3PD-Denver

8/7/2019 3PD-Denver

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h e m i s p h e r e s m a g a z i n e . c o m

By Linda Hayes / Photography by Joshua Paul / Set in the shadow of the Rocky

Mountains and long overshadowed by the high-profile ski towns located within “them

thar hills,” the Mile High City of Denver is a formidable—and contemporary—

destination in its own right. ¶ Denver’s savvy restaurants, state-of-the-art sporting

venues, and booming art and cultural scene are making regular appearances onnational best-of lists. In addition to having a thriving downtown and hip historic

districts like LoDo, Denver is showing its diversity in up-and-coming

★Denver, Colorado

December ’08

40 |

ThreePerfectDays

Denver

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h e m i s p h e r e s m a g a z i n e . c o m42

DAY 1

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

DenverCO

See the city from above on the Denver Millennium Bridge, whichconnects pedestrians between the 16th Street Mall and Commons

Park. The bridge resembles a ship’s sails, with a 200-foot mast.

(previous page) the Denver Art

Museum; (this page, top) Denver

Millennium Bridge; (above) frozen

lemon icebox cake from Duo;

(right) Rockmount Ranch Wear

neighborhoods like Highlands and the ArtDistrict onSanta Fe. A strong focus on sustainability means the city is green even in winter. And you’ll enjoy plenty of thewhite stuff during your three days, with one fast-track train trip up to city-owned Winter Park Resort, a fundestination for skiers and nonskiers alike.

DAY ONE / You’ll warm right away to the cosmopolitanvibe and good-natured staff at ➊ The Ritz-Carlton,

Denver. The downtown location puts you in the perfectposition for venturing out and about, and your plushClub Level room (with a Rolls-Royce Phantom to

chauffeur you around) adds luxury to your stay.After a leisurely Club Lounge breakfast, grab a map

from the Club Concierge and hit the streets. Dresswarmly; the sun might be shining brightly, but morn-ings can be chilly. LoDo is your destination, a decidedly hip section of town, where century-old warehouses andVictorian buildings house an eclectic collection of restaurants, galleries, and shops.

From the hotel, walk to pedestrian-only 16th StreetMall, and then stroll (or catch one of the hybrid-electricbuses) up a half-dozen blocks to Wazee Street. At

➋ Rockmount Ranch Wear, you can dress yourself from head to toe in classic Western duds, including theoriginal snap-button shirts by “Papa Jack” Weil, whofounded the place in 1946. He worked here every day,outfitting the likes of Tom Hanks and Dwight Yoakam,until he passed away this past August at 107. His

grandson, Steve, runs things now, and the creaky wooden floors and Old West hospitality are the sameas they ever were.

Continue along 16th Street to the 20,000-square-footlandmark outpost of the famed ➌ Tattered Cover Book

Store, one of the largest independent bookstores in thecountry. Peruse the shelves for fiction, periodicals, orColorado coffee-table books; then cozy up in one of thenooks and crannies. On the way out, grab a latte at the

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(left) Don’t miss the delicacies

of Elway’s raw bar at The

Ritz; (above) the Museum of

Contemporary Art Denver is

environmentally sustainable.

coffee bar, and set off to the snazzy new ➍ Museum of

Contemporary Art Denver.MCA Denver, as it’s known, is easy to spot. Just loo

for the electric light heart-and-dagger sculpture at theentrance of the David Adjaye–designed, environmentalsustainable museum. Six exhibition spaces within thetranslucent walls cover such themes as photography,new media, and paper works. Grab lunch at the MCA Café—try a tasty Colorado cheese plate and green tea.

If you’re up for a brisk winter walk, hoof it toHighlands via the striking Denver Millennium Bridge,which resembles a ship’s sails as it spans the South Platt

River (or catch a cab). Your destination is West 15thStreet, and the agenda is shopping. Animal lovers willappreciate the pet-friendly fabrics, custom dog beds, an“furniture for you and your human” at ➎ The Livable

Home. The➏ Mona Lucero boutique features fashion-able finds such as clothing, jewelry, and collectibles by up-and-coming Colorado designers, including Luceroherself. Colorful➐ Red Door Swingin’ overflows withmessenger bags, baby booties, and an array of other item

By now, the sun has set and hunger has surely set inYou have a reservation for dinner at ➑ Duo Restaurant

a quick cab ride away. All brick walls and plank floors,with an open kitchen in back, this buzzing restaurant

is popular for chef John Broening’s seasonaldishes, as well as favorites like free-rangebuttermilk-fried chicken with Hoppin’ Johbacon or grilled flatiron steak with fresh

parsley and anchovy salsa verde. Afterwardtry the sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

Now’s a good time to summon thehotel’s Rolls, but instead of going directlback to the hotel, stop off at ➒ The

Cruise Room in the historic OxfordHotel. There, amid the art deco décoand trendy LoDo crowd, you cansip a Pink Flamingo, or any of 35libations from the legendary martinlist. Thus fortified, the short trek back to The Ritz is a breeze.

