Denver is a wonderful place to visit and an even better place to live. I’ve been here for over 20 years and hope to be here for 20 more (at least!) Being able to get to the mountains to cool off in the middle of summer has to be one of the best things about Denver. I’ve heard the skiing is phenomenal for those of you who, unlike me, enjoy flinging yourself down a mountain with greased boards latched to your feet.

I’ve been working on this post for a while, but finished it today so I could enter ProBlogger’s contest for killer titles. The grand prize is a new logo design by David Airey. I bet he could come up with something more clever than my initials in an orange box. Fortunately, the winner is selected by random drawing so even if this title sucks, I still have a chance. That’s the kind of contest I like.

At the end of this list is my favorite topic – food. There are a ton of great restaurants in Denver so I may have to post about this again. I narrowed my choice down to two spendy places and two down-home places, but I recommend you try all four!

1. Bring an umbrella. There’s a saying in Colorado, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes.” You’re going to want an umbrella if you’re outside during that ten minutes.

2. Bring sunscreen. Denver is really, really close to the sun. If you’re coming from sea-level, you need to think about being an entire mile closer to the sun. You can get a searing sunburn on a cloudy day in Denver.

3. Carry water. Because Denver is closer to the sun, the air is thinner here. This means you’ll be winded more easily, and you might even get altitude sickness, which feels like a bad hangover. Drinking a lot of water will help.

4. Speaking of water, it’s easy to find public restrooms in Denver. Almost any business establishment will allow you to use their facilities without requiring you to purchase a souvenir snowglobe.

5. Take a shuttle from the airport. Your hotel probably offers a free shuttle service. When the City of Denver planned their new airport, they planned ahead. Way ahead. The airport is 25 miles from downtown Denver and a taxi will cost approximately $47.00 before tip. If you rent a car, see # 9 and # 11 below.

6. Be happy. Denver is one of the friendliest cities  you’ll ever have the pleasure of visiting. Expect complete strangers to greet you as you walk down the street. Don’t be afraid to make eye contact. They won’t bite unless they smell fear.  

7. Go wireless. You can find free wifi on the 16^th Street Mall in downtown Denver; at all Panera Bread restaurants; all public libraries; many coffeehouses (Boyers, Dazbog, Common Grounds and more) – you can even hit the net at Whole Foods markets.

8. Don’t eat the oysters. This may surprise you, as not many people think of Denver and seafood in the same breath. However, Denver has a gastronomic specialty known as Rocky Mountain Oysters and locals will encourage you to try it. And yes, it does kind of taste like chicken.

9. Want to drive in Denver? Denver has notorious and unexplainable traffic jams and rush hour can occur at any time of the day or night. Turn-signal usage and a friendly wave will get you in and out of tight spots in Denver much faster than your finger and a horn.  

10. Want to smoke in Denver? Good luck. Denver and its surrounding areas have banned indoor smoking in all public places, including bars and restaurants. If you want to light up, you’re going to find yourself in the great outdoors.

    Did I say ten tips? Okay, just one more tip and then … FOOD!

11. Watch out for bicycles. A lot of people in Denver traverse on two wheels under their own power. They use bike lanes when they can. When they can’t, they’re part of your traffic stream and most of them follow the same rules you do. When they don’t, there’s nothing you can do about it anyway.
     
12. Hungry? Denver isn’t really known for it’s food, but there are a few stops that you foodies out there should try:
    

Pete’s Kitchen, 1962 E Colfax Ave. Renowned for their breakfast burritos and Greek fare. Open 24×7 on Fridays and Saturdays. Expect to wait (outside) during rush hour (2:00 am) on the weekends. If this is your first trip to a big city, you may see some things you’ve never seen before.

Sushi Den, 1487 S. Pearl St. This is one of the few establishments in Denver that can do the impossible – fresh sushi, straight from Japan via Fed Ex. They don’t take reservations, so try to get your fix early in the day. Sushi Den would be a treat anywhere in the country. In Denver, it’s a miracle.

Elway’s, 1881 Curtis Street (in the Ritz Carlton). Yes, that Elway. He’s gone from pigskin to porterhouse. If you’ve got a hankering for a perfect steak in a perfect atmosphere and you happen to have a perfect pile of cash, this is the place. Reservations are a must.

NoNo’s Café, 3005 W. Countyline Road. Head south to NoNo’s Café for the best Bloody Mary in town. The name is Italian for “grandfather”, and also heralds the hometown of the owners, New Orleans, and the inspiration for the fabulous food. Recommended dish: Breakfast in Bread. And don’t leave without getting some pralines to go.

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