Denver Hotel Magazine - Fall 2012

FALL 2012

HOTEL

MOUNTAIN DAY TRIPPIN’ Biking, Ballooning, Fly-Fishing and More

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES Mile High Success

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY

Soul of a Minstrel, Spirit of the West

COLORADO BEER BOOM Our Favorite Brewpubs

HIP, HOT & HAUTE

Inside Denver’s “See & Be Seen” Scene

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO DENVER

MAGAZINE

JEREMY BLOOM Colorado’s Hometown Hero is Making Wishes of a Lifetime Come True

Ready. Set. Southwest.

©2011, 2012 Southwest Airlines Co.

Without you,we’re just a bunch of gung-ho people with too much energy and a 737.

Feast on a selection of more than 50 local micro brews. That’s what’s great about it. The fare is designed for pairing. Do you prefer wine? We can answer that, too. Sample some of the most unique, regional vintages — a house specialty.

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Phase 1 Sold Out Just Released Phase 2 Villas from $438,000 Residences from $685,000 Marketed Exclusively By The Personette Group This advertisement in not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy to residents of any state or province in which restrictions and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. This offer is void where prohibited by law. The prices, plans and availability are subject to change without notice. All real estate information is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act and state regulations. The Personette Group supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

The Island

A 2.5 hour non-stop flight from Houston will take you to Roatan, one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets: • This tropical island with unspoiled beauty and unprecedented charm is only 40 miles long and 3 miles wide • The lush mountainous terrain is contrasted by white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue Caribbean waters • The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the 2nd largest in the world, surrounds the island and provides a brilliant underwater landscape for divers and snorkelers

The CommunITy

TORONTO 4 hours

NEW YORK 4.5 hours

ATLANTA 3 hours

HOUSTON 2.5 hours

MIAMI 2 hours

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A short 15 minute drive from the Roatan International Airport will take you through the private gates of this awe-inspiring oceanfront community: • 400-acre development anchored by an 18hole, Pete Dye designed championship golf course and a 25,000sf Beach Club • Beach Club features an 18,000sf infinity edge pool, large kids pool, private white sand beach, Aqua restaurant and lounge, Flava poolside restaurant and bar, fitness center and 24/7 Concierge • Las Verandas Hotel opens in August of 2012 and features 120 rooms, two restaurants, resort-style pools and a 6,000sf spa

The ResIdenCes

With Phase I sold out, we have just released our Phase II collection featuring: • Villas priced from $438,000, including pool and golf cart • Residences priced from $685,000 including pool, golf cart and outdoor kitchen • Well-appointed finishes including Turkish Travertine, native Honduran hard wood cabinetry, imported granite counters and backsplash, Bosch stainless steel appliances and high efficiency central air conditioning.

Learn more about our “Fly & Buy” program which expires September 30, 2012 Livepristinebay.com | 1.888.393.1159

CONTENTS FALL

2012

ISSUE

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FEATURES 12

JEREMY BLOOM

Making wishes of a lifetime come true

BY DAVE MUSCARI 24

THE LITTLE AIRLINE THAT COULD EXPANDS IN DENVER

A candid conversation with Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly

BY DAVE MUSCARI 46

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY

Soul of a minstrel, spirit of the West

BY DAVE MUSCARI 52

MASCOTMANIA!

Off the wall names for Colorado sports teams

BY DAVE MUSCARI 64

COLORADO DAY TRIPPIN’

Mountain-trail biking, hot air ballooning, fly-fishing and other guided adventures 69

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEER BOOM: A SPECIAL SECTION Sample our list of Denver area brewpubs and bars 76

OUR PARTING SHOT

Putting the glimmer back in Colorado’s iconic Capitol golden dome

BY WILLIAM SECOR

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12 COVER STORY: JEREMY BLOOM

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MATTHEW ROLSTON/TNT

Manolo Blahnik

DENVER CHERRY CREEK 303.329.2600

NEIMANMARCUS.COM

CONTENTS FALL

2012

ISSUE

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IN EVERY ISSUE 20

SHOPPING

Fashionistas love Denver’s extensive variety of trendy, historic and eclectic boutiques and fashion centers. Get a complete listing of the area’s shopping destinations.

31

THE SCENE

Who, what, where and why of everything exciting in Denver.

38

BEST THINGS TO DO

Spending time in the Mile High City is always a trip less ordinary. Learn about local attractions that make for unique experiences and excellent adventures.

54

DINING & NIGHTLIFE

Incomparable restaurants and world-renowned chefs; check out our listing of Denver’s top culinary destinations, plus music, performance, dancing and party fun.

DAY TRIPPIN’ Michael Martin Murphey

46

69

COLORADO BEER BOOM

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64

A MILLION

FANS A MILLION

STORIES

ProChallenge.com/MillionStories

PUBLISHER’S NOTE ISSUE

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WELCOME

to the inaugural issue of Denver Hotel Magazine. Our mission is simple: introduce travelers to the exciting people and fascinating places that make Denver such a special place to visit and live.

We have an interesting cover story about a young man with a passion. Jeremy Bloom is a modern day hero who needs little introduction, especially to locals. He grew up in nearby Loveland, starred in football at the University of Colorado, led the U.S. Olympic ski team to glory and went on to play in the NFL. These days the three-time world champion, two-time Olympian and eleven-time World Cup medalist is on his most important mission yet. We caught up with Jeremy to discuss his unique charity that grants lifelong wishes to an exclusive group: 80, 90 and 100-plus year olds. His story is as distinctive as it is inspirational.

Music fans know Michael Martin Murphey was western when western wasn’t all that cool. The Grammy-winning singer in the weathered buckskins and cowboy hat is as authentic as the Rockies.

He helped launch an entire musical movement with friends Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings back in the 70’s and scored with megahits including “Wildfire” and “Carolina in the Pines” (both songs were written here in Colorado). In his DHM interview Murph talks about his colorful past, current music projects that have found a passionate new audience, and his genuine affection for the culture of the Old West.

If you travel much you know all about “the little airline that could,” and still does…in a big way.

As Denver International Airport prepares for another Southwest Airlines expansion, we connected with the company’s CEO Gary Kelly on future plans, and his legendary “LUV” of flying.

Denver brews more beer per capita than any other American city. With that little nugget in mind, we have a special salute to a pair of annual events, Denver Beer Fest and the Great American Beer Festival, and a few suggestions on area brewpubs to try. Plus, if you’re in the mood for a Rocky Mountain escape, we have some first-rate, one day guided adventure tours you’re sure to like.

We also have a comical little feature that is simply tailor-made for Burros, Beetdiggers, Mountain Oysters, Meloneers and more. Meet Colorado’s most memorable high school sports mascots.

Finally, we invite you to check out our comprehensive section of listings. The Scene includes everything from performance and concerts, to sporting events, interesting festivals, unique outdoor activities and much more. And if you’re here to shop or eat, or just see the sites, before you take another step don’t miss our comprehensive list of the area’s most popular hot spots, and a few more that are under the radar.

The fact that you are reading our Denver Hotel Magazine means you are staying in a choice hotel and that you expect the best when you travel. Rest assured, we won’t steer you wrong. We show you the best places to go, what to see, and where to dine in one of the most exciting cities in America.

Thank you for reading our magazine, “the definitive guide for discerning visitors to Denver.” And have a great time while you are here.

Enjoy your stay!

William Secor Publisher

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DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND It’s the details that define successful men.

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CONTRIBUTORS ISSUE

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HOTEL

MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER William Secor EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dave Muscari MANAGING EDITOR Lauren U. Law PRODUCTION production@denverhotelmagazine.com VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Cathy Smaha csmaha@denverhotelmagazine.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Caroline Galeski CONTRIBUTORS Dave Muscari Steven Braud Steve Guckenheimer Heather Jackson Kayla Sinkule CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER David Woo CORE PUBLISHING LLC PUBLISHER, PRESIDENT Pete Northway VICE PRESIDENT OF NEW MARKET DEVELOPMENT Shelly Northway WEB DEVELOPMENT Kevin Ulrich DENVER HOTEL MAGAZINE 7931 South Broadway #160 Littleton, CO 80122-2710 Tel: 303.952.0485 Fax: 303.952.0489 denverhotelmagazine.com

Reproduction without permission from publisher is prohibited. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the publication, the publisher cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

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Wishesof a WRITTEN BY dave muscari

“When I was three years old my grandfather would throw a motorcycle helmet on me, and pin a Superman cape to my back, and take me up skiing.”

Jeremy bloom He is a dream chaser and a real differencemaker in the lives of deserving people all over the United States. The Denver-based charity he founded is unique, to say the least, and changing lives in unprecedented fashion. So what is it that drove a former college and professional football player, a three-time world champion, two-time Olympian and eleven-time World Cup medalist in freestyle mogul skiing to start a charity that reaches out to grant lifelong wishes of an exclusive group of Americans: 80, 90 and 100-plus year olds? His story is as big and bold, as it is rare and inspirational. One has to go back years into Jeremy Bloom’s early life to understand the seeds of origin, and how his 12

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desire to excel and make a difference in the lives of others took root.

Born and raised 50 miles north of Denver in Loveland, Bloom practically grew up with skis under his feet. “My family was outside all the time; skiing in the winters…or throwing the football in the summers…hiking outside, mountain biking,” said Bloom. “In the wintertime, every weekend we would go up to Keystone and, as a family, we would just go skiing together. It was just something my parents loved to do.” As the youngest of three he learned to compete tooth and nail with his brother and sister from an early age. A spirited sense of

competition was encouraged, and polished on Colorado ski slopes as well. “My grandfather, who I am named after, was my very first ski instructor,” he recalled. “When I was three years old he would throw a motorcycle helmet on me, and pin a Superman cape to my back, and take me up skiing.”

“My mom didn’t allow us to have any candy in the household – she was really health-focused.

So my grandfather would load his pockets with candy. We’d get off the ski lift and he’d pull out these miniature candy bars and throw them down the mountain. I’d chase after them. And that’s how I learned how to ski.”

Lifetime

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Bloom’s athleticism increased while his confidence grew. By the age of 14 he had already been crowned a national ski champion, renowned and well respected for an uncompromising dedication to excellence in every phase of the sport. One year later he became the youngest male freestyle skier to ever make the U.S. Ski Team. At 19 years of age, Bloom was a bona fide world champion.

Such success established a high bar for Bloom at an early age. Nevertheless he says his lofty self-expectations have always tended to exceed those of others. “I think most athletes are probably that way,” he said. “We’re just painfully driven. In some cases willing to sacrifice everything to accomplish whatever goals or visions we set. I am certainly guilty of that in my own life.

“Athletes are painfully driven…willing to sacrifice everything to accomplish whatever goals or visions we set. I am certainly guilty of that…”

I’ve been that way ever since my brother and sister beat me at every, single thing growing up until I was about 10 years old. I am the youngest of three kids, and I got tired of getting my butt kicked.”

It was during Bloom’s teenage years that his now legendary sports balancing-act began, as he attempted to find appropriate equilibrium 14

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between downhill racing and his second love, football. The names of Colorado’s most memorable high school gridiron stars blanket state record books: Chatfield’s LenDale White (Southern Cal), Overland’s Scott Bentley (Florida State) and Simla’s Barry Helton (Colorado) all had outstanding prep careers, and went on to play in the NFL. But unlike other players Bloom’s path to glory was altogether different. He led his track team to back-to-back Class 5A state championship titles his junior and senior year while competing in the 100 and 200-meter races, and a series of relays. As a senior his football team won the state title. He began his prep career as a quarterback, but later moved to receiver. Bloom’s signature moment was as a senior in the 2000 state playoffs when he broke three school records with nine receptions for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-12 win over Lakewood High School.

When college rolled around, he had a number of scholarship offers to consider. Eventually he selected the University of Colorado over Colorado State University and the University of Wyoming, perhaps to stay closer to the mountains. As a freshman receiver at the CU, he was selected to a pair of first-team freshman All-American football squads. One month later he won the World Championship Dual’s Gold Medal at the 2003 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in Deer Valley, Utah.

Now at the top of his game, Bloom wanted to be able to play college football and still ski professionally. His goal was to represent the United States in moguls skiing in the 2006 Winter Olympics. He accepted endorsement money to continue skiing on the World Cup circuit. According to the NCAA, even though he was an amateur in football, it was a violation.

After a well-documented legal struggle, NCAA officials inexplicably declared him permanently ineligible in 2004, cutting short his college football career by two years. At the time NCAA guidelines allowed athletes to accept salaries as professionals in other sports, however they were not allowed to accept money from sponsors.

Bloom had accepted endorsements in 2003, saying he could not afford to prepare for the 2006 Olympics without financial support. In the end however, the NCAA stuck to their guns claiming that Bloom knowingly violated NCAA rules. CU head football coach Gary Barnett said that he was “…extremely disappointed in the lack of flexibility by the NCAA,” and that the “…next group of youngsters that are out there currently participating in these extreme sports will somehow profit from Jeremy’s experience.’’

“I think I was one of the first people to ever deal with that (situation),” said Bloom. “It was a frustrating process, but looking back I’m happy that I stood up for what I believed was right.

And I still believe is right today.”

Bloom believes college athletics may have softened some since his test case was headline news. And that’s positive news as far as he’s concerned. “It’s been nice to see a little bit of progression from the NCAA’s perspective since that situation happened with me,” he said. “Being a little bit liberal with two-sport athletes.”

“I think they’re moving to a direction where they’re going to allow Olympic caliber athletes to be an amateur in a separate sport. With the birth and the growth of the X Games, and how popular they are with the younger generation, and the Olympic sports…in the future…my situation isn’t going to be as uncommon as it was when I went through the University of Colorado…with all these other two-sport athletes.”

Still, he does not seem bitter in the least about the legal entanglements and complications of the past. “It was a learning experience for me,” he says. And he has a genuine fondness for the university he left his mark on. While playing football at CU he set a number of records including the school’s longest reception for a touchdown, a 94-yard haul against Kansas State, which also happened to be his first career catch.

He also boasts five career plays of 75 yards or longer, which ties him with legendary All American running back Byron “Whizzer” White for the second most in school history.

In 2005 at the FIS World Cup Tour he dominated the sport and became the first freestyle skier to ever win six straight races in a single season.

He closed the year as the top ranked freestyle skier in the world and number one in moguls for the second time. After competing in the 2006 Olympic Games Bloom declared that he would focus on football. Two days after the Olympics ended in Turin, Italy he hopped on a flight, and returned to compete in the NFL’s Combine for rookies in Indianapolis. Bloom played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers until injuries cut his career short. “I was drafted by the Eagles, and played two seasons there…I tore my hamstring my rookie season in Philadelphia, which didn’t help me.” But overall the experience of playing next to childhood sports idols, and being part of the NFL was something Bloom calls “amazing” by any measure. “It was a dream come true for me to share a locker room with Donavan McNabb and Brian Dawkins in Philadelphia,” he said. “And to learn from the head coach of the Steelers, Mike Tomlin…one of the best leaders I have ever been around…to be locker mates with (Super Bowl MVP) Hines Ward, guys like that…I dreamed about doing that when I was a little kid.”

After three years, he closed the book on his NFL playing days to begin what would become Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime Foundation.

He credits his grandfather and his grandmother as part of the original motivation behind his Foundation. “Both of them had been a big inspiration to me,” he said. “For the first 19 years of my life my grandmother on my mom’s side lived downstairs,” said Bloom. Originally the Foundation was named in honor of Donna Wheeler, before eventually morphing into Wish of a Lifetime. He also credits another experience to opening his mind, and establishing the concept for Wish of a Lifetime. Bloom explains it like this: “When I was 17 years old I travelled outside of the United States for the first time. I went to Tokyo. I was excited to be immersed in a new culture, and understand a different way of life. I was sitting on this crowded bus, and I saw this 80-year-old woman get on. As she started walking onto the bus, everyone got out of their seats, helped her onto the bus, and bowed to her.

That bus didn’t move until she was taken care of. I was really struck by this cultural difference surrounding respect for the oldest generation. I experienced it in other countries…throughout Europe, and Scandinavia.”

Bloom says observing such ordinary situations made a considerable impact. It left him seriously questioning the way in which Americans dealt with seniors. Bloom says, “I couldn’t ignore these questions anymore. I wanted to dive in, and figure out what was going on and why this was. That’s why I wanted to start Wish of a Lifetime.”

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Photo: Wish of a Lifetime

Riding the Rails in Style: Wish of a Lifetime recipient Dorothy Flood was recently featured in an emotional story on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” The 75-year old woman’s “wish” was to enjoy a meal in a railroad dining car she had been banned from as a little girl. It was the 400th wish granted since the program began in 2008.

“Helping a 95-year old realize a life-long dream…to watch that play out…is a better feeling that winning a Gold Medal, or any football game.”

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Wedding Bells: As part of his Wish of Lifetime Foundation, Jeremy Bloom escorts Odile Taylor out of a church in Normandy, France after she renewed wedding vows with her husband of 66 years.

Americans are familiar with the Make-AWish Foundation, which is a nonprofit that focuses on granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Bloom’s foundation’s charge is to reach out and help low-income seniors experience lifelong desires.

However, recipients need not be ill or dying to qualify. “We are really trying to create a cultural shift on aging, and creating behavioral changes is really hard,” said an earnest Bloom. “With the right people, and the right advocates and the right voice, we can make it happen.