DAY TWO / You might be tempted to stasnuggled among the Frette linens of your downy bed.Instead, hop up and take a short walk to ➊ Snooze, apopular breakfast spot with a Jetsons-meets–Happy Da

décor that earned a Mayor’s Design Award. Down ana.m. cocktail (try the Snooze Hound made with AbsoluRuby Red, grapefruit juice, and DeKuyper Razzmatazzif you’re so inclined, or enjoy a Snooze house coffee if you’re not. Pair it with a Pork’s Benediction, made withNiman Ranch pulled pork, or pineapple upside-downpancakes with vanilla crème anglaise.

Well fed, you’re prepared for a day of art and cultureYour first stop is a 10-minute taxi ride away at the

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l a t t e R .

DENVER

THECHILDREN’SMUSEUM OF

DENVER

THE RITZ-CARLTON,DENVER

ROCKMOUNT RANCH WEARTATTERED COVERBOOK STORE

MUSEUM OFCONTEMPORARY

ART DENVER

THE LIVABLEHOME

MONALUCERORED DOOR

SWINGIN’

DUO RESTAURANT

THE CRUISE ROOM

SNOOZE

KIRKLAND MUSEUM OFFINE & DECORATIVE ART

DENVER ARTMUSEUM

EL CHILE ROJO

REED PHOTO-ART GALLERY DENVER

MUSEO DE LAS AMÉRICAS

CORENEW ART

SPACE

DENVER PERFORMING

ARTS COMPLEX

UNIONSTATION

FRUITION

ELITCH GARDENSTHEME PARK

DOWNTOWNAQUARIUM

DENVERMUSEUM OF

NATURE &SCIENCE

DENVERZOO

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Winter P a r k D r

MA RY JANE

VASQUERIDGE

WINTER PARK RESORT

WEST PORTALSTATION

THE LODGEAT SUNSPOT

Winter Park

DENVER

NEW MEXICO OK

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NEBRASKAWYOMING

UTAH

AZ

COLORADO

WINTER PARK RESORT


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77

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-8

D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8

(below) The Colorado State Capitol

Building sits one mile above sea

level and offers great views and

area history; (bottom) Stroll Core

New Art Space.

DenverCO

Denver’s ArtDistrict on Santa Fe boasts a variety of galleries,

cafés, and shops. Core New Art Space, which showcases contem-

porary art, is a good place to see the work of emerging talents.

*** BOARDING PASS / How to Do Denver / Now that we’ve crafted your ideal i tinerary, the rest is easy: Just pack up and head out.

to kick off your trip? That’s a no-brainer, too. With Denver as a hub city, United’s got you covered. United and United Express offer 38

nonstop flights to Denver International Airport (DEN) from 115 cities in North America.

➋ Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Setwithin the Arts and Crafts–style commercial art buildinglies a treasure trove of decorative art collected by artistVance Kirkland (1904–1981) and museum curatorHugh Grant (not the movie star). Guided tours areoffered Wednesday through Saturday. Wander aroundon your own, pondering American and international artperiods and styles, including art nouveau, modern art,and pop art, much of which is shown in vignette-stylesettings. Don’t miss a visit to Kirkland’s studio, whereyou can see how he hung from an innovative strapsystem to create his famous dot paintings.

From there, a refreshing six-block walk east along13th Avenue will take you to the➌ Denver Art

Museum. The dramatic, titanium-skinned Frederic C.Hamilton Building (inspired by Rocky Mountain peaksand designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind)has become a city landmark both architecturally and forits collections of African, Western American, Oceanian,modern, and contemporary art. Exhibits this monthinclude Varied Voices , Clyfford Still Unveiled , andHoudon From the Louvre . For a breather, roam theMartin Plaza, eyeing the sculpture, including the nearby larger-than-life bronze Scottish Angus Cow & Calf , thencab it to Santa Fe Drive.

