Business in Denver

If you're going to be stuck without transportation in the downtown area of a midsized city, Denver is a fairly good place to be. The 16th Street Pedestrian Mall boasts a variety of stores and restaurants, and a slightly "funkier" area called LoDo is also within reasonable walking distance. Many of the locals simply radiate outdoorsiness, so even a lazy person like me was inspired to strap on my walking shoes and explore.

Quick Tips:

I picked up three bits of useful knowledge over the course of my travels: First, be prepared for the altitude. Some people are affected more than others -- I was sleepy and headache-y on every trip. If you drink alcohol, be aware that it is more potent at higher altitudes. (I had friends who were taken by surprise and had the hangovers to prove it!) Second, Denver is extremely dry. Bring lots of lip balm and hand lotion, or you'll be making desperate runs to the 7-11 in the middle of the night. (I speak from experience on that one.) Finally, pedestrians may legally cross the street diagonally in downtown Denver. There's a dedicated "walk" light for diagonal crossers -- it's the one set on an angle in the middle of the light pole.

Best Way To Get Around:

This is your basic Embassy Suites chain hotel, but it was perfect for extended business travel. There was plenty of room to stretch out, my rooms were always impeccably clean, the breakfast was generous, and in general the hotel gave off an impression of being well run and welcoming. Guests who pay an additional fee can take advantage of the attached health club.

P.F. Chang's! P.F. Chang's! If you enjoy any type of Asian cuisine, you must try P.F. Chang's. Although the restaurant has two qualities I try to avoid -- chain status (I've eaten at at least one other, in Kansas City) and a yuppie clientele -- I love the food so much that I've been known to eat here on consecutive nights. The food is best described as creative pan-Asian. Some of the combinations are unusual, but the result is always flavorful and comes across as fresh and lively. Unfortunately, many others also love P.F. Chang's and it can get crowded at night -- reservations are not required but are often a good idea.

If you're a fan of American "diner-type" cuisine (as I am), you can't go wrong with the Rocky Mountain Diner. There are basic sandwiches and fantastic burgers for the less adventurous but also more creative combinations of local meat and fish. The diner is across the street from Denver's beautiful federal courthouse and often packed with lawyers and judges at lunchtime, but it maintains a casual atmosphere and reasonable prices.

I have friends who are absolutely wild about the Vesta Dipping Grill. Personally, I wasn't as impressed, but it certainly is a unique way to dine. Diners chose a kind of meat or fish (there are vegetable options for the vegetarians, but who are we kidding? it's all about meat...) and several types of sauce, and the meal involves dipping the meats into the various sauces. It's great for a large group willing to share, since you wind up with an enormous variety of potential meat/sauce combinations. (Though it raises a dilemma for the person with the tastiest sauce -- to share or to hoarde?!?) The food is generally delicious, and the decor is attractive (as are most of the clientele). If you're looking for a "scene," this is your place.

If you have access to transportation and would like to see a bit of "real Western culture," get yourself out to the Stampede. It's a big country-western bar on the outskirts of town, with an oval dance floor that lets you two-step the night away. (There's also a nice steakhouse-type restaurant on the upper level.)

Although there are a fair number of actual Westerners at the Stampede, there's also a contingent of yuppies-in-cowboy-shirts and a fairly high tolerance for visitors. And a mechanical bull! Have you seen the Levis commercial where a grungy-hip kind of guy gets on a mechanical bull and is thrown off within the first second? That, in a nutshell, is my memory of our night at the Stampede.