The requests that come to Wish of a Lifetime, as well as the wishes that are granted, cover a wide spectrum. For instance, a 93-year old Florida woman wished for a skydiving adventure; 95-year old Carl took friends up, up and away during the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque; and a 76-year old veteran named Bob had the remarkable opportunity to reunite with long lost Navy shipmates from the Korean War; and, the list goes on and on. Not all of the wishes are so elaborate; others involve giving a dedicated but weary caregiver some welldeserved relief or even a peaceful day of fishing in the mountains.

In May, National Public Radio featured one of the Foundation’s recipients, 75-year old Dorothy Flood, in an emotionally charged piece broadcast nationally on the network’s “Morning Edition.”

Bloom said her request was the 400th such

What does Bloom get out of participating in the process? He has been able to create interesting strategic partnerships with businesses such as Brookdale Senior Living to help support the effort. On a more personal level, Bloom says the emotional fruits of his Foundation’s labors have been incalculable. “Oh my gosh…being a small part of helping a 95-year old man, or woman, realize a life long dream that they’ve had, for sometimes, 70 years. To watch that play out and all the emotions that spill over when that happens…is a better feeling that winning a Gold Medal, or any football game.”

Bloom’s life story is more like a saga, peppered with as many twists and turns as the many ski slopes he expertly navigated over the years. “One of my biggest fears throughout my athletic career was: what’s next?” he said. “I felt like I was lucky enough to climb each mountain, football and skiing, go the Olympics, and to be in the NFL. But I was really scared that after sports I would be worthless to society.” Two years ago he co-founded a web-focused business called Integrate. When Bloom was playing professional football with the Philadelphia Eagles, through the NFL he completed an entrepreneurship program focused on finance at the prestigious Wharton Business School of Pennsylvania “A couple of my professors really inspired me,” said Bloom.

He and partner/co-founder Hart Cunningham “… had this big idea to create a single platform for advertising that would integrate everything…TV,

“What I have learned from being around 80, 90 and 100 year-old people, and the people who aged so well and are still so sharp--they never stop moving.” wish granted since the program began in 2008.

“Dorothy’s story was one of my favorites,” he said. “You know she grew up in the segregated south. When she was six years old she got on a train with her Grandmother, and she just couldn’t understand why she couldn’t eat in the dining car. She remembers pushing her face against the glass and saying, ‘Some day I’m going to eat in the dining car on the train.’ As Dorothy boarded the train with us, 66 years later, she broke into tears. I spoke with Rachel, our 24-year old ‘wish coordinator, who helped grant that wish. She said it was one of the most amazing experiences of her life…it had so much meaning.”

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radio, print…everything into a single platform,” said Bloom.

“We just started building…and as we built it we started growing…we grew and we grew… we are now 165 people. We just raised another $11M…we have a great board of directors. I think we’re helping to reshape an industry. And bring automation to an advertising industry that’s built on manual processes,” said Bloom.

“It is exciting.” Integrate was named as “best new company” at the 2011 American Business Awards. Last December Forbes Magazine named Bloom to its “30 under 30” list of influential

people in technology. In March the Denver Business Journal tabbed him as the winner of the paper’s 16th “Forty under 40,” an annual story on dynamic young business leaders whose efforts are shaping the future of the Denver area.

Bloom also finds time to do college football analysis, and has worked as a commentator at the 2010 Winter Olympics. “Fox Sports gave me an awesome opportunity last year to do just that.

So on the weekends I’m broadcasting football games,” said Bloom. “NBC and the United States Olympic committee gave me a great opportunity to work the Vancouver Olympics. They’ve given me the same opportunity in London. Sports were a huge part of my life. To stay involved as much as I can is important to me. Fortunately I have been able to carve out some time on the weekends to be able to do that.”

“Broadcasting is a hobby (laughs). My priorities are Integrate and ‘Wish of a Lifetime.’

Broadcasting for me, is just fun and something that I want to do on the side. It’s hard work, though. Those guys make it look so easy and it’s not.”

While he currently splits time between Denver and New York, where he is establishing an office for Integrate, Bloom still keeps up with his alma mater. When it comes to the gridiron, he believes the Buffs are headed in the right direction.

“They still may have one or two more years of rebuilding,” he says. “The Pac-12 is a very good conference that’s rich with talent. I really like Jon Embree as the head coach at CU. He was my receivers coach, and I know him well.

I think he’s going to do a good job.” As for the cross state rival Colorado State University Rams, Bloom says he leaves that to his brother, a CSU alum. During the season the guys “…fight, and argue and make bets when they play each other.

But the more removed I get from the rivalry the more I just want to see Colorado teams do well.”

As for himself, where does Bloom see his future?

At age 40, 50 and beyond, his goal seems pretty simple: “What I have learned from being around 80, 90 and 100-year-old people, and the people who have aged so well and are still so sharp-they never stop moving. That’s their advice to me. So I hope that I never stop moving.”

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SHOPPING W

elcome to our spotlight on shopping featuring Denver’s many trendy, historic and eclectic destinations. The Mile High City has more unique stores and shopping centers per capita than many major U.S. metropolitan areas. From high-end boutiques and malls to nooks and crannies that specialize in vintage fare, we have the top spots to shop in one America’s best cities.

16th STREET MALL

CHERRY CREEK NORTH

Entire length of 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.534.6161 www.downtowndenver.com

East 1st Street and East 2nd Street between University Boulevard and Steel Street Denver, CO 80206 303.394.2904 www.cherrycreeknorth.com

ANTIQUE ROW

CHERRY CREEK SHOPPING CENTER

Built in 1982, the 16th Street Mall is a tree-lined, pedestrian promenade that runs through the center of Downtown. Lined with outdoor cafes, renovated historic buildings, sparkling glass-walled skyscrapers, shops and restaurants, the mall has a great familyfriendly atmosphere and a vibrant nightlife. Free shuttle buses cruise the mile-long Mall seven days a week.

Nestled on the quaint streets near downtown Denver, you can find the Antique Row merchants. Eccentric yet professional, the work of local Denverites fills the neighborhood with one-of-a-kind antiques, garden supplies, fine wines and antique rugs.

South Broadway & West Mexico Avenue Denver, CO 80210 303.756.5821 www.antique-row.com

BELMAR

One of the newest destinations for shopping, dining and events, Belmar is reaching new heights in the Denver scene. Located in the beautiful suburb of Lakewood, Belmar is a trendy escape from the busy city.

408 South Teller Street Lakewood, CO 80226 303.742.1520 www.belmarcolorado.com

CHERRY CREEK FARMERS MARKET

This unique market is a place where the corn is juicy, the carrots crisp and even the cheese is locally made. You might find flowers, and you might find herbs. You will definitely find farmers, friends and neighbors coming together and creating community at the number one Farmers Market in Denver. And, you might even see a dog or two at this pet-friendly market. Be sure to check our seasonal hours of operation on our website.

2500 E. 1st Avenue Denver, CO 80202 303.442.1837 www.coloradofreshmarkets.com 20

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A Cherry Creek North is known nationally as a premier retail, dining, and mixed-use area located just five minutes from downtown Denver. More than 350 businesses make up the neighborhood, and include both local and national brands and include unique fashion, jewelry and home furnishings, spas/salons, art galleries and restaurants.

Located in the heart of Denver, Cherry Creek Shopping Center is the Rocky Mountain region’s premier shopping environment with over 160 shops, including 40 stores exclusive to the area such as Neiman Marcus, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. Other favorites include Nordstrom, Macy’s, Apple and Coach, plus popular dining hot spots like Elway’s and Kona Grill.

16th Street Mall - photolaszlo.com

3000 East 1st Avenue Denver, CO 80206 303.388.3900 www.shopcherrycreek.com

COLORADO MILLS

Featuring some of the best names in retail, Colorado Mills hits the mark for those who love to shop. With 10 anchor stores and more than 91 local and national retailers, it isn’t hard to believe that a walk around the promenade is equal to about three-fourths of a mile!

14520 West Colfax Avenue Lakewood, CO 80401 303.215.9509 www.simon.com

Cherry Creek Shopping Center

DENVER PAVILIONS

Located on the 16th Street Mall in the heart of Downtown Denver, this three-story, open-air shopping center has it all: 40 shops and restaurants, an upscale bowling lane, a movie theater and convenient underground parking. Ride the free 16th Street Mall Shuttle to your favorite retailers and restaurants, including Banana Republic, Express, Forever21, H&M and Hard Rock Café.

500 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.260.6000 www.denverpavilions.com

Denver Pavilions

Experience the wonder of nature through the lens of Thomas D. Mangelsen.

Cherry Creek North, DeNVer 216 Clayton Street | 888-345-3007

DeNVer INterNatIoNal aIrport Main terminal, level 5 | 888-238-9217

COLLECTOR EDITION PRINTS | ARTIST PROOF PRINTS | BOOKS | CALENDARS | ART CARDS | GIFT CARDS

www.mangelsen.com

SHOPPING

DOWNTOWN LODO

Nestled between Coors Field and the Pepsi Center, LoDo is Denver’s prime destination for fun and trendy shops. The eclectic stores and hip, vibrant historic district offer everything from antiques and ranch wear to fine jewelry and eye wear.

1616 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.628.5428 www.lodo.org

Flat Irons CrossinG

Set on a rise between Boulder and Denver, Flatiron Crossing invites you to blue skies, fun restaurants and top-flight movies. Explore more than 200 fashion and specialty retailers for everything from children’s clothes to home furnishings. Set your sights on exciting names like Coach, Coldwater Creek, Bebe, BC Surf & Sport, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Papyrus, LOFT, The Container Store and many more.

One West Flatiron Crossing Broomfield, CO 80021 720.887.7467 www.flatironcrossing.com

Historic Downtown Littleton

Olde Town Arvada

West Main Street between Santa Fe Drive and South Rio Grande Littleton, CO 80120 303.795.5006 www.downtownlittleton.com

7307 Grandview Avenue Arvada, CO 80002 (303) 420-6100 www.oldetownarvada.org

Historic Downtown Littleton is one of the few remaining historic shopping districts along the Front Range. Come experience a true hometown atmosphere where people smile and take life a little slower.

With more than 250 eclectic shopping, dining and entertainment options, you are certain to find just what you’re looking for.

With more than 150 unique shops, Olde Town Arvada has plenty of variety. Whether you’re in the market for books, clothing, handmade jewelry, furnishings and antiques or just looking for great restaurant, this vibrant shopping district is full of treasures. Visit our website for a complete listing of shops, attractions and events.

Larimer Square

Located in the heart of downtown, the shops at Larimer Square offer a truly distinctive selection of fashion, jewelry, gifts and home accessories for shopping connoisseurs and fashionistas of all ages.

Between 14th and 15th Street on Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 303.534.2367 www.larimersquare.com

Old South Gaylord StreeT Golden Triangle Museum District

Denver’s Golden Triangle district is brimming with entertainment, restaurants and culture. This quickly-developing area is within walking distance of Downtown Denver and features more than 50 galleries, museums and specialty stores. This historic, trendy district also hosts free First Friday Night Art Tours every month from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. with free shuttle service.

Bordered by Lincoln Street, Colfax Avenue and Speer Boulevard Denver, CO 80204 720.253.2774 www.goldentriangleofdenver.com

The Highlands

The Highlands is one of Denver’s largest neighborhoods with three diverse commercial districts: cosmopolitan Lower Highlands (LoHi), charming Highlands Square and artsy Tennyson Street. With a bevy of local and national retailers, restaurants, landmarks, art galleries and entertainment, your Denver experience isn’t complete until you visit the Highlands.

32nd and Lowell Denver, CO 80211 303.892.1112 www.highlands-square.com www.denverartwalk.squarespace.com

Old South Gaylord Street, founded in 1924, is one of the oldest business districts in Denver.

Today, visitors are greeted by passionate business owners who offer friendly, personal service. Old South Gaylord Street is home to a variety of upscale boutiques, galleries and restaurants as well as professional services and talented regional craftsmen.

1059 South Gaylord Street Denver, CO 80209 303.733.2670 www.southgaylordstreet.com

Larimer Square

OLD SOUTH PEARL STREET

South Pearl Street is one of Denver’s most charming and popular historic shopping districts. Stretching from Buchtel to Jewell Avenue, this laid-back neighborhood features an eclectic mix of locally owned shops, boutiques, restaurants and pubs. This antidote to the modern mega-mall features seasonal events year-round, one-of-a-kind stores and some of the city’s most popular nightspots.

1569 South Pearl Street Denver, CO 80210 303.892.1112 www.southpearlstreet.com

Cherry Creek North - Scott Dressel-Martin

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PARK MEADOWS

As Colorado’s only retail resort, Park Meadows is committed to providing the best selection of fashionable stores and delectable dining choices, along with exciting entertainment and events for the whole family. With over 165 popular retailers and 14 full-service restaurants, shoppers experience the classic Colorado lifestyle while enjoying the beautiful resort setting.

8401 Park Meadows Center Drive Lone Tree, CO 80124 303.792.5384 www.parkmeadows.com

Pearl Street Mall

The Pearl Street Mall is a four-block pedestrian mall in Boulder that is home to a number of locally owned businesses and restaurants, national chains and the Boulder County Courthouse. This popular tourist destination is loaded with charm, from the fountains and gardens to the street performers.

Between the 1100 and 1400 blocks of Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 303.892.1112 www.boulderdowntown.com

THE SHOPS AT NORTHFIELD STAPLETON

The Shops at Northfield Stapleton is an open-air shopping district featuring specialty shops and restaurants including Macy’s, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World and Harkins Theatres 18. Located in north Stapleton, just minutes from downtown Denver, The Shops at Northfield Stapleton is a pedestrian-friendly gathering place for shopping, dining and entertainment.

8340 Northfield Boulevard Denver, CO 80238 303.375.5475 www.northfieldstapleton.com

STREETS AT SOUTHGLENN

The Streets at SouthGlenn is south Denver’s newest shopping destination. This urban lifestyle destination builds on the character of surrounding neighborhoods to create a community where the people of Denver can shop, dine, live and work. With a perfect mix of retailers, restaurants, entertainment and services, the Streets at SouthGlenn is an unmatched upscale shopping, dining, and entertainment experience.

South University Blvd and East Arapahoe Rd. Centennial, CO 80122 303.539.7141 www.shopsouthglenn.com

SOUTHLANDS

Fashion, dining and entertainment have merged on a modern Main Street in the heart of southeast Aurora. Southlands is an outdoor lifestyle center with a community plaza and four-blocks of retail, restaurants and entertainment, including AMC Southlands 15 Theater, Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Gap, Charming Charlie, McCabes Irish Bistro & Pub, Sports Authority and much more.

6155 Main Street Aurora, CO 80016 303.627.5000 www.shopsouthlands.com

SOUTHWEST PLAZA

Southwest Plaza, conveniently located at “Main & Main” in southwestern metro Denver, features popular retailers and restaurants such as Forever 21, BC Surf & Sport, Express, Victoria’s Secret, Target, four department stores including Dillard’s flagship store, Panera Bread, Tokyo Joe’s, Chili’s and other shopper favorites.

Park Meadows

8501 W. Bowles Avenue Littleton, CO 80123 303.973.7062 www.southwestplaza.com

TWENTY NINTH STREET

With a terrific collection of shops and exciting restaurants, Twenty Ninth Street is the premiere mixed-use outdoor shopping center serving the Greater Boulder area. This shopping center features local and national eateries and shops, including Anthropologie, Apple, Arthaus Furniture, lululemon athletica, Sephora, California Pizza Kitchen and Nordstrom Rack.

SouthGlenn

1710 29th Street Boulder, CO 80301 303.444.0722 www.twentyninth.com

VILLAGE SHOPS AT THE LANDMARK

Featuring some of the best designers in Denver and some of the finest specialty retailers in the world, Village Shops at the Landmark is considered one of the premiere shopping destinations in the Mile High city. With fabulous restaurants and the nationally renowned Landmark Theater, the Village Shops is a delight for all the senses. Visit us online to view our entire list of shops and restaurants.

Southwest Plaza

Quebec Street between Belleview and Orchard Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.892.1112 www.visitthelandmark.com/shops.htm

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After more than

YEARS,

GARY KELLY is still head over heels, completely nuts about Southwest Airlines (and that is a very good thing)

WRITTEN BY dave muscari PHOTOGRAPHY david woo

Some might label Gary Kelly as a “lifer”. It certainly appears he likes it that way. The affable president and chief executive officer of Southwest Airlines has already devoted more than a quarter-century of his life to the company and has much to show for his personal and professional labor of “LUV,” as they like to call it.

Southwest made its initial splash beginning in the early 1970s. It was a low-cost, short haul alternative to the big guns of the day such as Eastern, Delta, American Airlines and others. To differentiate from its competitors Southwest featured seating with “first class leg room, cocktails for everyone and a schedule you can depend on.” Everything was headquartered at Love Field, a smaller airport located close to downtown Dallas, Texas. In a couple of years the company was making a tidy profit, adding routes and spreading the LUV (Southwest Airlines’ listing on the New York Stock Exchange). Innovative advertising campaigns soon followed including the unforgettable copy line, “Remember what it was like before Southwest Airlines? You didn’t have hostesses in hot pants.”

By 1977, the airline had welcomed five million passengers aboard, making it one of a nation’s hottest new brands. As the company expanded and profits grew Southwest shifted into a brand new set of gears. And Kelly had a bird’s eye view.

