.

Friendly volunteers walk around the tropical gardens and answer questions about arthrpoids and butterflies. They also interact with children and adults, plus mount the chrysalides in a glass-encased wood display.

Colorado’s Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Center, which was created by the non profit Rocky Mountain Butterfly Consortium, is one of only about a dozen butterfly houses in the United States. Most are typically associated with zoos and museums.

Butterflies only live for about 14 days in captivity. They have already lived for several weeks as a caterpillar and a couple of weeks as a chrysalis before emerging as beautiful butterflies. The Westminster pavilion is not a breeding ground for butterflies. Butterflies are shipped by overnight express in the chrysalis (cocoon stage) from butterfly farms in Malaysia, the Philippines, Costa Rica, Kenya, and other South American countries at a cost of about $80,000 a year. Purchasing from the tropical regions of the world helps promote local economies.

A gift shop features unusual novelty items with a butterfly motif. This summer I bought a card of little capsules which turn into sponge-like "creatures" when emerged in water. My grandchildren love them. Proceeds from the gift shop and a snack bar, as well as grants, sponsorships and admission fees, help fund the center.

Volunteers answer questions about arthropods and butterflies. They also interact with children and adults, plus mount the chrysalides in a glass-encased wood display.

The center is north of Denver, just east of the 104th Avenue exit off U.S. 36.

For more information, call 303 4699 5441.

The gardens just turned 50 years old, and they are celebrating with special events this year, including concerts, tours, speeches, flower arranging classes, painting lessons, children's magic shows, chef demonstrations in French Kitchen Garden, gourd mask lessons, and a harp concert in the Romantic Gardens.

I love to stroll the indoor tropical gardens in Boettcher Memorial Conservatory especially in the winter when their is snow on the ground and the gardens provide welcome greeny and flowers.

During the summer, it's relaxing to walk the outside gardens, taking the time to smell the flowers and enjoy the artistic arrangements of the individual flower beds. I particularly like the Japanese Garden.

Admission is $6.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $4 for children 4-15. For more information, view link or call 720/865-3544.

You are in for a real adventuresome treat when you come to Ocean Journey in mile-high Denver. Just because Denver is inland doesn't mean it doesn't have a watery history. About 65 million years ago, Colorado lay beneath shallow waters of a vast inland sea.

Our out-of-town guests are always amazed at the depth of experiences in Ocean Journey. Our grandchildren love the realistic outdoor settings, the beautiful fish, and the opportunities to "touch and feel" many exhibits.

The multi-story exhibits take you on extraordinary journeys where water and land meet in Colorado and in other places of the world. In addition to viewing many types and species of fish, you'll see waterfalls cascading from many feet above you. You'll see live tigers in a jungle-like setting. You'll see and hear birds in the giant trees.

Having lived in Colorado for most of my life, I especially enjoy the Colorado River Journey. I like standing at the imaginary Continental Divide and progesssing further downstream to see different species of fish and wildlife. While following a 1,500 mile make-believe journey down the Colorado River, I find the air growing warmer and the river becoming tamed.

One of the most awesome exhibits is the mock flash flood. My grandchildren asked to see this again and again. We stand on the little wooden bridge while lighting flashes and thunder roars. The annoucements about an approaching flash flood come over the loud speaker. We wait in dim light, and then suddenly water rushes from above, quickly and violently filling the mock canyon and gently spraying water on us as we watch safely from the bridge.

The children especially like watching the sea otters swim in their cove lagoon. They also are thrilled to watch giant sharks swim underneath us by looking through large glass portholes in the floor.

Earlier Ocean Journey had a special exhibit on sharks. Now guests can enjoy an Outback Adventure in an adjoining tent at no additional cost. Hundreds of tame Australian birds live freely here in a "downunder" environment. When you purchase a stick with bird food on the end, you can have these friendly birds land on your stick and view them at an arm's length.

Plan to spend at least an hour or two viewing the many exhibits. I've gone many times and I see things every time that I missed on earlier journeys.

It's open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Christmas. Admission prices: Adults 18 and up - $14.95; seniors 65 and up - $12.95; children ages 4-12 are $6.95, and children 3 and under are free.

For more information, visit www.oceanjourney.com or call 888-561-4450.

Nearly a century ago, a frail fifty-nine year-old nun rode a burro to the top of a mountain west of Denver, Colorado. This orphanage foundress was searching for a suitable site to establish a summer camp for over 200 immigrant children living in the Queen of Heaven Orphanage at 4825 Federal Blvd in Denver. Cuban immigrant children were among the last to be served by the orphanage and its programs before it closed.

Descending the hill after placing white rocks in the shape of a heart, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini stopped to rest and pointed to a rock with her walking staff. She told the sister accompanying that she would find water there. Miraculously, water started flowing from a spring as she tapped her cane on the rock. Today this encased spring runs through a faucet to allow visitors to drink the water. Mother Cabrini was canonized as a saint in 1946.

The Queen of Heaven Orphanage summer campsite, which also includes the Mother Cabrini Shrine, recently was named to the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Colorado Historical Society. The hilltop site, which overlooks Golden at an altitude of 7,200 feet, includes a large house of locally quarried stone, which once served as a dormitory. Constructed between 1912 and 1914, the house was designed by Mother Cabrini with the help of Denver builder, Thomas Ekstom. Also included in the original summer camp are two native stone barns dating from the 1890s.

For more information , call 303 526-0758.

Denver springs to life after dark in LoDo (Lower Downtown), which is rising from the ashes of old Denver.

In Lo Do:
* At the edge of LoDo is Coor’s Field, home to the Colorado Rockies.

* Pepsi Center sports arena for Denver’s two professional sports franchises, the Colorado Avalanche hockey and NBA Nuggets basketball teams.

* Six Flags Elitch’s Gardens on a 58-acre complex on the banks of the South Platte River features formal flower gardens, waterfalls, lagoons, lakes, retail shops, food pavilions, restaurants, plus major thrill rides mixed with gunfights, circus acts, and musical entertainment.

* Ocean Journey marine museum near LoDo focuses on water–from mountains to ocean bottoms. High tech displays explore aquatic and marine environments around the world including coral reefs, tides and undersea life.

* REI Sporting Goods superstore on the Platte River in the historic old Forney Transportation Museum building. Sports enthusiasts get "to try before they buy" sport vehicles on outdoor recreation trails and in the river.

* Historic Larimer Square with fine boutiques and cafes.

* Many restaurants and bars catering to nightlife of young singles.

This market, which starts the first week of December and runs until a few days before Christmas, brings a cherished German holiday tradition to Denver.

We've gone to this outdoor market with relatives in the downtown Denver Pavilions complex on 16th street for the past two years. This year our daughter and her husband and three pre-schooler joined us, and they really had a good time too.

The German music and foods are great. There is no charge for strolling through the market or listening to the performances by choirs, accordianists, etc.

My husband loved eating the German bierocks (cabbage and hamburger baked in a dough pocket). I loved the rich German pastries.

The highlight was the performance by Helmut Fricker, a German band leader who also performs at the Octoberfest in Vail. He intermingled with the crowd and even sang a Barney song for our little grandsons.