a long time to hang in the sky

Flying into the Denver airport for the first time is a little strange. The land is brown and flat and the mountains are barely visible in the distance. From the runway the Mile High City seems anything but.

Driving into the city there seemed to be a lot of empty buildings and rundown warehouses selling office furniture at a discount price. But as we got closer to the downtown area a few of the buildings were refurbished and turned into art galleries or dog spas. Interestingly, that area of Denver seemed to have a lack of advertising. Most companies seemed to prefer black spray paint on plywood to other more sophisticated methods. My favorite sign read “Denver Hitting Club,” in black lettering on a white wooden board. I still can’t figure out what that means.

My hotel was a relatively recent addition to the city, adjacent to the convention center. The view from my 23rd floor room was pretty nice, even though it lacked the mountainscape I wanted to see.

It was warm when I arrived, nearly 80 degrees, so I ventured out into the city. The area immediately around the hotel was new and vibrant, but slightly disappointing as its row of restaurants included all well-known chains like Starbucks, Subway, and Cheesecake Factory. Shopping was just as diverse – Ann Taylor Loft, TJ Maxx, and block upon block of western souvenirs (postcards, bolo ties and leather jackets with fringe). Having done a bit of research before arriving, I was able to hop a bus to the LoDo district (lower downtown). LoDo featured a more unique blends of restaurants and shops, most of which are housed in refurbished old buildings, giving the area a more historic feel. My dinner spot of choice was the Wynkoop Brewing Company. It is billed as Colorado’s oldest brew pub, though for that distinction their roots have only to reach back to 1988. The building itself was something to see, having been converted from a mercantile company. I ordered a RailYard Ale, recommended for pairing with my buffalo burger dinner. Delicious.

Fun Fact: The altitude in Denver helps you get drunker faster. Unfortunately I learned this from the guidebook in my hotel room and not from experience.

After dinner I headed back to the room to try to get some sleep. When I woke up in the morning the view from my window had changed considerably.

It was snowing in Denver when less than 12 hours before it had been warm and clear.

Things cleared up a bit and in the evening and I attended a work event at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The museum was closed to the public so we got a quiet look at a few of the exhibits as well as a planetarium show. Most amazing was the view of the mountains from the museum.

The following day I had the opportunity to meet with some family members that I have not seen in about 14 years. It was surprisingly easy to be with them. I guess that is why having a big family is good – there are a lot of people to talk about when the conversation wanes.

The really fun part of the day was after I left my family and met up with some new friends for a night on the town. A group of tremendously talented and lovely women invited me out and we ended up sharing pitchers of margaritas at a little place in the art district, then continuing our conversation at the hotel bar until the wee morning hours.  I haven’t laughed so hard in a long, long time.