For years he worked in the shadow of the man he affectionately refers to as his “mentor,” co-founder and former CEO Herb Kelleher, who is as much responsible for the signature packs of peanuts onboard flights as 24

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he is the legendary “people-focused” culture within the ranks. How do you follow an executive who commanded mountains of national media attention at the rate Kelleher did while running Southwest? After years of working alongside Kelleher, and later president Colleen Barrett, Kelly found innovative ways to plant his own flags, and cultivate a unique reputation inside and outside the company. Kelleher, in particular, had lived in the spotlight’s glare, as a company pitchman featured in high profile television commercials and print advertisements. Kelly took a different tact however, eventually emerging to put an individual stamp on the company’s celebrated culture.

Before taking the reins, Kelly served Southwest Airlines in a variety of positions including chief financial officer, vice president of finance and executive vice president. In July 2004, he was named CEO and vice chairman, assuming the role of chairman in May 2008 and president in July 2008. These days he proudly stands at the helm of the airline that flies more passengers than any other U.S. carrier, a company consistently rated among the nation’s most admired corporations. A former CPA, the 57year old executive has been recognized as CEO of the Year by a number of publications. He was also named by Institutional Investor Magazine as one of the best CEOs in America. While Kelly modestly accepts the recognition that has come his way, he characteristically re-focuses the limelight on the employee base he leads. One of Kelly’s key catch phrases prominently displayed on the company website says it all: “Leadership is…effectively supporting your team of employees.”

Gary Kelly poses with a special 10-foot by 2.5-foot guitar statue created to commemorate Southwest’s 40th anniversary in the lobby of the airline headquarters. Photography by David Woo

“I FELL IN LOVE A LONG TIME AGO WITH THE COMPANY. SOUTHWEST IS A WINNER....

WHO WOULDN’T WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A WINNER?”

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After deftly navigating the company through a couple of turbulent economic years, the news for Southwest on the backend was brighter than one might have expected. In 2010 Kelly took a calculated risk when he upped the ante significantly by adding the more spacious Boeing 737 to his fleet’s line-up. He later made a deal to purchase Atlanta-based competitor AirTran, which was completed in May of 2011. At the same time, 2011 also marked the 39th consecutive year that the airline recorded a profit. To his credit, Kelly and his team of executives did it without a single lay-off or furlough among the workforce. According to Southwest, these days the airline handles over 100 million passengers a year and flies to more than 70 U.S. cities, a far cry from the early days of flight attendants in their infamous “uniforms” (their hot pants gave way to more subdued khakis years ago) flying between a trio of Texas cities when the company’s maiden voyages began back in 1971. With AirTran’s full integration into the Southwest system, by the end of 2015 the airline is scheduled to serve more than 100 cities and be a near-international carrier.

We spoke with Kelly in an executive conference room outside of his office. He was warm and relaxed as he shared his thoughts about the airline’s colorful culture. He talked candidly about what makes his company different than its competitors and how he sees the next few years shaking out.

DHM: You have been an integral part of Southwest Airlines for over a quarter century. What are the most significant changes you have witnessed?

GK: Some things haven’t changed. And with other aspects there has been dramatic change. When I started in 1986 we were still pretty small. We were regional, very much “the little guy” and worked hard to stay out from under the big guy’s feet. I think we had maybe 55 or 60 airplanes when we started. Now we have 10 times that…one of the larger fleets in the entire world.

What has been interesting to experience is just how popular the Southwest product is. I attribute that to fundamental things that haven’t changed: one is our low cost and our low fares. We’re not cheap; it is a very high quality product, served by people who really care and are very proud of what they do. There’s a special touch that our people have on top of that. They’re very friendly, very caring and humorous.

There’s a real personality with the airline. Some of the tools and techniques have changed dramatically. Aside from the magic of an airplane flying, we were very low tech in the 1980s. Comparatively, it really was a no frills, discount product offering…we really put our emphasis on things that we considered to be a quality air travel experience. Probably the most dramatic thing is that we’re just bigger.

We’ve got more airplanes. We carry more customers than anybody else in the U.S., and we serve 73 cities now.

Gary Kelly, Colleen Barrett and Herb Kelleher (from lett to right) Photography by David Woo

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Photography courtesy of Southwest Airlines

Something that is different today than 25 years ago is that we also try and offer more choices to our customers. It was “one size fits all” for a long time.

Everything was sort of homogenous, then the fare structure changed in the industry. Not everybody pays the same for their seat. We really felt like, if you’re going to pay more you ought to get more. So we have tried to offer a little bit different boarding process. If it’s important for you to get onboard the airplane first, and get the seat you just have to have…we offer that today.

So there have been a few things like that.

shop for a fare, make your booking, get your boarding pass, make your way through the airport in a low hassle way. It’s so much better today than it was 25 years ago. I think that’s been a real positive change. You never would have guessed in 1986 how popular we would be. To be number four on Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired List”…is not bad. And we’re on the list every year. It’s a good company, and that hasn’t changed. The spirit of taking care of our people, and the passion for customer service – all those things are very much still intact.

DHM: It sounds like the growth has been more of an evolution than a revolution.

DHM: The “Bags Fly Free” ad campaign is distinctive, however some business analysts have criticized it. How do you respond to that?

GK: But a modest one: we still have open seating to this day. We still don’t serve onboard meals. We serve snacks…we don’t charge for Cokes or things like other airlines do…we don’t nickel and dime our customers.

That has been an interesting evolution, but it’s been more about the industry changing and getting cheap, not Southwest Airlines. We’ve got all leather seats, and we have airplanes that now have more capabilities. And, we fly longer distances than what we did 25 years ago. I would consider that to just be evolutionary. I think the main thing is just the ability to look for a flight,

GK: It has been so much fun. It was a gift from our competitors (smiles).

It is a differentiating feature, which, as a casual observer you think, “that’s something you’re going to rally behind?” But it demonstrates a commitment we have to our customers…to the ”low fare” brand, and to making the travel experience as pleasant as possible. I think we succeeded with all of those things. I think the choice was driven by a number of desires. We wanted to have marketing and a brand advantage. Even bigger than that, we felt like there was a customer expectation built up over decades: if I pay you all this

“I think we had maybe 55, 60 airplanes when we started.

Now we have one of the largeST fleets in the entire world.”

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“OUR FARE STRUCTURE CAN ALWAYS BE MATCHED... BUT

‘BAGS FLY FREE’ THEY CAN’T MATCH. THAT’S ONE WAY TO CLEARLY SET US APART.”

Photography courtesy of Southwest Airlines

money for airfare, I ought to be able to bring a bag on. It shouldn’t matter whether you bring it into the cabin, or whether you check it, in my opinion…. do the quick math. We know that if we raise fares we are going to lose some customers. It’s always a balance…if we have a need for more revenue, to cover higher fuel prices …a very straightforward example: are we sure that the net effect of higher fares and less traffic is going to work out? We have a lot of experience with that. The thought of simply tacking on to every fare another $15 and expect that some people won’t go is just ludicrous. It’s pretty simple math. It takes the loss of one customer to offset about 10 bag fees.

And that’s just not very good odds in my opinion. I was never convinced that charging for bags would be revenue positive.

DHM: Have competing airline executives whispered, “Gary, what were you thinking?”

GK: Actually…the opposite. I’ve been onstage in conferences with other airline executives that were booed, in a good-natured way, when you get into the bag fee discussion. I won’t tell you who it was who said, “I hate the bag fees as much as you do – but!” What CEO can say that and feel good about what you’re doing? I think it’s more the opposite, and wondering whether or not they’re really better off in charging the bag fees. And especially since you have a holdout in Southwest Airlines. We have clearly set ourselves apart. And to me, it’s a gift…our employees love it. Our fare structure can

always be matched…but “Bags Fly Free,” they can’t match. That’s one way to clearly set us apart. All else being equal, in other words all airlines lined up, with the same number of seats over a long period of time, there are more people traveling on Southwest now than before they started charging for bag fees. So my theory, I think, is correct. We’ve seen about a one percent shift in the market share away from other competitors over to Southwest Airlines.

One percent of the market is probably $800 million annually. What I can’t prove to you is that “Bags Fly Free” caused it but what else explains it during that time period? We weren’t adding seats, and everything else is equal. We’re getting more, and they’re getting less. We have never seen a market share shift ever in our history like what we’ve experienced over the last couple of years.

DHM: The Southwest culture is distinctive to say the least. Can you imagine working for another company?

GK: Oh, not now. I fell in love a long time ago with the company.

Intellectually it’s been very challenging. The airline industry is challenging, period. Southwest is a winner. I always like the photos from the seventies because it does give you a kind of visual image of the spirit, or the personality of the company and the marketing pizzazz that it has, too. It’s just a lot to be proud of. Who wouldn’t want to be associated with a winner?

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Courtesy of Denver Internatinal Airport

A MILE HIGH COMMITMENT Southwest Opens DENVER Crew Base in October

Last February when Southwest announced it would open a base for crews at Denver International Airport, it was welcome news on a number of fronts.

The facility at DIA is set to open in October, and will be located in what was formerly a Concourse C Admirals Club. Eventually it will be home to a combined over 600 pilots and flight attendants. The space will feature offices, rest areas with computers, and meeting rooms. Southwest began flying to Denver in 2006. The airline operates 17 gates at DIA. The announcement is welcome news to a number of employees. Many currently commute to work on airplanes, however with this move they may soon have the opportunity drive to work in a car or via public transportation.”

Mike Van de Ven, Southwest Airlines’ executive vice president and chief operating officer was quoted in denverpost.com: “Denver is the

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fastest-growing city in our (Southwest’s) history, and the new crew base demonstrates our long-term commitment to the community and our successful operation at DIA.” Following the February announcement, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s office released a statement that he was pleased regarding the airline’s commitment to the city. “By working with companies like Southwest that are investing in Denver, we’re jump-starting our economy and strengthening our business climate,” said Hancock.

In June the carrier was rated second in a J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction survey. The study measured customer satisfaction based on a number of factors, including services and costs. Only JetBlue received a higher rating on the list of low-cost air carriers.

SCENE The

the who, what and where | denver

Pat Metheny

ENTERTAINMENT September 7

Pat Metheny Denver Botanic Gardens With three gold records and 19 Grammy Awards to his credit, the Missouri native is one of the world’s top jazz guitarists. Since the 70’s when he burst onto the scene, Metheny has continued to tour, record and break new ground working solo, as well as with acts including Gary Burton, Joni Mitchell and more.

September 26

Esperanza Spalding Ogden Theater

Esperanza Spalding

At only 27, the multi-instrumentalist already has a devoted following.

In 2011 she became the first jazz player to win a Grammy for Best New Artist. Following in the footsteps of legendary bassists Dave Holland and Ron Carter, Spalding created her own style complete with innovative vocal phrasings and virtuoso musical talent.

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SCENE The

ENTERTAINMENT September 27 - October 7

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Denver Coliseum This season’s spectacle focuses on Dragon tribes from the far reaches of the globe, brought together in a single performance. Watch the breathtaking skills in a circus tournament of champions. Plus, high wire acts, animals from all over the globe and clowns galore. See for yourself why it’s called The Greatest Show on Earth.

October 12

Natalie Cole Paramount Theater The daughter of jazz and pop legend Nat King Cole charted her own spectacular career years ago. Her “This Will Be, “Inseparable,” “Our Love,” and “I’ve Got Love on My Mind” became megahits dominating 80’s and 90’s radio play. In 2008 her “Still Unforgettable” won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal album.

Natalie Cole

October 18 Madonna Pepsi Center

“The Material Girl” has sold 300 million albums worldwide during one of the most prolific careers in show business history. Since her first videos helped ignite MTV up through a current stream of pop hits, Madonna still delivers sizzling stage shows. Her sensational MDNA Tour kicked off last May in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Leonard Cohen

October 23

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson Denver Performing Arts Center’s Buell Theater The Scottish-born flautist has been the focal point of Jethro Tull since it began in the late 60’s. Anderson’s frenetic performances have driven the band for more than four decades, and he remains an important figure among an entire generation of British rockers.

November 3

Leonard Cohen 1stBank Center (Broomfield) For 40-plus years this folk singer/songwriter’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career has been an inspiration to legions of performers.

Cohen’s classic tunes can be sensitive as well as searing including “Bird On a Wire,” “Suzanne” and “Sisters of Mercy.”

Madonna

From comic relief to soul, rock, pop, blues, jazz, classical and just about everything in-between, Colorado concert halls and stages sizzle with performance just about every night of the week. Here are some of the artists scheduled to appear around the area. All events listed are subject to change.

concertS September 1 Buddy Guy and Robert Blues, Rock Randolph & The Family Band Denver Botanic Gardens

September 29 October 19-21 Big Gigantic Rock Titans of Italian Grand Opera Opera Red Rocks Amphitheater with the Colorado Symphony Boettcher Concert Hall September 29 September 1-2 Glenn Miller Orchestra Big Band October 28 Phish Jam Paramount Theater Ron Carter Quartet Jazz Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Boulder Theater (Boulder) (Commerce City) September 29 Ryan Bingham Folk November 2 September 4 Ogden Theate Faure Requiem with the Classical Amon Tobin with Holy Other Indie, Electronic Colorado Symphony Ellie Caulkins Opera House September 29 Boettcher Concert Hall Ben Howard Folk September 7 Boulder Theater (Boulder) November 2 Three Bad Jacks with Voodoo Swing Aaron Freeman Rock Swing & Reno Divorce September 30 Fox Theater (Boulder) Oriental Theater Peter Gabriel Rock Red Rocks Amphitheater November 3 September 12 Morrissey Rock Chamber Music Insights Classical October 1 Ellie Caulkins Opera House Lone Tree Arts Center Steve Vai Rock Ogden Theater November 7 September 13 Roger Hodgson Folk, Rock The B-52s Rock October 2 Bergen Performing Arts Center Bluebird Theater (Boulder) Ian Tyson Folk (Englewood) The Soiled Dove Underground September 13 November 10 Little Feat Rock, Blues October 4 Xavier Rudd Folk, Blues Bluebird Theater (Boulder) Metric Rock Ogden Theater Ogden Theater September 15 November 12 Morris Day and The Time RNB, Funk ctober 5-7 Essential Jazz with the Classical Bergen Performing Arts Center Scheherazade with the Classical Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (Englewood) Colorado Symphony Lone Tree Arts Center Boettcher Concert Hall September 18 November 14 Frank Turner Folk, Punk October 5 Chamber Music Insights Classical Summit Music Hall Dennis Miller Comedy Lone Tree Arts Center Paramount Theater September 20 November 11-December 16 Train Rock October 5 John Denver Holiday Concert Folk, Seasonal Red Rocks Amphitheater Citizen Cope Folk Lone Tree Arts Center Fillmore Auditorium September 21 November 16-18 Built to Spill Rock October 6 Pinchas Zuckerman Returns Classical Bluebird Theater Jim Gaffigan Comedy with the Colorado Symphony Denver Performing Arts Boettcher Concert Hall September 24 Center’s Buell Theater Jason Mraz Pop, Folk, Rock November 17 Red Rocks Amphitheater October 9 Celtic Thunder Irish Aimee Mann Rock, Folk Ellie Caulkins Opera House September 24 Ogden Theater Essential Jazz with the Jazz November 23 Colorado Jazz Repertory October 10 Alice Cooper Rock Orchestra Kimbra Pop, Soul, Jazz Paramount Theater Lone Tree Arts Center Ogden Theater November 25 September 28 October 20 Drums of the World with World Music Ed Sheeran Pop, Folk Blue October Rock the Colorado Symphony Bluebird Theater Summit Music Hall Boettcher Concert Hall September 28-30 Andre Watts with the Colorado Symphony Boettcher Concert Hall

Classical

October 22 November 30-December 2 The Capitol Steps Political Satire All Beethoven Bergen Performing Arts Center with the Colorado Symphony (Englewood) Boettcher Concert Hall

Classical

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ARTS & culture Through November 4 Kizuna: West Meets East Denver Botanic Gardens

One of the season’s signature exhibitions brings together two installation artists working in bamboo: Tetsunori Kawana and Stephen Talasnik. Both artists create large site-specific works for the event. Plus, explore the newly expanded Japanese Garden, Shofu-en.

September 6-9

Long’s Peak Scottish-Irish Highland Festival Estes Park The rich sights and sounds of Ireland come alive in this colorful annual festival. There is authentic dance, music, art, athletic events and the more. Don’t miss the heavy armor jousting and strong man battles, plus the many clans that participate each year and display their vibrant Irish histories.

SEPTEMBER 9

Rhythmic Circus: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now Lone Tree Arts Center Buckle up for high-energy fun in this amazing percussive-dance phenomenon. Performances electrify audiences with rapid-fire tap, sidesplitting humor and snappy tunes. It’s spiced up with a variety of musical flavors driven by an infectious band, singers, and a unique, one-man, a cappella, beat box sensation.

October 13

Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration with the Colorado Symphony Boettcher Concert Hall They were one of Broadway’s most popular and successful songwriting duos in the 40’s and 50’s. Joined by Broadway veteran vocalists, the Colorado Symphony celebrates a lively collection of Rodgers & Hammerstein finest work with memorable selections from musicals such as Oklahoma!, The King and I, and The Sound of Music.

November 2-10

Denver Arts Week Downtown Denver and Nearby Neighborhoods This annual citywide festival features eight days of immersion into the heart of Denver’s vibrant arts and cultural scene. Enjoy special events, concerts, art shows, theatre, dance, special deals and discounts. In more than a dozen museums, 40 performing arts groups, eight neighborhood arts districts and 100 art galleries.

