Courier August/September Courier | Page 33

CITY SPOTLIGHT Denver COMPILED BY PAT HENDERSON “Denver is the gateway to the Rocky Mountain West, where visitors can experience urban adventures year-round. Three hundred days of sunshine and bright, blue skies inspire people of all ages to get out and explore.” — Jayne Buck, VISIT DENVER’s vice president of tourism For more information, contact Jenna VanOort, tourism manager for VISIT DENVER, at [email protected] or go to visitdenver.com. Going walkabout “Denver is a very walkable city, and the best way to see it is by foot,” says Jayne Buck, vice president of tourism for VISIT DENVER. “Walking tours are a great way to learn about the history, the architecture and the people of Denver from passionate and knowledgeable guides.” In addition to covering topics such as the city’s ubiquitous craft beer culture, its rugged frontier history and its earliest residents, walking tours showcase some of Denver’s colorful neighborhoods. Aspire Tours provides a good introduction to the Colorado capi- tal via its Denver City Overview Tour. Travelers learn the history of Denver and its transformation from a Wild West outpost and boom town into a modern, cultural mecca. Denver Microbrew Tours offers guided walks in the RiNo (River North) and LoDo (Lower Downtown) neighborhoods. During the tours, participants visit top microbreweries, learn about beer history and taste 10-plus local brews. The city’s founding neighborhood is the focus of the Larimer Square Walking Tour. Guides leading the 90-minute walk detail the area’s storied history, which includes its beginning as a bustling city Larimer Square center, its skid row days and its current status as a thriving dining and entertainment district. NTAonline.com 31