Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Denver, the Mile High City

2019 Fling in the Mile High City

 Denver's capitol building. 

If there is any doubt about why Denver is called "The Mile High City", just walk up the stairs, almost to the door and you will see this marker:

Once inside, you can climb to the rotunda for a panoramic view of Rocky Mountain peaks. It is against state law to block the view of the 200 named mountains visible from the dome!
 Free tours are available on weekdays; reservations recommended.

To get to the Capitol from the fling Hyatt hotel, just walk one block to 16th Street and catch the FREE Mallride shuttle, https://unionstationindenver.com/transit/rtd-free-mallride/
 that has a stop every 7 minutes. 

The Denver Art Museum, just a block from the Capitol, houses the world's greatest collection of Native American art and 68,000 other art objects, including works from European masters, Old West classics and phenomenal traveling exhibits.

Also within 2 blocks, is the Denver Mint. Learn the rich history of the United States Mint and how we produce billions of coins each year for the American public with a free, guided tour. (Not funded by the government, so it remains open during the shutdown.)


If you take the Mallride east, you will end up at Union Station. This beautiful landmark is over 100 years old, and has been completely restored to include many restaurants and shops. While on the shuttle that takes you up the 16th Street pedestrian-friendly Mall, notice all the shops, restaurants and attractions that line the mall. 
Once at Union Station, you can discover bus routes to take you anywhere in the metro area. http://www.rtd-denver.com/Schedules.shtml.  








Of course, if you prefer to walk, it's about 12-14 blocks from the Hotel to Union Station. But even if that is not your destination, walking the mall is a pleasure with all the shops, restaurants, and attractions. The Brookings Institution ranks Denver as the fourth most walkable downtown in the nation.

There is so much to do and see in the Denver area - too much to list here. Besides the bustling downtown area, cities in the metro area have their own attractions, such as the Butterfly Pavillion in Westminster: https://butterflies.org/, and the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg: https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/.

After a full day of garden touring, or if you have come early to discover Denver and find yourself 
tuckered out, you can relax in the Peaks Lounge
located on the 27th floor of the Hyatt Hotel, offering fantastic views of the city below.