November 10

The Music of James Bond with the Colorado Symphony Boettcher Concert Hall

Dynamic vocalist Hilary Kole plays “Bond girl” performing the iconic music of the James Bond movies. The brash, dangerous, sexy moods and unforgettable sounds that fueled a long list of Oscar nominated songs, such as “Live and Let Die” and “For Your Eyes Only,” accentuate an evening of memorable motion picture music.

FOOD & WINE August 31 - September 3

October 6

A Taste of Colorado: Festival of Mountain and Plain Civic Center Park

Cultivate Festival City Park

Western heritage and cultural traditions are on display at one of the area’s most popular annual community festivals. The Labor Day tradition brings performance, culinary demonstrations and everything from smooth jazz to spirited rock and roll to a series of five different stages.

Admission to the annual event is free.

The popular Mexican restaurant Chipotle started in Denver. To celebrate their dedication to fresh food, ideas and music, they are throwing a massive party. The one-day event includes various cooking demonstrations featuring celebrity chefs, food artisans and other activities emphasizing fresh and affordable food. Live music provided by Okkervil River and Best Coast.

SEPTEMBER 8-9

Festival Italiano Belmar Center, Lakewood

Bellisimo! The flavors of Italy come alive in the Rockies for this special two-day event. The annual festival features delicious Italian food and artisan vendors, wine tastings, chef demonstrations and a grape stomp for children. There are performances by flag throwers from Florence, entertainment, music and family activities.

September 21-23 and 28-30 Oktoberfest 20th and Larimer

Oompah time! Modeled on the original in Munich, this family friendly event commemorates the German tradition. Enjoy music from national touring groups, performances by international dancers, and booths selling German goods. There is even an accordion concert to punctuate all of the authentic German drinks and food offered.

November 7-10

Denver International Wine Festival Grand Hyatt This 8th annual event attracts wine enthusiasts from across the U.S. Speakers and judges are a who’s who of the top wine professionals.

Sommeliers, experts and respected educators gather to raise awareness.

The sampling of more than 400 wines, beers and spirits is the focus of this premier festival.

HEALTH & FITNESS September 8

Blue Shoe Run for Prostate Cancer Urology Center of Colorado The Urology Center of Colorado Foundation sponsors this 5K run/walk, 1.5-mile family walk and kids fun run. The day features a free post-race party with a beer garden, food and drinks, live music, cancer survivor recognition, silent auction, massages, prizes, educational booths and kids activities. Free prostate cancer screenings are available.

September 30

Denver Free to Breathe 5K Walk/Run Washington Park This 3rd annual event is all about raising awareness, and strengthening Colorado’s movement to defeat lung cancer! All proceeds will benefit the National Lung Cancer Partnership’s research, education and awareness programs. Registration begins at 8 a.m.

October 7

Komen Denver Race for the Cure Pepsi Center This is the 20th year that thousands of Coloradans have gathered to show their grassroots support in the fight against breast cancer with this annual run. Komen supplies the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. You must be registered to participate in the annual event, which occurs rain or shine.

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SPORTS Denver is among America’s top sports cities, and one of only a handful with the full compliment of all professional franchises as well as a deep array of college teams. Here are some of this season’s top home games that have local fans excited.

COLORADO RAPIDS SOCCER All games played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City 9/5

vs. Portland Timbers

9/30

vs. LA Galaxy

10/6

vs. San Jose Earthquakes

10/27

vs. Houston Dynamo

www.coloradorapids.com

COLORADO ROCKIES BASEBALL All games played at Coors Field 9/1-9/2

vs. San Diego Padres

9/10-9/12

vs. San Francisco Giants

9/21-9/24

vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

9/25-9/27

vs. Chicago Cubs

www.colorado.rockies.mlb.com

DENVER BRONCOS FOOTBALL All games played Sports Authority Field at Mile High 9/9

vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

9/23

vs. Houston Texans

9/30

vs. Oakland Raiders

10/28

vs. New Orleans Saints

11/18

vs. San Diego Chargers

12/2

vs. Tampa Bay Bucs

12/23

vs. Cleveland Browns

12/30

vs. Kansas City Chiefs

www.DenverBroncos.com

DENVER NUGGETS BASKETBALL

COLORADO AVALANCHE HOCKEY All games played at Pepsi Center 10/11

vs. St. Louis Blues

10/20

vs. Calgary Flames

10/24

vs. San Jose Sharks

10/27

vs. Nashville Predators

11/5

vs. San Jose Sharks

11/7

vs. Chicago Blackhawks

All games played at Pepsi Center

11/10

vs. Vancouver Canucks

11/6

vs. Detroit Pistons

11/17

vs. Montreal Canadiens

11/9

vs. Utah Jazz

11/21

vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

11/15

vs. Miami Heat

11/24

vs. Phoenix Coyotes

11/23

vs. Golden State Warriors

11/27

vs. Anaheim Ducks

11/25

vs. New Orleans Hornets

11/30

vs. Minnesota Wild

12/3

vs. Toronto Raptors

12/2

vs. LA Kings

12/14

vs. Memphis Grizzlies

12/15

vs. Edmonton Oilers

12/18

vs. San Antonio Spurs

12/19

vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

12/22

vs. Charlotte Bobcats

12/23

vs. Buffalo Sabres

12/26

vs. Los Angeles Lakers

12/27

vs. St. Louis Blues

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2012-2013

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FAMILY NIGHTS

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#92 LANDESKOG

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ATTRACTIONS Denver is home to world class shopping, restaurants, art galleries, specialty boutiques and a variety of excellent performance centers. But for a truly exceptional adventure, here is a list of some special attractions you might enjoy.

EVENT CENTERS COORS FIELD THE COLORADO SYMPHONY Blending performances of traditional, modern and classical pieces, the Colorado Symphony is celebrated as a musical masterpiece. With year round concerts the Symphony features everything from light and airy summer shows to guest performances by some of the world’s most celebrated musicians.

1000 14th Street, #15 Denver, CO 80202 303.623.7876 www.coloradosymphony.org

Eat a hot dog, down a cold beer and catch a foul ball among 70,000 Colorado Rockies fans in the 76-acre Coors Field. The stadium is located in Denver’s trendy Lower Downtown (LoDo) District.

2001 Blake Street Denver, CO 80205 303.292.0200 www.colorado.rockies.mlb.com

DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS As the largest tenant of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts provides a showcase for live theatre, touring Broadway shows, acting classes for the community and more. The 12-acre site contains 10 performance spaces with more than 10,000 seats.

1101 13th Street Denver, CO 80204 303.893.4100 www.denvercenter.org

The Colorado Symphony

COLORADO BALLET Established in 1961, the Colorado Ballet is a treat for classical and modern dance enthusiasts. The company consists of 30 members from all over the world, presenting a variety of exciting performances on a regular basis.

1278 Lincoln Street Denver, CO 80203 303.837.8888 www.coloradoballet.org

DENVER CENTER THEATER COMPANY Plan a night out at this award-winning theater company. The newly built complex is home to Colorado’s largest resident professional corps of actors, designers, craftsmen and technicians. The Denver Center Theatre Company has presented more than 375 productions, including 125 premieres, to enthusiastic fans since it opened in 1979.

1101 13th Street Denver, CO 80204 303.893.4100 www.denvercenter.org

DENVER FILMCENTER//COLFAX Serving as the permanent home of the Denver Film Society, this facility is the city’s only cinematheque presenting more than 600 first-run exclusives. It features a variety both domestic and foreign films, narratives, documentaries and classes for aspiring filmmakers.

2510 East Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80206 720. 596.4740 www.denverfilm.org

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HISTORY COLORADO CENTER One of Denver’s newest cultural attractions uses today’s cutting edge technology to stimulate minds of all ages. Boasting hands-on interactive and hightech exhibits, the Center makes it easy to get lost in a world that existed more than 10,000 years ago.

1200 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 303.447.8679 www.historycolorado.org

OPERA COLORADO Enjoy world-class concerts in the state-of-the-art Ellie Caulkins Opera House. While presenting conventional performances and innovative restaging, Opera Colorado brings renowned stars and emerging talent to Denver, sharing opera with audiences through live performances as well as educational and cultural programs.

695 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 20 Denver, CO 80246 303.468.2030 www.operacolorado.org

PEPSI CENTER Known locally as the “The Can,” this modern sports arena is home to the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Mammoth. It is also a popular concert venue with appearances slated this fall by mega-stars including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.

1000 Chopper Circle Denver, CO 80204 303.405.1111 www.pepsicenter.com

RED ROCKS PARK & AMPHITHEATRE Lose yourself in an outdoor scenic adventure!

Offering a variety of recreation options from guided tours, hiking, biking, shopping, dining and a star-studded concert series, Red Rocks Park rises 6,450 feet above sea level. Considered a geological phenomenon, it is the world’s only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre.

18300 West Alameda Parkway Morrison, CO 80465 720.865.2494 www.redrocksonline.com

The beauty, culture and animals of Asia can now be found in the Mile High City.

Come explore this brand new 10-acre conservation center and watch majestic Asian elephants stroll among miles of trails, see rhinos swim across streams and hear the calls of acrobatic gibbons as they swing high above you. Open every day of the year.

For tickets and information visit denverzoo.org.

ATTRACTIONS G E N E R A L AT T R A C T I O N S ART DISTRICT ON SANTA FE With a long history of artists and artists’ studios, this “Gateway to Denver” has become a national model of success in community revitalization. Since 2003, membership in the Art District has grown to more than 60 creative industry members. Over the years, the Art District has cultivated a friendly, welcoming feel for both seasoned collectors and new art lovers.

801 Kalamath Denver, CO 303.868.8680 www.artdistrictonsantafe.com

CELESTIAL SEASONINGS TOUR Discover the transformation that resulted in of one of the largest specialty tea manufacturers in North America. Learn how the freshly harvested herbs are blended and packaged, enjoy free samples of our handcrafted teas, and browse a wide array of gift items. Join us for breakfast or lunch in our café, which is full of our beautiful artwork.

COLORADO CAPITOL

DENVER CITY & COUNTY BUILDING

Beaming through the Denver skyline is the goldplated dome of the Colorado Capitol. Opened in 1894, it stands as a living museum of history, and an active seat of state government. See where legislation takes place in the House and Senate chambers during free daily tours.

After more than eight years of painstaking design and construction, the final cornerstone of this Denver landmark was laid in 1932. The completion of the grand, classical building culminated a 30-year process to define the Civic Center as the heart of city government and culture.

200 East Colfax Avenue Denver 80203 303.866.2604 www.colorado.gov

1437 Bannock Street Denver, CO 80202 720.865.7840 www.denvergov.org

COLORADO STATE PARKS

DENVER MOUNTAIN PARKS

Colorado is home to 42 breathtaking state parks, giving visitors a variety of opportunities to experience the beauty of nature. Park activities such as hiking, camping, backpacking, snowboarding and more may be enjoyed seasonally.

The entire Parks system contains more than 14,000 acres of parklands in the mountains and foothills just west of the Downtown area. It also encompasses a wide variety of striking Colorado terrain, perfect for hiking, picnicking and sightseeing.

1313 Sherman Street Denver CO 80203 303.866.3437 www.parks.state.co.us

303.987.7800 www.denvermountainparks.wordpress.com

Designed by renowned architect Michael Graves, Denver’s Public Library is a perfect example of his famous postmodern work. With an extravagant collection of more than 2 million books, the library features a significant compilation of Western history and genealogy resources..

4600 Sleepytime Drive Boulder CO 80301 1.800.351.8175 www.celestialseasonings.com

CHAUTAUQUA PARK The Chautauqua movement of the early 20th century promoted simple living, learning and art appreciation. The spirit of the past lives on in this haven for community and cultural enrichment in a scenic setting. Rental cottages are available in the Park, which is one of 20 National Historic Landmarks in Colorado.

900 Baseline Road Boulder, CO 80302 303.442.3282 www.chautauqua.com

CHERRY CREEK Reservoir Seasoned outdoors enthusiast and weekend warriors alike flock to the Cherry Creek Reservoir. Located just outside of Denver, this reservoir boasts exceptional fishing and water recreation. Visitors to the surrounding state parks can also enjoy both traditional and unique outdoor pursuits throughout the year.

Cherry Creek 4201 South Parker Road Aurora, CO 80014 303.866.3437

DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

10 West 14th Avenue Parkway Denver, CO 80204 720.865.1111 http://Denverlibrary.org

Denver Botantic Gardens

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS As one of the top-ranked such facilities in the U.S., the Denver Botanic Gardens presents a wide range of grounds and stunning collections from all corners of the world. The gardens host a popular summer concerts series, as well as water lily competitions, tea gardens and many more attractions.

DENVER ZOO From the birth of an exotic animal, to the exhilaration of opening a world-class exhibit, the area’s largest zoo is an adventure for the senses. Join more than 1.6 million annual visitors and discover nearly 3,500 different animals living on 80 acres within Denver’s historic City Park.

2300 Steele Street Denver, CO 80205 303.376.4800 www.denverzoo.org

York Street & Mordecai Children’s Garden: 1007 York Street Denver, CO 80206 720.865.3500 www.botanicgardens.org Chatfield: 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road Littleton, CO 80128 720.865.4336 www.botanicgardens.org Mount Goliath: Mount Evans Scenic Byway Bailey, CO 80421 720.865.3585 www.botanicgardens.org

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Denver Zoo

DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM

GRANT-HUMPHREYS MANSION

Dive into food and fun – an underwater adventure! Enjoy the Aquarium Restaurant and explore more than one million gallons of fun in our Adventure Exhibit. You’ll be amazed by all the fascinating sharks, otters, tigers and more! Don’t miss out on our Scuba/Snorkeling programs and our mesmerizing Mystic Mermaids underwater show!

Once the home of Colorado’s third governor, James B. Grant, this neoclassical-style mansion was designed to embrace classic luxury. The building consists of more than 42 rooms, including a billiard parlor, bowling alley, auditorium and ballroom.

700 Water Street Denver, CO 80211 303.561.4450 www.downtownaquarium.com

ELITCH GARDENS With more than 63 acres of fun, this is America’s only downtown area theme and water park. Operating for more than 120 years, Elitch Gardens is continuously expanding, making this a go-to destination for locals and out-oftown visitors.

2000 Elitch Circle Denver, CO 80204 303.595.4386 www.elitchgardens.com

FISKE PLANETARIUM What’s your sign? Join more than 25,000 annual visitors and test your astronomy knowledge at the University of Colorado’s wildly popular planetarium.

Check out the dazzling array of laser and star shows, live star talks and more.

2414 Regent Drive Boulder, CO 80305 303.492.5002 fiske.colorado.edu

FLATIRONS VISTA TRAILHEAD The Flatirons Vista Trail features a twomile loop and three-mile loop through the Ponderosa pines and meadows along the famous Flatirons just south of Boulder. Enjoy hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, trail running and picnicking on this trail, which has been identified as popular with people using wheelchairs.

3663 State Highway 93 Boulder, CO 80302 303.441.3440 http://www.protrails.com/trails/

770 Pennsylvania Street Denver, CO 80203 303.894.2505 www.granthumphreysmansion.org

MILLERCOORS BREWERY TOUR Experience traditional beer brewing in the Rocky Mountains! Become acquainted with the malting, brewing and packaging processes. Then sip a cold sample while resting on ice-cube benches in the “fresh beer room.”

13th Street Golden, CO 80401 303.277.2337 www.millercoors.com

PLATTE RIVER GREENWAY Grab your friends and family and get a move on! With more than 100 miles of hiking and biking trails, this outdoor oasis is a tremendous release from everyday life. Find out for yourself why the Platte River Greenway is a breath of fresh air.

610 South Jason Street Denver, CO 80223 303.743.9720 www.greenwayfoundation.org

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE This legendary area supports more than 330 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish on a 15,000acre expanse of shortgrass prairie.

The Arsenal may be one of the finest conservation success stories in history and a place where wildlife thrives.

Reconnect with nature and experience the many opportunities the Refuge has to offer.

Destination.

6550 Gateway Road Commerce City, CO 80022 303.289.0232 www.fws.gov/rockymountainarsenal

www.botanicgardens.org

ATTRACTIONS

SPORTS AUTHORITY FIELD AT MILE HIGH There is no shortage of Bronco fans in Denver, especially not in the team’s legendary stadium. This is hallowed NFL ground – where John Elway once ruled, and Peyton Manning has taken the reins to lead the best of the AFC West best back into Super Bowl contention.

1701 Bryant Street Denver, CO 80204 720.258.3000 www.sportsauthorityfieldatmilehigh.com

THE WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE Inspiring respect and an appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors, this nature and science museum with a big city feel can be found in the suburbs of Denver. The innovative facility features interactive exhibits, fine art, natural history and community educational outreach programs in an entertaining learning environment.

10035 Peoria Street Parker, CO 80134 720.488.3300 www.thewildlifeexperience.org

UNITED STATES MINT Since the U.S. Mint was founded in 1792 workers have rendered the story of our nation in enduring examples of numismatic art. Through daily tours, take a bird’s eye view of how the coins and medals produced connect to the founding principals of our nation and the underpinnings of the American economy.

320 West Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80204 303.405.4761 www.usmint.gov

Denver Art Museum

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WASHINGTON PARK

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF DENVER

At more than 100 years old, the area known to locals as “Wash Park” is one of the largest parks in Denver.

Located in the south central part of town, it features flower gardens, a 2.6 mile jogging trail, two lakes, a bowling green, tennis courts and more.

