By Denise Miller
The great Rocky Mountains are a sight to behold. Standing tall just west of the Great Plains, they are majestic and beautiful. Folk/Pop singer John Denver gave tribute in many songs about Colorado to the region, selling millions of records and piquing our interest in this haven of ski resorts.
Nestled in the Rockies is the city of Denver, which is a very nice vacation destination!
Denver was founded in1858, has a population of 501,000 and its elevation is 5280 ft! That is why it is known as the “mile high city”. While many of us know Denver as the home to the cartoon, ‘South Park”, it has a lot more to offer!
Denver is the largest metro city in a 600-mile radius and is almost the size of Europe!
It has the nations largest city park system, including 200 parks within city limits and 20,000 acres of parks in the nearby mountains. With an average of 300 days of sunshine, it has more sunshine than San Diego or Miami!
Denver International airport is the largest in the nation- 53 miles, larger than Dallas- Ft. Worth and Chicago’s O’Hare combined!
Denver is a sports capitol with teams represented in all 4 major leagues. It has the NBA Denver Nuggets, NFL Denver Broncos, NHL Colorado Avalanche and two pro soccer teams.
Sightseeing attractions abound with a wide variety of activities!
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Here, we will touch on a few of them:
DENVER BOTANICAL GARDENS –
1005 York St. Denver, Co. phone 720-865-3500
The Botanical Gardens encompass twenty-one acres of specialized gardens offering a variety of botanical experiences for the visitor. Some of the special areas are the “Japanese Garden” and a “Storybook Garden”-(with Dr. Seuss and Winnie the Pooh). Other attractions include the “Xeriscope Dome Garden” and “Rock Alpine” which give visitors suggestions for improving their own gardens. In all, there are 30 gardens to explore! If you are a garden lover, this is for you!
DENVER ZOO –
2300 Steele St. Denver, Co. phone303-376-4800
The Denver Zoo is a state of the art Zoo with 3500 animals and 4600 species represented. The features include- a “Tropical Discovery” exhibit with sloths, tree frogs and moray eels. The “Primate Panorama” exhibit covers seven acres with everything from cold climate penguins to tropical flamingos!
DENVER MUSEUM of NATURE and SCIENCE –
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, Co.
This is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It includes permanent displays of North American Indians, Egyptian Mummies, dinosaurs and minerals. Exhibits include “Ramses II”, and “Imperial Tombs of China” and an IMAX Theater.