Known as Denver’s ArtDistrict, Santa Fe Drive is theflipside of the local museum scene, an unconventionalcollection of galleries, artist studios, and shops housedin revitalized low-rise warehouses and storefronts. It’s

also home to ➍ El Chile Rojo, a family-owned Mexicanrestaurant with festive yellow walls, turquoise tables, andchile pepper curtains. Order a mango margarita fromthe surfboard menu; then lay into fat green chile–pork burritos, barbacoa beef tacos, or jumbo-shrimp fajitas.

Up the street, ➎ Reed Photo-Art Gallery Denver isa showplace for fine photographic art and other mediaby local and national artists, including Colorado naturephotographer John Fielder; you may have noticed his

cybersidebar

cyber For a s lideshow

ofbonusphotos,anew

interactivemap,and

100more3PDstories,

visithemispheres

magazine.com.

3PD DENVER / DAY ONE / ➊ The Ritz-Carlton, Denver 1881 Curtis Street; Tel: 303-312-3800

➋ Rockmount Ranch Wear 1626 Wazee Street; Tel: 303-629-7777 ➌ Tattered Cover Book Store 1628 16th Street;

Tel: 303-436-1070 ➍ Museum of Contemporary Art Denver 1840 15th and Delgany streets; Tel: 303-298-7554

➎ The Livable Home 2510 West 15th Street; Tel: 303-325-7365 ➏ Mona Lucero 2544 West 15th Street; Tel: 303-458-009

➐ Red Door Swingin’ 2556 West 15th Street; Tel: 303-433-6900

➑ Duo Restaurant 2413 West 32nd Avenue; Tel: 303-477-4141➒ The Cruise Room 1600 17th Street; Tel: 303-628-5400

DAY TWO / ➊ Snooze 2262 Larimer Street and Park Avenue West; Tel: 303-297-8700

➋ Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art 1311 Pearl Street; Tel: 303-832-8576 ➌ Denver Art Museum 13th and Bann

Tel: 720-865-5000 ➍ El Chile Rojo 801 Santa Fe Drive; Tel: 303-893-6692

➎ Reed Photo-Art Gallery Denver 833 Sante Fe Drive; Tel: 303-744-7979

➏ Museo de las Américas 861 Santa Fe Drive; Tel: 303-571-4401➐ Core New Art Space 900 Santa Fe Drive; Tel: 303-297

➑ Denver Performing Arts Complex 950 13th Street Tel: 720-865-4220

DAY THREE / ➊ Union Station 17th and Wynkoop streets; Tel: 303-296-4754 ➋ Winter Park Resort Tel: 970-726-5514

➌ West Portal Station base of Winter Park ➍ The Lodge at Sunspot at the to p of Winter Park Mountain, Tel: 970-726-144

➎ Fruition 1313 East Sixth Avenue; Tel: 970-376-3232

Denver Weather

December in Denver bringsanything from ragingsnowstorms to sunshine

and 70 degrees. ButNovember and April averagemore snowfall. Highs typicallyreach the 40s, and lowsdrop into the teens. Theregion experiences a pleasantclimate the rest of the year,with plenty of sunshine,moderate temperatures,and low humidity. Latespring and summer featureisolated thunderstorms inthe late afternoon.

The Weather Channel

Weather informationis provided by TheWeather Channel. For

more Denver climatologicaldetails, visit weather.com.

Getting Around

Denver is an easy walking

city. Its newly expanded lightrail system offers a goodtransportation option. Taxisare more easily called thanhailed, and phone numbers,such as 303-777-7777 forYellow Cab Company, areeasy to remember. DenverInternational Airport is 23miles from downtown, anda taxi ride costs $43. Otheroptions include shuttles,such as SuperShuttle Denver.You can rent a car, but itwill most likely sit in thehotel garage, and parkingisn’t cheap.

Denver for Kids

A The Children’s Museum

of Denver Tel: 303-455-1187or cmdenver.org

B Elitch Gardens ThemePark Includes water park insummer; Tel: 303-595-4386or elitchgardens.com C Downtown Aquarium Tel: 303-561-4450 ordowntownaquarium.com D Denver Museum of

Nature & Science Tel: 303-322-7009 or dmns.org E Denver Zoo Tel: 303-376-4800 or denverzoo.org

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(left) The ArtDistrict on Santa Fe

has plenty of theater options and

numerous art galleries; (above)

cozy up with a good book in the

famous Tattered Cover Book Store.

book, Mountain Ranges of Colorado, in your hotelroom. In the quirky ➏ Museo de las Américas, LatinAmerican art and culture is explored through rotatingexhibits and hands-on workshops, and crafts are sold inthe tiny shop. Across the street, ➐ Core New Art Space

is a venue for contemporary artists with a variety of galleries and exhibits to explore.