Engage and study with interactive playscapes, daily educational programming and popular year-round special events such as the annual Trick or Treat Street. Serving children, newborn through age 8, and their grownups, the Museum provides rich play experiences and a dynamic leaning environment to explore, discover and create!

South Downing Street & East Louisiana Avenue Denver, CO 80209 303.698.4692 www.washpark.com

MUSEUMS

2121 Children’s Museum Drive Denver, CO 80211 303.433.7444 www.mychildrensmuseum.org

BLACK AMERICAN WEST MUSEUM

CLYFFORD STILL MUSEUM

African Americans heavily influenced the development of the American West. The Black American West Museum stands as a lasting memorial to recognize the significant contributions and accomplishments of miners, soldiers, homesteaders, ranchers, schoolteachers, lawmen, and every other profession that helped build the West.

Located in Denver’s thriving Cultural Arts District, this museum allows visitors to explore the works of one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

Clyfford Still originated Abstract Expressionism and influenced artists of the contemporary era. The twostory, 2,500 square foot building, is highlights the best of Still work and provides insight to his artistry

3091 California Street Denver CO 80205 720.242.7428 www.blackamericanwestmuseum.org

1250 Bannock Street Denver, CO 80204 720.354.4880 www.clyffordstillmuseum.org

BYER’S-EVANS HOUSE MUSEUM

DENVER ART MUSEUM

Every home has a tale to tell but the beautifully restored Byer’s-Evans House is more than just a story. This landmark brings light to one of the most influential, yet least known leaders of Denver’s cultural development. Visitors are invited to join guided tours, exhibits, and theater performances throughout the year.

Founded in 1893, the city’s largest museum is one of the most storied in the state with more than 68,000 pieces of art. Holding an extensive American Indian collection with international recognition, the museum is a must-see for culture and art lovers visiting the area.

1310 Bancock Street Denver, CO 80240 306.620.4933 www.historycolorado.org

100 West 14th Avenue Parkway Denver, CO 80204 720.865.5000 www.denverartmuseum.org

ineral-rich soil made it a utopia for farmers. What they didn’t know was that it was the product of an active volcano lurking in their backyard. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, it caught the city of Pompeii by surprise. See the artifacts found in the ruins of this once-thriving metropolis.

September 14, 2012–January 13, 2013

This exhibit is based on the design and presentation developed by the Gulf Coast Exploreum, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and Discovery Place. Organized by Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei

ATTRACTIONS

DENVER FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM

LITTLETON MUSEUM

MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS

Housed in the original Firehouse Number 1 since 1909, this fascinating collection of historical artifacts and stimulating exhibits is an eye-opening experience for visitors of all ages. Enriched by the groundbreaking state-of-the-art gallery space and hands-on interactive activities, this museum is a mixture of innovation and tradition.

Littleton dates back to the famous 1859 Pike’s Peak Gold Rush era. The city’s museum is the primary repository for the history, art and culture of the town. Located on 39 acres, the museum features of two living history farms, a small lake, a collections center, and main exhibition area.

Latino Americano art and culture are on display in this engaging museum. From ancient to contemporary times, innovative demonstrations and programs provide visitors with fresh experiences that go beyond the limits of typical exhibitions.

Museo plays an important role in building pride in the Latino community’s heritage and promoting understanding among cultures.

1326 Tremont Place Denver, CO 80204 303.892.1436 www.denverfirefightersmuseum.org

DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

6028 South Gallup Street Littleton, CO 80120 303.795.3950 www.littletongov.org/museum

MIZEL MUSEUM

For more than 100 years, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has been at the heart of the city’s cultural experience. Explore the cosmos, uncover brilliant gems and minerals, visit IMAX and the planetarium and go toe-to-toe with a T-Rex…if you dare.

A flourishing series of exhibits and programs describes the Jewish experience, ceremonies and festivals. Includes gallery and educational programs designed to inspire visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Fine art, film, literature and drama fueled by interactive experiences celebrate diversity and honor the journeys of all people.

2001 Colorado Boulevard Denver, CO 80205 303.370.6000 www.dmns.org

400 South Kearney Street Denver, CO 80224 303.647.6522 www.mizelmuseum.org

MOLLY BROWN MUSEUM Experience the legacy of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” a leading socialite and philanthropist best known as one of the survivors of the RMS Titanic.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum has been beautifully preserved and serves as a fascinating window into the inspirational life of an American hero.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

1340 Pennsylvania Street Denver, CO 80203 303.832.4092 www.mollybrown.org

KIRKLAND MUSEUM OF FINE AND CONTEMPORY ART

The Denver Post suggests it may just be “the city’s most interesting museum.” Painting, sculpture, furniture, ceramics…an eclectic hodgepodge of classic works from the past 100 years. Some of the best-known designers of our time are represented on a charming tour of this one-of-a-kind facility.

1311 Pearl Street Denver, CO 80203 303.832.8576 www.kirklandmuseum.org

Kirkland Museum Of Fine And Contempory Art

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861 Santa Fe Drive Denver, CO 80204 303.571.4401 www.museo.org

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORY ART DENVER Featuring regional, national and international artists, the vast array of rotating exhibits and public educational programs promotes creative experimentation with art and ideas. Through adult and youth education programs, the Museum of Contemporary Art challenges and creates an outlet of innovation for a culturally engaged community.

1485 Delgany Street Denver, CO 80202 303.298.7554 www.mcadenver.org

WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES ART AND SPACE MUSEUM Colorado’s Official Air & Space Museum is located on the former grounds of Lowery Air Force Base.

From distinctive aircraft “nose art” to a stirring new “Tribute to a Fighter Pilot” exhibit, it is a unique trip inside the state’s rich aeronautics history.

7711 East Academy Boulevard Denver, CO 80230 303.360.5360 www.wingsmuseum.org

MICHAEL

MARTIN

MUR

PHEY

He was western when western wasn’t cool.

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WRITTEN BY dave muscari

n order to understand Michael Martin Murphey’s present state, one must closely examine his past. The Grammy-winning performer and wild lands advocate, in his weathered buckskin clothing, cowboy hat and rustic, bearded grin, is as authentic as the Rocky Mountains. Murphey, or “Murph” to his friends, symbolizes a bygone era, drawing on his family’s deep roots, a genuine love of artful storytelling and the culture of the West. No one personifies this kind of Americana more than Murphey.

His family settled in East Texas back in the 1850s. Born in 1948, Murphey is the oldest son of an accountant named Pink. He was born in the same talent-rich area of Dallas that produced renowned blues brothers Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, the late singer/songwriter B.W. Stevenson (“My Maria,” “Shambala”), jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, bohemian vocalist Edie Brickell and more. A self-taught guitarist who says he never learned to read music, Murphey began singing while still in school. He later performed around campfires for kids while a counselor.

After studying at North Texas State University (now known as the University of North Texas), he moved to California and enrolled at UCLA. There he immersed himself in the classics, with an emphasis on poetry and creative writing. “When I went to UCLA, I intentionally studied classical literature and ancient history,” remembered Murphey. “The wandering minstrel, the guy who wandered around reciting poems, singing songs and telling stories, that was the basis, or the beginning of all literature.

A singer/songwriter is basically a modern day version of that.

It’s a pretty important club that goes back to ancient times,” said Murphey. “I intentionally went after it, and feel honored to be a part of it.”

During his early years in Los Angeles Murphey played in various bands, including one with a fellow Dallas guitarist named Michael Nesmith, who later struck gold with his own group called The Monkees. Murphey wrote “What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round” for Nesmith’s band, which was included on a Monkees’ album that sold over 5 million copies. Performing led to new connections, greater exposure and more songwriting opportunities. “At the heart of it all is the songs and the songwriters…nothing can replace the guy or gal sitting down, and writing a song,” said Murphey. He wrote a succession of songs that were recorded by the likes of John Denver, Bobbie Gentry and Flat & Scruggs.

He also composed an entire album of music that was recorded and released as “The Ballad of Calico” by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. By the early 1970s he played a significant role in the outlaw music scene headquartered in Austin. Along with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Steve Fromholtz and Ray Wiley Hubbard (both classmates at North Texas State), Jerry Jeff Walker and others, Murphey helped spawn an entire musical movement. “The big music business was centralized at Motown in Detroit, pop music in New York and L.A. and country music in Nashville,” recalls Murphey. He believes the 1970s Austin music scene was, “…the beginning of de-centralization,” albeit accidentally. “We came to Austin and just started making music…and there was an audience. All of a sudden they (record executives) started chasing us. They were there looking for people to sign to their record companies. They didn’t have people knocking at their doorstep saying, ‘Please let me in.’ They were knocking on our doorstep saying ‘Please come sign up with us because you’ve got an audience.’” Murphey believes the seeds planted in those days by maverick musicians such as Nelson, Walker and himself redefined the industry. “I think that was the roots of what is now the biggest movement worldwide in music,” he said. “It was the beginning of the independent artist, and the independent artist having his own record company, and control of the material that he or she would sing.”

Photography by Joe Ownbey

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(Left to right) Lost Gonzo Band bassist Bob Livingston, Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphey (in straw hat) perform at the 1973 Kerrville Folk Festival (Courtesy: JLS Hall Photography)

(Left to right) Lost Gonzo Band bassist Bob Livington, Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphey (in straw hat) perform at the 1973 Kerrville Folk Festival Courtesy: JLS Hall Photography

His first FM radio hit was a left-of-center gem he called “Geronimo’s Cadillac.” The song tapped into the country’s growing consciousness surrounding Native American rights, and became a bit of an unofficial anthem at the time. It also set the table for critical and commercial successes to follow. His seventies megahits include “Cosmic Cowboy,” “Carolina in the Pines,” and his signature song, “Wildfire.” It is a poignant tale based in part on the story of a ghost horse his beloved step-grandfather, known as “Granddaddy Ed,” told him as a boy. “Rather than sitting around watching TV or listening to the radio I spent most of my Saturday nights, when I was out on his ranch, listening to him tell stories,” said Murphey. “It was oral culture. The whole idea of entertainment was driven by somebody sitting on a front porch rattling ice in a Mason jar with tea in it, telling a story. That’s why I have a lifelong love of telling stories with my songs.”

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Murphey was a horse of another color, unlike many of the Austin musicians he worked with back in those days. Ultimately it was his differences that took him away. “I finally got fed up with the drug culture and I moved to the top of a mountain in Colorado,” he said. “That’s where I made the album that had ‘Wildfire’ and ‘Carolina in the Pines’ on it.” When he talks about his time in Austin however, it is with genuine affection, not a preachy judgmental tone. “I never wanted to focus my material around getting drunk and getting stoned,” he said. “There was a whole lot of that going on…so I left. I’m not condemning anybody. I just couldn’t do it myself.” Right before he left Austin for good, Murphey wrote a song called “Southwestern Pilgrimage,” which he re-recorded for one of his more recent albums.

The lyrics speak directly to the experience:

“I’m tired of drinking your muddy water And sleeping in your hollow log I’m gonna take up with a stranger I’m gonna get myself a fast moving dog I’m gonna take along a lady Who ain’t never seen a mountain before I’m on a Southwestern pilgrimage Where the middle class can’t hunt me down no more”

Murphey’s hit song “Wildfire” is credited by BMI with 4 million radio and television plays, making it one of the most played songs in music history.

Photography by Marilyn Newton

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n 1983, after years of touring, writing and hard work, Murphey was named the Academy of Country Music’s best new artist.

It was also about this time he officially added his middle name to distinguish him from a popular actor named Michael Murphy (“Manhattan,” “Tanner”). A few years later Murphey performed with the New Mexico Symphony, and has since performed with over 100 symphonies around the world. By the late 1980s he had launched a new phase of his career emphasizing his affection for classic western music and culture bringing it back into the American mainstream. Murphey’s career boasts six gold albums, spanning four decades laced with distinctive hints of folk, country, rock and western music. He has also played a significant role in the resurrection of American cowboy songs and culture, recording some of the most memorable and critically acclaimed western music in years. Murphey is a member of the Western Music Hall of Fame and recognized as the bestselling cowboy music singer in the world.

These days he splits his life between homes scattered around the U.S. where he ranches, writes music and pays close attention to environmental issues. “Over the last 20 years I have divided my time between Colorado and Wisconsin,” said Murphey. He continues to record and tour, and his early music remains front and center on classic rock stations. According to BMI, back-to-back performances of his hit songs

alone, with each averaging about three minutes, would tally over 60 years of continuous airplay.

“Tall Grass & Cool Water. Cowboy Songs VI, Buckaroo Blue Grass III,” is his latest release, produced by his son Ryan, a musician Murphey calls, “The driving creative partner in my life since he was six years old.” It is the third in a critically acclaimed “Buckaroo Blue Grass” series of recordings and features crackerjack bluegrass players such as Sam Bush, Pat Flynn and Andy Leftwich. “It occurred to me that there’s a real strong connection between cowboy music and bluegrass,” said Murphey. “That’s what I listened to as a kid so I came up with the idea. Songs played bluegrass style, by bluegrass musicians all about the west and all about cowboys, all about my lifestyle…in the Rocky Mountains, New Mexico, out on the prairie in Wisconsin, running cattle in Kansas…the places that I have lived.”

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These days his trademark “Cowboy Christmas” concerts take Murphey to cities around Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico for 15 or more performances every holiday season.

He modeled the concept around an annual event in small town Anson, Texas called the “Cowboy’s Christmas Ball,” where the community has celebrated the holidays

With more than 35 albums and a string of Gold Records to his credit, Murphey continues to tour extensively and has performed with over 50 symphony orchestras around the world.

every year since the 1930s. In 2011 Murphey performed at the wedding of Lauren Bush, niece of President George W. Bush, and David Lauren, son of his old friend Ralph Lauren. He reportedly played his classic “Vanishing Breed” for the couple’s first dance together.

Murphey remains close to his western roots, and many of the musicians that he started with years ago. “I just saw Bob Livingston at the Larry Joe Taylor Festival…and a whole bunch of my old buddies that I worked with in the Austin days,” said Murphey. “I see Gary P. Nunn (“London Homesick Blues”) quite often. Herb Steiner comes and plays steel guitar with me from time to time. We’re all having a big reunion of the Lost Gonzo Band/Cosmic Cowboy Band in Steamboat Springs.” A self-proclaimed “preservationist,” the American wilderness he learned to appreciate as a child is still one of his deepest passions.

The Department of the Interior recognized Murphey with a Golden Smokey Award for his vigorous work in conservation and wild lands fire awareness.

Photography by Susan Davis

DHM: Your music has evolved significantly.

Describe how you arrived at the style that you produce today?

Playing a solo acoustic set in the early 70s (Courtesy: Bob Livingston)

We caught up with a relaxed Murphey, sipping hot coffee and enjoying the cool summer air of Gunnison, Colorado. We asked about his roots, how the songs and memories of his boyhood have so deeply impacted his work over the years.

We discussed his hopes for the future of western culture and music, as well as his concerns about the lost art of storytelling.

DHM: How did your music career begin?

MMM: When I first started off in Dallas, I played in little coffee houses because I wasn’t old enough to play in bars. You didn’t have liquor by the drink…in those days. It was all private clubs.

Liquor by the drink didn’t come, in general, until 1970. Ninety-nine percent of the counties in Texas were dry and even where they were wet you had to go to a private club. You had to be a member of a private club to get a drink. So in 1970 the music scene really exploded when, all of a sudden, you had lots of bars where you could have live music; kind of a pent up demand for a lot of music to be in those cities but you no longer had to be a member of a private club.

MMM: Currently I do a combination of bluegrass and cowboy music. That just comes from the fact that I spent a lot of time on my grandfather’s farm. The two things that we listened to most was bluegrass and old fashioned country music. The other music we listened to was cowboy music. Fiddle, banjo, mandolin played bluegrass style was really popular… when I was a kid. So was cowboy music, and the Hillbilly music that came out of the Grand Ol’ Opry…those are the three things that I listened to the most and played the most as a boy.

DHM: You were a huge part of the “outlaw” music movement back in the seventies, however not necessarily given the credit you deserve considering your impact.

MMM: A topic that came up recently among my friends is the same one that you brought up and that is…”Murphey, how come you got overlooked in the origins of the music scene in Austin?” I’ll just tell you why that was, and I will be very candid and plain about it. I don’t do drugs. The drug culture became extremely powerful over the people in Austin at the time.

That was never my focus. I never wanted my material to focus around getting drunk and getting stoned. People kind of saw me as a Boy Scout. “How could his music be cool, ‘cause he’s not doing the cool thing?” I walked away and I never looked back. I’ve had a great career. I’ve not made my career about condemning the people that do the drugs and the alcohol. I’m just telling you as a way of explaining why. I was basically an outlaw against the outlaws.

DHM: When you look back on those days, what stands out most?

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MMM: All the sudden (artists) began to realize they didn’t have to live in New York, L.A. or Nashville. And they didn’t have to deal with the executives that controlled all of that in order to make music and have a career…with Austin being…a beautiful place to live, that just seemed to be a place that attracted all of us who were running away from the big record company control, and the centralization of it.

DHM: You are quite philosophical when it comes to the art and importance of storytelling.

MMM: I am very concerned about our culture losing that one-on-one feeling of reciting a story, telling a story to somebody. I mean it survives in telling jokes and stuff like that. I don’t mean to criticize the Internet because it brought back some of that stuff. We’re writing to each other again. You get them digitally, but we’re writing letters to each other and I think that’s great.

