Things to do in Denver ...

Lounge with the locals in Lower Downtown (LoDo), a vibrant, eclectic and lively oasis pulsating with an urban beat. In the heart of LoDo sits Larimer Square, a one-block historic district where you can join other caffeine connoisseurs at The Market (1445 Larimer Street, 303-534-5140), a popular java spot wedged between upscale galleries, unusual boutiques, swank wine and champagne bars, and trendy restaurants, all of which are housed in pristinely restored century-old buildings. Gurus of the grape gather at the brand-new Cru (1442 Larimer Street, 303-893-9463) to sample the wine bar’s stellar global selection. You can also behold majestic views of the Rocky Mountains from the sun-kissed rooftop patio at Tamayo (1400 Larimer Street, 720-946-1433) while sipping one of the city’s best margaritas.

If you’re a connoisseur of culture, then the Denver Art Museum (100 West 14th Avenue Parkway, 720-865-5000), located downtown within walking distance of the Colorado State Capitol Building, merits a visit. The museum harbors one of the finest collections of Native American artwork in the world, covering area tribes, along with 40,000 other unique art objects in eight curatorial departments. A highlight of the museum is its recently opened, titanium-skinned new wing, designed by architectural wunderkind Daniel Libeskind. From the Denver Art Museum, it’s a short stroll to the Colorado State Capitol (200 East Colfax, 303-866-2604), a gold-domed masterpiece that stands a mile above sea level with a plaque on the 18th step to mark the spot where it’s exactly 5,280 feet high. From the rotunda, you can take in the entire Front Range, from Pike’s Peak to the Wyoming border—a distance of more than 150 miles.

Approximately three miles east is the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (2001 Colorado Boulevard, 303-370-6300). Here you can further your fossil knowledge while exploring the fascinating dinosaur collection, follow a mineshaft into a Mexican silver mine shimmering with crystals or marvel at the mysteries behind two 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummies.
If artifacts make you shrug, you can head across the street to the superb Denver Zoo (2300 Steele Street, 303-376-4800), or join the other duffers at the nearby municipal City Park Golf Course (2500 York Street, 303-295-4420). Clusters of trees line the sloping greens, tight fairways and humbling bunkers, and the views of the Denver skyline and the Rocky Mountains make for fine distractions.

Those looking to hobnob with the who’s who of Denver converge in chic Cherry Creek, a tony burg chockablock with fashionable shops, glitzy bars, luxe spas, posh art galleries and hopping restaurants. One-of-a-kind boutiques dot 2nd and 3rd Avenues—and all the streets in between—but the price tags aren’t for the faint of heart. Then again, life is short.