Head back to The Ritz for a quick change and anight on the town. It starts with an early dinnerdownstairs at Elway’s (named, of course, after the formeDenver Bronco quarterback, John Elway). Make a passthrough the bar and snag a seat if you can. Order a

round of shellfish from the raw bar, followed by short-rib sliders, mini lamb empanadas, and rosemary-smokesalt-Parmesan frites to share.

After dinner, it’s off to the nearby ➑ Denver

Performing Arts Complex, the largest performing-artscenter under one roof. You have tickets to the CharlesDickens classic, A Christmas Carol . Other showsscheduled for December include The Nutcracker (presented by the Colorado Ballet) and Jersey Boy .

After the show, stop in at the Limelight Supper Club& Lounge in the performing arts complex for a nightcaand dessert. Back in your room, set a 6 a.m. wake-upcall. Tomorrow, you’re off on a ski adventure.

DAY THREE / Rise and shine before the sun is up (acappuccino from the nifty Nespresso machine inyour room will help). Don your ski clothes and

have the bellman call a taxi for the short ride to➊ Union Station.

The Ski Train departs from track No. 2. Youalready have a reservation, so just climb aboard.If you’re hungry, you can grab a hot chocolateand a croissant from the dining car. America’slargest scheduled passenger train has beenshuttling riders back and forth to ➋ Winter

Park Resort since 1940. The 56-mile route an eye-opener. You’ll climb along rivers andnarrow canyon ledges and pass through 28tunnels, including the final, 6.2 mile–lonMoffat Tunnel, which bores through theContinental Divide and reaches 9,239feet at its apex. You purchase your ski

ticket onboard, so once the train stops at thslopes, make tracks for the➌ West Portal Station to ren

ski gear at West Portal Rentals and grab a trail map.Lessons are available.

It’s time to hit the slopes, but nonskiers have optionstoo. No longer a day-use ski area, Winter Park hasmorphed into a destination ski resort. This season, theVillage at Winter Park debuts, where you can wanderthrough new shops and enjoy new restaurants and anice-skating rink. Or book a snowshoe tour or heatedsnowcat tour at Guest Services in the Balcony House.

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DAY 3

(top) the scenic ride via the Ski

Train to Winter Park; (above) a

pan-seared diver scallop from

Fruition; (right) hitting the slopes

at Winter Park

DenverCO

The Ski Train climbs thousands of feet to showcase breathtakingpanoramas of rivers, wildlife, and canyons during the 56-mile

ride up to Winter Park’s snowy slopes.

Either way, you’ll see the mountain and get a history of the area to boot.

A dramatically expanding network of lifts and trailsconnects Winter Park Resort’s 3,060 acres on fourmountains—Winter Park, Mary Jane, Vasquez Cirque,and Vasquez Ridge. The new Panoramic Express, NorthAmerica’s highest six-person chairlift, has opened upglades and trails in Parsenn Bowl.

The views at the top of the Panoramic Express willmake your whole trip worthwhile. Turn right off the liftand pick a line down the bowl on Larkspur or Juniper.Pop out onto Eidelweiss, cruise to the Sunnyside lift,

and, eight minutes later, you’re back at the top of Mary Jane and just a Whistlestop cruise away from lunch at

➍ The Lodge at Sunspot. Warm up by the fire; thensettle windowside for buffalo chili or elk brats.

After lunch, take Jabberwocky to the OlympiaExpress to the Pioneer Express. Spend some time on theintermediate runs under the lift, and then make yourway back to the base, arriving just as the 3 p.m. steamwhistle blows—a reminder that the train will be ready to board at 4:15 for the trip back to Denver. Before yougo, cram into The Derailer Bar at West Portal Station fora locally brewed Mary Jane Ale and the house special:batter-fried “frickles” with garlic dipping sauce.

Back at the hotel, hit the spa for a scheduled Hops ’n’Honey Pedicure; your treatment includes a sampling of three local microbrews or herbal teas.

For dinner, take the Rolls to ➎ Fruition, a charming,

country-style bistro in the Sixth Avenue neighborhood.Sip a glass of sparkling rosé while you mull over themenu. Potato-wrapped oysters Rockefeller are a specialty,as is the Maple Leaf Farms duck breast. Finish withdouble-chocolate pudding with Chantilly cream.

Savor the last minutes of your trip with a final toastat Elway’s bar at The Ritz. Perfect. u Linda Hayes is a resident of Colorado ski country and a longtime contributor to Hemispheres .

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