We’re communicating with each other again.

And I think that’s doing some interesting things to society. But I hate to see us move away from the print media just for political reasons. Because once people give up on print media, which to me is what drives the oral stories that get passed down…when communication becomes totally electronic, then it’s easy for somebody to shut it off. Then we’re helpless. It’s a very intellectual endeavor even if it was driven by rural people it’s an intellectual endeavor to tell a story to somebody else. To have that person respond and tell you a story, and then it goes into print and becomes part of folklore – that becomes the basis of our entertainment. Look at what we’re doing in the movies. We’re going back to (motion picture) “Thor”…we’re going back to the classical Greek times when oral culture and reciting poetry was the way you found out about what was going on in your societies. Songwriting is deeply connected.

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Todd Park Mohr

India Arie

Native Coloradans who left a lasting mark on Music Colorado is known for a diversity of performers who have made an impact on popular music and culture. The following is a sampling of some of the regions most successful musicians.

Philip Bailey is best known as the long time vocalist with Earth, Wind & Fire. His soaring falsetto is a key signature on hits such as “Devotion,” and “Keep Your Head to the Sky.” The East High School graduate was already a rising star in the Denver jazz and rhythm and blues scene before joining EWF in the early seventies.

His duet with Phil Collins, “Easy Love,” was a huge radio hit in the eighties and resulted in a Gold record. At age 61, Bailey continues to tour, perform and record as a solo artist and with Earth, Wind & Fire.

Her song “I Kissed a Girl” caused a sensation when it was released in 1995. Since then singer/songwriter Jill Sobule has carved an interesting niche for herself in popular music. Wrapping satirical lyrics around catchy guitar-driven melodies is the Denver native’s musical signature. Her songs have appeared on scores on popular television shows such as “The West Wing,” “Felicity” and more. Over the past few years she has performed extensively with actress and former “Saturday Night Live” star Julia Sweeney in an entertaining revue entitled, “Jill and Julia.”

Since the mid-eighties when Big Head Todd and the Monsters formed in Boulder, the band has steadily grown its rabid fan base, particularly in Colorado and the western states. The band’s “Sister Sweetly” album went platinum and produced a series of hit singles

including “Bittersweet” and “Circle.” From innovative pop-infused rock to old school blues, guitarist Todd Park Mohr and band mates are considered one of the best live acts around. “Big Head Blues Club” released last year features artists including BB King, Charles Musselwhite and Ruthie Foster.

With 10 millions records sold worldwide, the soulful India.Arie enjoys a global following. Born India Arie Simpson in Denver, her appreciation for music began in childhood (her mother Joyce was once a Motown singer who opened for Stevie Wonder and Al Green). Arie’s first album, “Acoustic Soul,” was released in 2001 and nominated for seven Grammys. To date she has a total of four Grammys out of 21 nominations in categories including Best New Artist, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

The String Cheese Incident imaginatively blends elements of country, funk, jazz and bluegrass into one of the most eclectic sounds in music today. Made up of musicians from Telluride and Crested Butte, the Boulder based-SCI headline festivals around the country with a latter-day Grateful Dead jam band vibe. The group’s studio albums are big sellers, however it is the legendary performances on stages at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Lollapalooza and others that has earned them a reputation as one of rock’s best live bands.

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Chances are the name of your high school or college sports team was a rough and tumble handle, designed to strike fear in the hearts of your most bitter rivals.

Badgers, Bearcats, Colts, Eagles, Lions, Marauders, Stallions, Tigers…get the picture?

Since there are so many schools in

Colorado, the wide variety of names for sports teams seems endless. However, at Denver Hotel Magazine we have our favorites. Our crack research staff did a bit of legwork, in honor of fall football season, to give you a sampling of some of the more off-the-wall mascots in Colorado sports.

Try these on for size: Otero County is known for its annual bumper crops of cantaloupe and watermelon. When one area high school suits up for football, basketball, track, baseball and softball games, they are known as the Rocky Ford Meloneers. Legend has it that back in the 1920s the student body picked the mascot’s name, and it stuck. With a school newspaper known as The Meloneer and a yearbook called Le Canteloupe, that just makes sense.

A mascot named after a body part?

Colorado Rocky Mountain School opened in 1953 in Carbondale, located in the shadow of 12,953-foot Mt. Sopris.

Notable alumni include actors Oliver Platt 52

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(“Kinsey,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Bulworth,” “The West Wing”) and Hanna R. Hall (“Forrest Gump,” “The Virgin Suicides”).

And when it comes to sports, beware of those Rocky Mountain Oysters.

Steamboat Springs offers some of the best skiing and snowboarding available in all of Colorado. It is also the home of a high school with a rather inexplicably named mascot, landlocked among the towering Rocky Mountains. Meet the mighty red and white Steamboat Sailors.

CNN reportedly tagged the Brush Beetdiggers as one of the most unusual high school mascots in America (so much for Eels, ‘Skeeters and Wampus Cats, right?). Originally, the school adopted the name due to the large amount of beets grown in the area. At select times of the year, Brush High School would dismiss early so that students could pitch in and help the harvest.

Fans in Fairplay flock to watch their South Park Burros play high school games.

Friday night lights wouldn’t be the same

without the rugged Cheyenne Wells Conquerors. And with a high school marching band of just 26, the fearless blue and gold of Clear Creek Golddiggers of Evergreen understand what it means to be little and loud.

With 68 State high school championships and over 300 conference titles under their belt, the very thought of facing the Fort Collins Lambkins has opponents shaking in their cleats. The image of a fluffy little baby lamb…not so much.

And finally, a Colorado sports mascot with a name that fits like a glove…a ski glove.

A 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report rated it the number one high school in the state. The girls and boys ski teams have a whopping 15 State Championships combined to their credit. And they call themselves, appropriately enough, the Aspen Skiers. Catchy!

Dave Muscari is a freelance writer whose high school team in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama was the Sidney Lanier Poets.

Brush Beetdig gers South Park B urros Rocky M ount ain Oysters

Clear Creek G olddiggers

DINING IN A CITY

that boasts the a significant number of restaurants per capita, the Mile High City is truly a food-lovers town. Denver long ago found its way onto America’s culinary map with innovative restaurants and talented chefs mining the flavors from all over the globe.

BAROLO GRILL

A Denver favorite known for delicious cuisine served in relaxed elegance. Choose from a seasonal menu that features a variety of authentic northern Italian dishes with a parade of locally sourced ingredients.

The spectacular wine cellar includes small family wineries alongside one of the largest collections of Barolo wine outside of Italy. This award-winning Cherry Creek North restaurant is perfect for a special occasion, intimate gathering or just a fun night on the town.

3030 East 6th Avenue Denver, CO 80206 303.393.1040 www.barologrilldenver.com

BITTERSWEET

This award-winning restaurant offers authentic artisanal cuisine steeped in old world traditions. From the handmade breads, tempting pastas and creative desserts to fresh produce grown in on-site gardens, every aspect of the dining experience blends the old world with fresh, local ingredients. Compliment your meal with a hand-selected wine, cordials or other spirits.

500 East Alameda Avenue Denver, CO 80209 303.942.0320 www.bittersweetdenver.com

CAFé AION

This eclectic bistro pays special tribute to the craft of Spanish tapas with ingredients from local farmers, ranchers and fisheries. In addition to the ever-changing repertoire of savory small plates, patrons may enjoy a selection of fresh pastries and indulgent desserts. Open for breakfast, happy hour and dinner. Enjoy happy hour all night on Mondays and Tuesdays.

1235 Pennsylvania Avenue Boulder, CO 80302 303.993.8131 www.cafeaion.com

CANTINA LAREDO

Enjoy gourmet Mexican food in a sophisticated, vibrant atmosphere. Sample a signature margarita -- the Casa Rita -- made from fresh lime-juice and the finest tequila, while savoring guacamole, made right at your table. Visit Cantina Laredo at the Streets at SouthGlenn for lunch, dinner, cocktails and Sunday brunch.

6851 South Gaylord Street Centennial, CO 80122 (303) 795-0339 www.cantinalaredo.com

THE CAPITAL GRILLE

Be wined, dined and dazzled by relaxed elegance and exceptional cuisine. With an intimate dining room and sophisticated bar, it is the perfect setting for lively afternoons and relaxed evenings. Enjoy one of the nationally-renowned dry-aged steaks and sample one of the 5,000 wines from the award-winning wine list.

CHART HOUSE

Exquisite cuisine and a spectacular view of the Denver area top the list at this restaurant. A longstanding local favorite, it is located just half an hour from downtown Denver, and is perfect for a special occasion or spontaneous evening out. It features an impressive selection of mouth-watering entrées, wines, cocktails and decadent desserts.

25908 Genesee Trail Road Golden, CO 80401 303.526.9813 www.chart-house.com

CHOLON MODERN ASIAN BISTRO

Named after the largest market in Saigon, this Denver restaurant offers a creative spin on traditional Asian dishes. The historic LoDo restaurant also serves lunch, dinner and small bites all day. Handcrafted cocktails enhance the vibrant flavors of the inventive menu, and the large projection screen in the lounge makes ChoLon a suitable location for business meetings and presentations.

1555 Blake Street, Suite 101 Denver, CO 80202 303.353.5223 www.cholon.com/denver

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Cantina Ladero

1450 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 303.539.2500 www.thecapitalgrille.com

Cool River Cafe

DINING COLT & GRAY

Enjoy everything from juicy burgers and beer to delectable lobster dishes complemented by vintage wines at this cozy local pub. The classic setting is augmented by the affordability of a neighborhood restaurant that prides itself on superior food and service.

1553 Platte Street, #120 Denver, CO 80202 303.477.1447 www.coltandgray.com

COOL RIVER CAFE

The ambiance here is warm, yet casually elegant for a complete dining experience that caters to all the senses. Savor American classics including sizzling steaks and tasty seafood recipes while enjoying happy hour and martini specials. Visit Cool River for lunch, dinner, cocktails or Sunday brunch.

8000 East Belleview Avenue, Suite C10 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.771.4117 www.Coolrivercafe..com

DEL FRISCO’S DOUBLE EAGLE STEAK HOUSE

Taking a few traditional cues from its Western roots, this classic steakhouse features an intimate atmosphere and the finest in chef-driven cuisine.

Enjoy the prime steaks, seafood, veal, lamb and lobster tails. Make sure to sample the exceptional wine cellar and premium cigars.

8100 East Orchard Road Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.796.0100 www.delfriscos.com

DENVER CHOPHOUSE & BREWERY

Located downtown in the historic Union Pacific Building and adjacent to Coors Field, this venerable restaurant is perfect for all occasions. It features an extensive wine collection, handcrafted beers brewed on site, plus a weekend brunch happy hour and a celebrated menu.

1735 19th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.296.0800 www.denverchophouse.com

DOWNTOWN AQUARIUM RESTAURANT

Your underwater adventure begins around a 50,000-gallon aquarium with more than 100 species of exotic tropical fish. The menu features fresh fish, steaks and more. Open for lunch or dinner seven days a week and happy hour Monday through Friday at the distinctive Dive Lounge.

700 Water Street Denver, CO 80211 303.561.4450 www.aquariumrestaurants.com

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DUO RESTAURANT

This farm-to-table treasure is tucked away in one of Denver’s hippest neighborhoods, and offers a relaxed and unassuming environment. A word of advice: save room for dessert. Duo’s renowned pastry chef presents magical treats to top off any meal.

2413 West 32nd Avenue Denver, CO 80211 303.477.4141 www.duodenver.com

EDGE RESTAURANT

Located in the Four Seasons, this neighborhood steakhouse brings Colorado’s best local ingredients to the heart of downtown Denver. Enjoy a sleek dining room experience with wood-grilled steak, or sample the juicy Kobe sliders in the bar complimented by a hand-selected wine.

1111 14th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.389.3343 www.edgerestaurantdenver.com

Colt & Gray

ELWAY’S

With locations downtown and in Denver’s distinctive Cherry Creek neighborhood, this is the ideal setting for any occasion. The menu boasts USDA hand cut prime steaks, finfish, crustaceans and more. You will always find something new and fresh on the seasonal menu. Come for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and enjoy an outstanding meal that is uniquely Colorado.

Elway’s Cherry Creek: 2500 East 1st Avenue, Unit 101 Denver, CO 80206 303.399.5353 www.elways.com Elway’s Downtown: 1881 Curtis Street Denver, CO 80202 303.312.3107 www.elways.com

EUCLID HALL BAR & KITCHEN

Located in historic Euclid Hall, this American tavern specializes in fine cocktails, craft beers and innovative, high-quality pub food from around the world. A convenient location for Pepsi Center attendees, Auraria students, LoDo club-goers, convention visitors and Denver Center for the Performing Arts patrons. Check out the Study Hall happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

1317 14th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.595.4255 www.euclidhall.com

Duo Restaurant

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE restaurant

This 1929 cabin built into a mountainside at 6,000 ft. offers breathtaking views of Boulder and surrounding wildlife. The familyowned restaurant is an excellent dining experience. It features a multi-awardwinning wine list from a 12,000-bottle cellar, exquisite French-American cuisine and impeccable service. Come see for yourself why it was named to Open Table’s list of “50 Best Restaurants in the U.S.” 1138 Flagstaff Road Boulder, CO 80302 303.442.4640 www.flagstaffhouse.com

FLEMING’S STEAKHOUSE & WINE BAR

Enjoy this exceptional dining experience, featuring the finest prime beef and 100 wines served by the glass.

After work, golf or shopping, stop in for superior steaks, innovative recipes and attentive service. Open for dinner seven days a week.

191 Inverness Drive West Englewood, CO 80112 303.768.0827 www.flemingssteakhouse.com

FRASCA

Named after the friendly, informal gathering places in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Northeast Italy, this lovely restaurant features exquisitely prepared fare and a comprehensive wine list boasting more than 200 varieties.

Warm, welcoming and unpretentious, it is the perfect destination for impromptu gatherings, casual dinners and special occasions.

1738 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 303.442.6966 www.frascafoodandwine.com

FRUITION

Chef Alex Siedel, named one of “Food & Wine’s” best new chefs of 2010, creates seasonal menus of sophisticated comfort food using only the highest quality, local ingredients. Fruition’s symphony of mood, service and cuisine reflect an expertise and grace that elevates this dining experience to an exciting new level.

1313 East 6th Avenue Denver, CO 80218 303.831.1962 www.fruitionrestaurant.com

FUEL CAFé

This eclectic restaurant delivers unique cuisine with a deep commitment to environmentally friendly practices. The menu of Cuban, Italian and Spanish inspired dishes changes monthly, driven by the seasons. Enjoy this distinct Denver dining experience for brunch, lunch, dinner and happy hour.

3455 Ringsby Court, #105 Denver, CO 80216 303-296-4642 www.fuelcafedenver.com

seasonal. contemporary. neighborhood. food.

HACIENDA COLORADO

This “mountain Mex” restaurant boasts a distinctive style of cuisine. The menu features traditional recipes updated with a Rocky Mountain twist. Chill out on the patio and enjoy one of 120 tequilas or take a table in the relaxed, upscale dining room or bar.

4100 East Mexico Avenue Denver, CO 80202 303.756.5700 www.haciendacolorado.com

HAPA SUSHI GRILL & SAKE BAR

As the name suggests, the menu reflects a harmonious blend of Asian and American cultures. It is based on traditional Japanese cooking fundamentals, which are amplified, muted or mixed with other cooking styles to create something completely new and different. With four locations in the Denver-Boulder area, satisfy your sushi craving at Hapa.

Boulder: 1117 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 303.473.4730 www.hapasushi.com

Seasonal features entrees include seafood, beef, chicken and lamb Extensive wine selection Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch

Cherry Creek: 2780 E 2nd Avenue Denver, CO 80206 303.322.9554 www.hapasushi.com Landmark: 5380 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard, Suite 101 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.267.8744 www.hapasushi.com

at the glenn Hours | 7 days a week, 11:00 am to close

Streets at Southglenn at the Fountain 6955 S. York Street, Centennial, Co

303.730.7200

ivyattheglenn.com

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IZAKAYA DEN

This is a cosmopolitan experience in a vibrant, hip space. Glance into the open-air kitchen as Milanese chef/owner Andrea Frizzi prepares dishes inspired from Northern Italian recipes. The resident sommelier ensures the perfect wine for any meal. And the everchanging menu features local organic produce and meats with fresh seafood flown in daily.

A popular Japanese gastro that pub serves global cuisine. The tapas-style menu features traditional Japanese plates and dishes inventively infused with international flavor. The creative spin on traditional sushi offers delicious rolls and refreshing cocktails in an understated, upscale ambience. Open for lunch, dinner and happy hour.

2011 East 17th Avenue Denver, CO 80206 303.394.0100 www.ilpostodenver.com

1518 South Pearl Street Denver, CO 80201 303.777.0691 www.izakayaden.net

IVY AT THE GLENN

LALA’S WINE BAR & PIZZERIA

This is south metro Denver’s newest premier restaurant. It features a new concept, developed by the founder of Footer’s Restaurant and Baur’s Ristorante, and combines classic comfort food with a warm, inviting ambiance.

Ivy At The Glenn

6955 South York Street Centennial, CO 80122 303.730.7200 www.ivyattheglenn.com

Nestled in Capitol Hill, this tasty pizzeria provides a combination of high-end wines and thin-crust, Neapoitan-style pizza inspired by the Italian trattoria.

