Mile High City

Denver is the mile high city and while there may be a lack of oxygen, there isn't a lack of things to see and do while here. Situated at the base of the Rocky Mountains, there is a plethora of outdoor activities to participate in from skiing to hiking to climbing to biking. They have it all. And like any other big city, there are some top notch restaurants to check out as well as plenty of museums.

Denver skyline. Image from denver.org

The Food
We hit up a nice little breakfast joint near our hotel while there called The Delectable Egg. The place was packed and for a good reason! Most people had made reservations prior to arriving to be guaranteed a table when they got there. We didn't make any but only had to wait about ten minutes to be seated. They offer a wide variety of menu items as well as lunches and dinners. I had the banana pancakes and they were top notch.

We ate dinner at Willie G's which was a seafood and steak place. It is on the upscale/fine dining side but it was also very good. Prices were a bit high however. I had a plate of chicken fettuccine which was awesome. We also had duck wings as an appetizer and the sauce on them made them taste excellent.
Buckhorn Exchange is Denver's oldest restaurant just five minutes from downtown that opened in 1893. It is a National Historic Landmark and also a western museum. You can sit down to a nice cut a meat here, as well as game and fish. Along the walls you'll see a rare 575-piece taxidermy collection as well as a 125-piece gun collection.

You'll find many other great restaurants here just by walking around down the street especially down 16th Street. The best meals are sometimes the places you just walk into on a whim.

The Museums
The Denver Art Museum is close to the state capital and Civic Center Park. It is in a very abstract building and has multiple levels to explore. It is also attached to another building with seven levels filled with art. Each level has artwork from different eras ranging from European to Asian to American Indian. You could literally spend an entire day here seeing all there is to see.

Denver Art Museum

The Denver Firefighters Museum is also downtown. It is housed in the original Firehouse #1 since 1909. There is also the Molly Brown House Museum. She was actually aboard the Titanic and survived and became a humanitarian and women's rights. It is a very interesting story and well worth coming to to the museum to learn more about her life. There are so many other museums here as well including the History Colorado Center, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Colorado Railroad Museum.

Things to do
Denver is home to eight professional sports teams including the Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets and Denver Broncos! There is always a game to go to pretty much year round here if you are a sports fan. Denver also has a theme park downtown! It's called Elitch Gardens Theme and Water Park. This park has some pretty cool history behind it. Check it out next time you plan your visit. This city also has a pretty big zoo. It is located just three miles from downtown, so it's an easy visit if you're in the city. It is surrounded by City Park and is a nice place to go have a picnic and just relax or toss a frisbee or football. There is also a performing arts center that hosts many plays and other events including Blue Man Group, Mamma Mia and Death of a Salesman. There are also a plethora of art galleries around Denver. Just get out and walk around town to find them! On the western edge of town is Larimer Square. It has some great shops and restaurants as well. It is also Denver's oldest and most historic block. You can read about its history here. The US Mint is also located here. Schedule a tour and see your money being made!

Close by things to do
Within an hour or so of Denver there is so much else to see and do. Just 71 miles away is Rocky Mountain National Park.  It is absolutely beautiful year round in the park. The highest mountain here is Longs Peak topping off at 14,225 ft. which can be seen from Denver on clear days! Also, nearby is the Red Rocks Amphitheater located 15 miles west of Denver near Morrison, Co. During the spring, summer and fall they have a bunch of concerts featured in this natural outdoor amphitheater. They also show movies here some nights. And don't forget that within two hours of Denver is some of the world's greatest mountains for skiing and snowboarding during the Winter. Colorado Springs is also within an hour and 15 minutes and is home to Pike's Peak. The Air Force Academy is also located in Colorado Springs.

Image from redrocksonline.com

Places to Stay

Sheraton

We stayed at the downtown Sheraton which is in a great location. It is situated right on 16th Street which has shops, restaurants, a mall and more. It is also just a few blocks from the state capital and other government buildings as well as some of the great museums. The rooms were very nice as well. Some other nice places to stay are the Westin which is downtown. The unique Lumber Baron Inn Bed and Breakfast also has mystery shows and gardens. If you want to stay in a boutique luxury hotel then Hotel Teatro is where you need to be. It is in the heart of the theater and music districts. Another unique B&B to check out is Castle Marne. This house was built in 1889. There are also a number of other nice places to stay downtown as well as other main chain hotels located in the outskirts of town and in the suburbs. It's well worth staying downtown however, so you can easily walk to the places and things you want to see and do while in town.

Castle Marne. Image from denver.com