Using only San Marazano tomatoes for a savory sauce, the pizzas capture the quintessential flavors of Italy with New World flair. The menu also features many house-made items, including pastas, mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, as well as scoops of gelato. Free Wi-Fi is available.

410 East 7th Avenue Denver, CO 80203 303.861.9463 www.lalaswinebar.com

LEGRAND BISTRO & OYSTER BAR

A re-creation of fine Parisian bistros and brasseries from a time long passed. Located in LoDo , Le Grand harkens back to an era when Moules Frites, a plate of cheese and your favorite French table wine, was an everyday occurrence. Magnifique!

1512 Curtis Street Denver, CO 80202 303.534.1155 www.legranddenver.com

LINGER

Located in Denver’s Lower Highlands (LoHi) neighborhood, the vibrant international cuisine reflects a broad farm-to-street sensibility with a spin on traditional ethnic eats. Design elements are a purposeful contradiction, featuring reclaimed boxcar floors, a Lite Brite bar top and infinity windows with incredible views of Downtown Denver.

2020 West 30th Avenue Denver, CO 80211 303.993.3120 www.lingerdenver.com

501 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.595.3700 www.marlowesdenver.com

MCCORMICK’S FISH HOUSE & BAR

While demonstrating culinary excellence, the menus reflect seafood from the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Products are sourced from local ranches, farms and wineries to showcase regionally inspired dishes. Stop by and enjoy award-winning happy hour specials.

1659 Wazee Street Denver, CO 80202 303.825.1107 www.mccormickandschmicks.com

MIZUNA

This restaurant has earned a reputation as a special place among food lovers and critics. Rated one of the top restaurants in the Western U.S., their chefs have wide creative berth when it comes to the monthlychanging menu. Sample revamped versions of old recipes, unique food combinations and a stellar wine list for lunch and dinner.

OCEAN PRIME

With a passion for delivering an extraordinary experience to each and every guest, this restaurant is committed to serving the highest quality steak, seafood, handcrafted cocktails and award-winning wine. Executive chef teams have traveled, tasted and compared notes to refine a menu that ignites curiosity and surpasses expectations.

1465 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 303.825.3663 www.oceanprimedenver.com

OLIVéA

Inspired by the cuisines of Spain, Italy and Southern France, each handmade dish showcases the flavors of the Mediterranean seasonally changing menu and makes the most of the current harvests. Experience this region’s exuberant sense of hospitality and extroverted love of food.

719 East 17th Avenue Denver, CO 80203 303.861.5050 www.olivearestaurant.com

– OSTERIA MARCO

With classic hand-tossed Italian pizza, an extensive and accessible wine selection, house crafted meats and cheeses, and rustic elegance, this restaurant is classic ōstería (a place in Italy serving wine and simple food). This playful little brother of the highend Luca d’Italia continues the tradition of quality food and wine and impeccable service.

1453 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80202 303.534.5855 www.osteriamarco.com

PALACE ARMS

Linger

LUCA D’ITALIA

Zagat’s once named this delightful bistro the top Italian restaurant in the Western U.S. The food is lovingly prepared, thoughtfully served and thoroughly enjoyed. A seasonally changing menu features Sicilian-style meats, pastas, breads and cheeses all prepared fresh in-house.

711 Grant Street Denver, CO 303.832.6600 www.lucadenver.com

MARLOWE’S

Since 1982, the new American cuisine and exceptional service have made this restaurant one of Denver’s most popular gathering spots for lunch, dinner or after work. The specially trained staff guides diners through wine selections, recommendations and answers to all cuisine questions.

Happy hour every day from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

225 East 7th Avenue Denver, Colorado 80203 303.832.4778 www.mizunadenver.com

MORTON’S STEAK HOUSE

Located in the heart of LoDo, this popular steakhouse serves the finest quality foods, including USDA prime-aged beef, fresh fish and seafood, handpicked produce, delicious appetizers and elegant desserts. Adjacent to many of Denver’s top sports venues, shops and local businesses, it is the perfect destination for an exceptional dining experience or bar bites before the big game.

Every palace has its crown jewel, and the contemporary fine dining here is a treasure. Located in the Brown Palace Hotel, the award-winning restaurant blends contemporary American cuisine with an exceptional wine selection. Signatures items include a tableside Caesar salad, seared steak of Colorado bison and other creative, contemporary and traditional dishes.

321 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.297.3111 www.brownpalace.com/dining/palace-arms

1710 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80202 303.825.3353 www.mortons.com/denver

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DINING PANZANO

Decorated chef Elise Wiggins offers excellent contemporary Northern Italian cuisine. Each handmade dish is unique, and features local organic, sustainable ingredients. An award-winning wine list features hand-selected pairings that will please even the most discriminating palate.

909 17th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.296.3525 www.panzano-denver.com

PAPPADEAUX SEAFOOD KITCHEN

This restaurant is all about fresh seafood and bold French Quarter flavors. Even Louisiana natives consider this one of the best places to get Cajun and creole cuisine outside of Louisiana. With prompt friendly service and a lively atmosphere, the only thing more authentic than the dishes is the southern hospitality.

7520 East Progress Avenue Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.740.9449 www.pappadeaux.com

RESTAURANT KEVIN TAYLOR AT THE HOTEL TEATRO

Using only the freshest ingredients, this top-rated bistro creates elegant dishes of substance, between fusion and French, the American Southwest and the Asian Rim. Sample from among 900 wines that are served, and enjoy an evening in what Zagut called one of “America’s Top 25 Hotel Restaurants” in 2011.

1106 14th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.820.2600 www.ktrg.net

RIOJA

Featuring a menu inspired by Mediterranean ingredients and influenced by local, seasonal products, the restaurant’s overarching mission is simple: pure food that emphasizes bright flavors and textures. The wines are a collection of fun, interesting varietals that complement the cuisine.

With plenty of vegetarian options and impeccable service, Rioja is consistently rated among the top restaurants in Denver.

1431 Larimer Street Denver, CO 303.820.2282 www.riojadenver.com

SHANAHAN’S

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

POTAGER

Since 1997, this popular dining spot has encouraged patrons to partake in the immediacy and excitement of vegetables fresh from the ground, fruit right off the branch and fish straight from the sea. Cuisine is determined largely by the availability of ingredients and products that meet Potager’s high standards of both quality and environmental friendliness.

1109 Ogden Avenue Denver, CO 80218 303.832.5788 www.potagerrestaurant.com

RACINE’S

This has been one of the area’s favorite dining spots for everything from breakfast to late night since opening in 1983. Serving a tried and true mix of award-winning American and Mexican cuisine, Racine’s is also gluten-free friendly. It is located between the popular Cherry Creek shopping district and downtown Denver.

650 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203 303.595.0418 www.racinesrestaurant.com 60

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From the outside, it’s easy to mistake this famous steakhouse for a modern museum. Former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan’s famed Lombardi trophies are on display, contributing to a rare atmosphere. But the USDA prime aged steaks, fresh seafood flown in daily, and signature cocktails are the real attractions. Enjoy exceptional menu and impeccable service nightly.

5085 South Syracuse Street Denver, CO 80237 303.770.7300 www.shanahanssteakhouse.com

TABLE 6

Welcome to a classic American bistro, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere. Chef Scott Parker prepares succulent dishes delivered with an elegant style and grace. His nightly fare is complemented by a dynamic wine list created by owner and sommelier Aaron Forman, which represents many of the flourishing wine districts around the world.

609 Corona Street Denver, CO 80218 303.831.8800 www.table6denver.com

TABLES

Owners and chefs Amy Vitale and Dustin Barrett transformed this spot from an ordinary storefront to a cozy, eclectic restaurant with personality and charm.

The creative New American cuisine and friendly service at Tables is a bright spot. Menus are regularly updated to feature the freshest seasonal ingredients.

2267 Kearney Street Denver, CO 80207 303.388.0299 www.tablesonkearney.com

THE FORT

Sample a tantalizing selection of old and new cuisine from the Early West, including beef, buffalo, wild game and seafood. The award-winning restaurant is located in Southwest Denver, and has been featured in publications including the New York Times, and Bon Appetit. It reportedly sells more buffalo steaks than any other independently owned restaurant in the country.

19192 Highway 8 Morrison, CO 80465 303.697.4771 www.thefort.com

SUSHI DEN

Regarded as one of the premiere sushi and Japanese restaurants in the U.S. since the mid 80’s, this popular spot continually raises the bar and sets a standard for high quality cuisine. With a 6.5 acre farm where the restaurant grows its own pesticidefree produce, plus fresh seafood flown in from one of Japan’s largest fish markets, Sushi Den continues its reign as a leader among Denver restaurants.

1487 South Pearl Street Denver, CO 80210 303.777.0826 www.sushiden.net Sushi Den

STIR

YOUR SENSES. An experience that caters to taste, feel, sight, sound and smell.

Slip into Cool River and surround yourself with a mix of fine food and exotic cocktails.

Excitement is swirling around every corner at Cool River.

8000 E. Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111 303-771-4117 CoolRiverCafe.com Book our PRiVAtE EVEnt SPACE now for your PARty!

DINING THE KITCHEN

Gathering around the table and sharing food and drink is what connects family and friends. Share the legendary spirit of the family kitchen in this neighborhood restaurant. It serves exceptional contemporary American cuisine with local, organic ingredients. The Kitchen is also deeply committed to environmentally friendly practices and giving back to the Denver community.

Boulder: 1039 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 303.544.5973 www.thekitchencommunity.com Denver: 1530 16th Street Denver, CO 80202 303.623.3127 www.thekitchencommunity.com

TRINITY GRILLE

Relax in this retreat tailor made for the business traveler in downtown Denver. Conveniently located across from the Brown Palace Hotel, the Grille is a local institution. It offers a variety of appetizers, soups, salads and a full menu of fresh seafood, succulent steaks and sandwiches. Enjoy nightly specials in a warm, comfortable atmosphere.

1801 Broadway Denver, CO 80202 303.293.3228 www.trinitygrille.com

VENICE RISTORANTE

With two locations, patrons may enjoy monthly wine dinners, private dining, complete catering services and delectable five-course meals. Venice prides itself in the care they give to each guest, from impeccable service to exquisite, authentic Italian cuisine.

Denver: 1700 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80238 303.354.2222 www.veniceristorante.com Greenwood Village: 5946 Holly Street Greenwood Village, CO 80111 720.482.9191 www.veniceristorante.com

WILLIE G’S SEAFOOD & STEAKS

An upscale seafood and steak restaurant with a loyal following, this downtown hot spot enjoys a national reputation. Enjoy lunch, dinner or fabulous happy hour specials in a comfortably chic atmosphere.

1585 Lawrence Street Denver, CO 80202 303.575.9000 www.williegs.com

YA YA’S

Treat your taste buds to a tour of Europe without the expensive airfare. This lovely bistro caters to the casual diner, with room for business meetings and special occasions. The menu changes daily to ensure the freshest seafood, best quality steaks, chops, and other exquisite entrees.

8310 East Belleview Avenue Greenwood Village, CO 80111 303.741.1110 www.yayasbistro.com

VESTA DIPPING GRILL The Kitchen

THE PALM RESTAURANT

Located in the Westin Denver Downtown Hotel overlooking the scenic Rocky Mountains, this fashionable restaurant has maintained the same “mile high” standards that original Palm set so many years ago. It features honest, satisfying dishes that reflect an American heritage, from prime aged steaks and jumbo Nova Scotia lobsters to a variety of Italian classics. The signature cocktails and award-winning wine list are the perfect complement to a superb menu.

1672 Lawrence Street Denver, CO 80202 303.825.7256 www.thepalm.com/denver

Named for the Goddess of the Hearth, chef Matt Selby’s world grill cuisine thrives in the form of more than thirty house-made dipping sauces, chutneys, salsas, mojos, aiolis and a seasonally changing menu. This award-winning restaurant also boasts a cozy, sensual ambiance that places it at the top of Denver foodies’ bucket lists.

Ya Ya’s

1822 Blake Street Denver, CO 80202 303.296.1970 www.vestagrill..com

The authentic French Parisian eatery is located in the historic Highlands neighborhood, just minutes from LoDo. It offers a daily blackboard menu featuring genuine French fare made with the best local, organic ingredients. For the full French experience, visit À Côté, an on-site, authentic absinthe bar.

WHITE CHOCOLATE GRILL

This unique grill features a diverse menu of classic made-from-scratch recipes. From the appetizers and salads to chicken, seafood and steaks, each dish is prepared with the finest ingredients. The house-made white chocolate and other desserts are a perfect ending to any meal.

8421 Park Meadows Center Drive Lone Tree, CO 80124 303.799.4841 www.whitechocolategrill.com

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Z CUISINE BISTROT

Z Cuisine Bistrot: 2239 West 30th Avenue Denver, CO 80211 303.477.1111 www.zcuisineonline.com

À Côté: 2245 West 30th Avenue Denver, CO 80211 303.477.1111

TasTe The GourmeT side of mexican cuisine

Sip the finest margarita Taste guacamole made fresh at your table Savor fresh seafood and steaks with authentic sauces Twenty Ninth Street 1680 29th Street Boulder, CO 303.444.2260

The Streets at SouthGlenn 6851 S. Gaylord St. Centennial, CO 303.795.0339

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter • cantinalaredo.com

One-Day

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Adventures

Day Trippin’

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ou stand in the middle of the crystal clear waters of the South Platte River, the fall sun glistening off your line as a midge, tied to your leader, floats into the shadows.

It catches the attention of an 18” rainbow trout that arcs out of the water, grabbing the fly and buzzing the drag on your reel as it heads downstream. The fight is on. And it’s just your first catch of the day. Amazingly, you’re only an hour out of downtown Denver and in a true wilderness setting – bald eagles nest nearby, bighorn sheep walk the canyon walls, mule deer and black bear roam the ponderosa pine forest – and the river you’re fishing runs through a fantastic stretch of granite boulders, many the size of cars.

Jim Cannon, your guide from The Blue Quill Angler (one of 23 guides on staff), has set you up for a full day of unparalleled fly-fishing. With twenty-plus years of guiding and instruction, he not only takes you to the best spots, but also helps you develop a better technique to cast and present your fly naturally so more trout rise to take it. Plus, he gives you pointers on reeling in the large catches that lurk beneath.

The benefits of using a guide are many. They provide rods, reels, waders, flies and even lunch. They work with you at any level, from the curious who have never fished before to expert fly fisherman. Guide Austin Par is a seasoned trout fisherman and talented in all aspects of the sport. At just

18-years old, he has fished since he was old enough to hold a rod, Last year alone Austin caught over 3,000 fish, the majority of which were trout species. Don’t underestimate his skills due to his young age however. His experience is broad, and he specializes in catching fish year round in all situations and locations. When you book with Austin, you can expect a great day on the water, not only catching fish, but learning the finer points of the sport from casting to fly selection and presentation, all from a talented angler.

Some guide services will even pick you up at your hotel and drive you to the river. And best of all, guides know where the fish are biting and you have the best chances to hook a lot – it’s catch and release on most waters – and can get you access to private waters that see few fisherman.

Denver is less than two hours from are some of the best fishing waters in the West, including the Blue, Colorado, South Platte, and Williams Fork Rivers and Boulder, Clear, South Boulder, St. Vrain and Tarryall Creeks.

Additionally, short hikes can get you to pristine mountain lakes filled with brook trout and small rainbows. The scenery is breathtaking as is the fishing.

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full day of fly fishing for you and a friend ranges from $300 to $400 plus a tip (group rates are also available). If you want access to private waters, it’s an additional $75 to $350 per person (depending upon the property). It’s not much for a day of fishing that you’ll be telling friends about for years to come.

THE REEL DEAL

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arly Morning Risers Waking up when it’s still dark so you can be out on the river when the fish are biting may be one reason to set your alarm, but an even better one would be to catch sunrise over Denver a thousand feet off the ground.

That’s where Ken Tadolini, your certified pilot and hot air balloon guide with Rocky Mountain Hot Air, wants to take you (and up to four of your friends or family). He’s been flying balloons for 23 years, and launches at sunrise year round from Chatfield State Recreation Area, a half-hour southwest of Downtown Denver.

From high up in his ninety thousand cubic foot “Outlaw” balloon or his one hundred twenty thousand cubic foot “Bandit,” you float above the lakes, streams and grasslands, looking east over the city and west into the foothills of the Rockies. Ken says that you hardly realize you are moving as you silently drift with the wind.

Get great savings on all kinds of gear and awesome guided adventures.

• Specializing in factory closeouts and merchandise specials - on quality items!

• All kinds of fishing gear • Shop on line or in person • Fly fishing trips • Big game hunts

Tackle Where the big one never gets away.

2645 S. Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80223 Open every day at 9 a.m.

303-698-2550 (local-Denver) 1-866-367-3597 (toll-free) www.fortackle.com S I N C E

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Of course, first you have to listen to the roar of the burners and fans that inflate the balloon (you can help out if you wish). Then, you climb into the basket and slowly rise as the hot air pulls you higher. There are no seats for your one hour balloon ride but you don’t care, you’re so taken with the scenery, the incredible sunrise and the very sensation of flying. Plan on three to three and a half hours for the hot air experience that includes check in, passenger safety briefing, inflating the balloon, the ride and landing.

You’ll also need to dress warmly for the early morning air temperatures that can be 30 degrees (although be ready to shed a layer as the burner gives out radiant heat and the sun heats things up pretty quickly).

Another Way to New Heights Maybe you’re just the type of person who wants to make your own way up high or you’re looking for a more physical challenge. If so, nothing beats a day of rock climbing on the granite walls that line the canyons near Boulder (40 minutes away) with the Colorado Mountain School. This is the perfect next step if all you’ve ever done was in a climbing gym. And even if you’ve never tried climbing before, CMS can give you the skills you need to ascend some basic routes.

As you ascend one of the many rock faces in Boulder Canyon or (if you are have a bit more experience) the immense cliffs that line Eldorado Canyon State Park, you see climbers who come from across the country to gracefully scale their single and multi-pitch routes. Steve Levin, your guide and instructor for the day (one of 27 highly experienced climbers on the CMS staff), patiently teaches you climbing knots, the latest in safe climbing techniques, how to manage belaying other climbers (securing their safety rope as they climb), rappelling (descending) and the basics of anchors and climbing systems. His love of the sport shines through and his knowledge of the area is unsurpassed (he wrote the definitive guidebook Eldorado Canyon: A Climbing Guide, published in 2009).

October may be the best climbing month of the year. The crisp fall air and blue skies allow for comfortable ascents and amazing views. You can enjoy half-day of climbing for two people for $250, with rates varied by group size; CMS provides your harness, helmet, climbing shoes and all technical gear needed. If you’re an intermediate climber and want to learn multipitch climbing, focusing on crack climbing or sport climbing, CMS can set you up with an instructor for a full day for $295 ($390 for two people) at some of the best 5.6 – 5.8 routes in the country – the Bastille Crack, Calypso, Rewritten and Ruper in Eldorado Canyon or the classic Direct East Face of the 1st Flatiron in Boulder.

One-Day

Guided

The Old West on Horseback Most people forget that what originally brought frontier Americans to the Mile High City was a discovery in 1858 a few miles south of downtown: Gold. What today seems like a tiny amount – six ounces taken from Little Dry Creek – set off a frenzy of mining activity that would become the Colorado Gold Rush. A year later, John Gregory discovered the “Gregory Lode” in a gulch 35 miles west of Denver and within two months 10,000 miners converged to create what became known as “the Richest Square Mile on Earth,” the town of Central City, Colorado. It was a true Wild West town, with fist fights and knife fights on the street and almost a hundred shoot-outs in one year alone.

But the lives of most gold miners were lived high up on the mountains, where they rode their horses to reach gold veins that ran beneath some of the most spectacular scenery in the West. And that’s where you, too, can saddle up with Ginger DeRay of A&A Historical Trails Stables to travel along mining trails above 9,000 feet and enjoy the alpine splendor. Take in vistas of 14,000-foot peaks, ride through juniper and aspen forests, see St. Mary’s Glacier (a perennial snowfield at 11,000 feet), and visit historic graveyards, gold mines and a ghost town from the 1800s.

Adventures

Ginger says fall is a great time of year to ride in the Rockies; the sun is not too strong, the air is dry and cool and the aspen trees have turned to shimmering gold. Even as dedicated lover of horses, Ginger confides that, “sharing the mountains is what I truly love about my job.”

Downhill All the Way There’s a different kind of saddle you can sit on and experience the Colorado mountains – a bike seat. While not exactly a guided adventure, you can pedal (or coast) down a beautiful paved alpine trail from the Vail Pass summit at 10,600 feet to the Summit County valley at 9,000 feet. There’s a free shuttle from Pioneer Sports in Frisco, Colorado – a 90-minute drive from Denver – as long as you rent your bikes from them. This is an inexpensive opportunity to get up to the High Rockies and enjoy the outdoors -- $21 for half-day or $31 for a full-day rental.

It’s 14 miles from the Vail Pass summit back to the bike shop. You can go at your own rate, stopping to take in the views or flying down at full speed with the fall wind in your hair.

Rides with Ginger can be arranged for from one to eight people and run $40 per person for the first hour and $30 for each additional hour. She also offers a Graveyard Halloween Ride to five historic cemeteries and a Gambling Spree Ride to the Central City casinos (a six-hour roundtrip experience for a minimum of five people for $120 each) where you can gamble and buy dinner and drinks before returning to the stables.

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One-Day

Guided

Adventures

Fly Fishing

Mountain Horseback Riding

Discount Fishing Tackle, Inc. (303) 698-3597, (800) 367-3597 www.fortackle.com email: mgrayelk@qwestoffice.net

Rock Climbing

Blue Quill Angler (303) 674-4700 or (800) 435-5353 www.bluequillangler.com email: jimc@bluequillangler.com

Colorado Trout Hunters (303) 325-5515 www.coloradotrouthunters.com email: info@coloradotrouthunters.com

Hot Air Ballooning

A&A Historical Trails (303) 567-4808 www.aastables.com email: horses@aastables.com

Colorado Mountain School (800) 836-4008 www.totalclimbing.com email: info@totalclimbing.com

Vail Pass Biking

Pioneer Sports (970) 668-3668 email: pioneer@colorado.net

Rocky Mountain Hot Air LLC (303) 936-0292 www.rockymountainhotair.com email: outlaw@rockymountainhotair. com Fantasy Balloons (303) 478-3531 fantasy-balloons.com email: info@denverballoonrides.com

An uplifting experience.

Join the Colorado hot air balloons tradition! It’s a safe, distinctively timeless form of flight. You don’t feel the wind – you’re a part of it. Drift gracefully above the Rocky Mountain terrain with our trained pilots and experience a place where peace and tranquility reign as you float over the treetops.

After your flight, we’ll celebrate the adventure and reminisce about your journey.

Plus we present our travelers with a Certificate of Ascension and a special commemorative balloon pin.

Rocky Mountain Hot Air, llc Come fly with us. What are you waiting for?

5075 W. Alaska Place | Denver, CO 80219 | 303-936-0292 | rockymountainhotair.com Licesence # RYHR519X

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What is it that makes the Front Range such a magnet for American beer connoisseurs?

It is a provocative question and one that might be best addressed this fall during a nine-day celebration that includes two of the area’s most popular annual festivals.

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More than 150 beer-centered activities are scheduled for the fourth annual Denver Beer Fest, which begins October 5 through October 9 (www.denver.org). It overlaps by design with the Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center, October 11-13.

Great American Beer Festival (GABF) tickets went on sale on August 2, and according to area press reports, sold out in less than an hour. The Festival made its debut in 1982 when a small crowd gathered in a Boulder hotel. Over the years it has grown dramatically into the world’s largest beer celebration with a Guinness World Record for the most beers ever made available for tasting at a single event. This year’s event includes over 2,000 beers, more than 500 breweries and an estimated audience of nearly 50,000.

The beer business has been bubbling in and around the Mile High City for many years. The state is home to four of the top-50 brewing companies in America. There are nearly 140 breweries in Colorado. According to The Beer Institute, Colorado ranks number one in terms of gross beer production.

And, it is in the top five of U.S. states insofar as the number of brewpubs and craft breweries, so says The Brewers Association.

Everyone is familiar with the Coors Brewing Company (these days known as MillerCoors), which started making

beer back in 1871. But beyond the big boys, Colorado is overflowing with smaller, celebrated brewpubs dedicated in a variety of handcrafted specialties. Craft brewers such as such as Left Hand in Longmont, New Belgium in Fort Collins, Grand Lake Brewing Company (packaging their products at 8,369 feet above sea level), Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Loveland and an ever-increasing variety of beer makers continue to feed Coloradans’ appetite for the sudsy stuff.

So whether your tastes run from sampling the suds over a few days at the GABF (if you were lucky enough to score tickets), or via the inaugural Denver Beer Fest pub-crawl, there is plenty of opportunity. If you’re interested in a two-hour, guided walking tour through downtown Denver, Colorado’s historic LODO (lower downtown) and ballpark neighborhood districts, try the Denver Microbrew Tour. It features beer samplings at a number of area microbreweries and information about why Denver is often called the “Napa Valley of Beer.” Call 303.578.9548 for details.

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Here are some venues – from family-owned all the way up to huge multinational conglomerates – we suggest you give a try.

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MillerCoors Brewing Company (13th and Ford Streets, Golden) offers self-guided, audio tours that last about 35 minutes. If you are 21 or over you may enjoy up to three free samples of their variety of beer products or complimentary soft drinks. More than 250,000 people take this popular free tour each year on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations.

The Wildlife Habitat Council recognized Anheuser Busch’s Fort Collins Brewery (2351 Busch Drive) in 2006 for their extraordinary environmental initiatives and practices.

Tours of the innovative facility are available followed by complimentary sampling opportunities for visitors 21 and older. Beyond the tour, the famous Budweiser Clydesdales (West Coast team) reside at the Fort Collins facility. Check for announcements of when the team is in town.

Wynkoop Brewing Company (1634 18th Street) is one of the largest brewpubs in America. Located in downtown Denver, the beers are frothy and brewed on site. Former Mayor and current Governor John Hickenlooper reportedly brewed and served the very first pint when the pub opened back in 1988. Happy hour is always lively and goes from 3 p.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays.

Bull & Bush Pub and Brewery (4700 Cherry Creek Drive South) For more than 40 years, the Bull & Bush has been a classic Colorado bar. It was modeled after a 1645 London pub, and started by a pair of local brothers. It is said to be America’s first sports bar.

A beer enthusiast with a PhD in astrophysics and his partner founded the Flying Dog Brewery in Aspen back in the early 90’s as brewpub. It later became a full-fledged brewery in Denver. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson introduced British illustrator Ralph Steadman to the brewers, and his distinctive artwork continues to grace labels on their beer bottles to this day. Even though the company is now headquartered Fredrick, Maryland, the Flying Dog Denver Tap Room (2330 Broadway) still serves a variety of brews, not to mention a few classic stories to wash it all down.

Great Divide Brewing Company (2201 Arapahoe) is located in Denver’s ballpark neighborhood in what was once a dairy processing plant.

Since opening in 1994 it has gained a reputation in the area

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for its handcrafted beers. The winner of 17 Great American Beer Festival medals, and recipient of five World Beer Cup awards, Great Divide has a loyal local following. Founder and president Brian Dunn brews what the company calls “balanced, flavorful” beer that is representative of a lifestyle he refers to as “uniquely Colorado.”

Pints Pub (221 West 13th Avenue) is as authentic as its Scottish roots. Brewers specialize in traditional British “cask conditioned” authentic brews that are drawn and served from old school hand pumps. They also are offer single malt whiskies, the largest selection, they claim, this side of Edinburgh.

If your palate runs towards eccentric ales and lagers that defy categorization, Avery Brewing (5763 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder) bottles more than 20 different beers a year. From the assertive hop flavor and citrusy aromatics of our bestseller, Avery IPA, to the deep russet hues of Ellie’s Brown, year round ales offer full flavored brewing artistry for every taste.

Founded in 1993, the brewery is open daily from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., and offer free tours.

Located conveniently located near Coors Field, baseball fans flock to the Breckenridge Brewery Ballpark Pub (2220 Blake Street). As one of the first brewpubs in the area, the pub opened in 1992. These days they keep about a dozen draughts on tap at any given time, plus seasonal beers and barrel-aged ales are available.

Coloradans say that you haven’t hit the bottom until you hit the Rock Bottom Brewery (1001 16th Street). The popular franchise restaurant and bar also offers handcrafted brews, plus an emphasis on seasonal cuisine options. With seven Colorado locations and others around the U.S., the downtown Denver version is one of the area’s favorites.

Blue Moon Brewing Company (2161 Blake Street) takes the position that brewing is an art. No one knows it better than customers who have been going there since 1995 when Keith Villa founded it. He has a Ph.D. in brewing from the University of Brussels. The company’s Belgian White Belgian Wheat Ale is his signature brew, garnished with a distinctive slice of orange to heighten the citrus aroma and taste.

Tommyknocker Brewery and Pub (1401 Miner Street, Idaho Springs). Named best brewpub in a 2009 local media poll and awarded with a number of medals and honors, this may be a perfect place to stop after a full day of skiing or hiking in the Rockies.

At the Denver ChopHouse & Brewery (1735 19th Street) handcrafted beers are brewed onsite to compliment a variety of steaks, seafood and chops. There is also an extensive wine.

The restaurant offers business-friendly amenities such as flat screen television with PowerPoint capabilities, sound system and dedicated phone lines.

Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids (1550 S. Hover Road, Longmont) is one funky little blues joint. Brews such as Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, Old Chub Scotch Ale, G’Knight Imperial Red and Deviant Dale’s IPA all go down smoothly with an extra dose of live music.

Avery Brewing Company

Craft Brewery and Tap Room Take a journey to our alley, and learn what craft brewing is all about!

Open 7 Days a Week 11am-11pm - Complimentary Tour Every Day 5763 Arapahoe Ave. | Boulder, CO 80303 | 303-440-4324 Visit www.averybrewing.com to learn more!

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view

Tired of the same old martinis and Manhattans? Looking for something a little different, perhaps an exciting regional cocktail to sample or a bubbling brew with a panoramic view. If cocktail hour is calling your name, beyond the microbrewery scene we offer a super selection of interesting spots to consider.

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Peaks Lounge at the Hyatt Regency Hotel 650 15th Street

Red Square Euro Bistro 1512 Larimer Street

Located on the 27th floor, just a stone’s throw from the Denver Convention Center, the view from this sophisticated lounge environment is hard to beat. Watching a dramatic sunset against the beautiful Denver skyline across the Front Range on a winter afternoon is nothing short of spectacular. Comfy couches and floor-toceiling windows make it the perfect spot to relax with a glass of wine after a long day of business or just seeing the sites.

So many vodkas, so little time. From raspberry to orange, anise, cranberry, black pepper, mint, red pepper, fig, honey, garlic, grapefruit and more, positioned on the edge of the city’s performing arts complex, 100 freezing cold vodkas stand at the ready to be sampled with locals in the know.

EDGE Bar at The Four Seasons 1111 14th Street Stargazing in this swanky nightspot is always cool and comfortable. It is billed as one of Denver’s hottest “see-and-be-seen” meeting spaces. There is a tapas menu with a decidedly global flair, nice for sharing and pairing with beer and wine. Bartenders will tell you about the local microbrews.

Don’t forget the ever-evolving menu of cocktails.

Linger 2030 West 30th Avenue Enjoy a rooftop with a sensational view in this former funeral parlor turned two-story restaurant. At happy hour get a group and share the tasty Pork Bao and Mongolian BBQ Duck Buns, Goat Tacos or “Devils on Horseback.” Wash it all down with a Ginger Collins, a Lemongrass Daiquiri and a big smile.

Green Russell 1422 Larimer Street Apparently there is a good old-fashioned speakeasy in Denver these days. It sports low ceilings, and brick columns and features real fruit and bay tree plants tucked away behind glass. It is relaxed and the drinks are inventive (our ice came from a couple of bartenders chipping away at a huge block nearby). Maybe it’s not as glitzy as some others, but adventurous cocktails to die for is worth a little risk, no? Seriously.

Rooftop Pool Terrace, Four Seasons Photography by Peter Vitale

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PARTING SHOT

VISIT WWW. SHAREINTHECARE. ORG FOR DONATION INFORMATION

SHARE IN THE CARE, COLORADO. WRITTEN BY william secor

The gold dome of Colorado’s State Capitol Building, located at 200 East Colfax Avenue in Denver, is an American icon. It stands as a living museum of history, and an active seat of state government. Reminiscent of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., it was constructed of Colorado white granite and opened in 1894. Originally the dome was covered in a copper sheath, which is not a native alloy. Shortly after completion the copper reportedly tarnished, turning a cloudy shade of green.

“In 1908 two hundred ounces of 24-karat golden leaf was donated by the Colorado Mining Association to cover the dome.”

In 1908 two hundred ounces of 24-karat golden leaf was donated by the Colorado Mining Association to cover the dome. Gold seemed a more appropriate choice: the precious metal was mined in the state, and helped fund much of Colorado’s early growth and expansion. The Capitol dome has been re-gilded three times since the original installation: in 1949, 1980 and once again in 1991.

Unfortunately, the dome’s structure has worsened over the past century due to series of environmental issues such as water damage, and the intense 76

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DENVER HOTEL MAGAZINE

changes in Colorado’s climatology. The cast iron that encompasses much of structure has rusted and is said to be crumbling. Some experts believe the current condition of the dome poses potential danger to the building and its occupants. Since 2007 in the interest of safety, visitors have not been allowed along the walkway of the dome in the wake of a piece of metal falling from the ceiling of the outside observation deck.

So that this distinctive symbol will be safe for future generations the entire dome will require extensive work. The Colorado General Assembly authorized “Share in the Care Colorado” to raise $13M from grants and private donors to complete construction. The state also allocated $4 million from gaming-industry dollars. The entire project is slated to be complete in 2014. For donation information visit www.ShareInTheCareColorado.org William Secor is the publisher of Denver Hotel Magazine. He grew up in Denver and is a proud, fourth generation Coloradan who has spent his entire career working in the area. If you have a special Denver experience or story to share, we would be pleased to read it, and consider printing it in our magazine. Email your story to us at bill@denverhotelmagazine.com.

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Book your event or meeting today. 303-592-1000 or 800-Embassy denverdowntown.embassysuites.com 1420 Stout Street, Denver, CO 80202

Say G’Day to daily non-stop service to Australia Dallas/ Fort Worth

Australia

We are proud to announce that Qantas now offers daily non-stop service to Australia from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. With direct flights departing seven days a week, there’s never been a better time to enjoy the impeccable service and unparalleled comfort of the airline that knows Australia best. For more information visit Qantas.com/DFW.