The day started off with a visit to the state capitol. As we arrived we noticed there was scaffolding on one side of the golden dome. This seems to be the norm these days among monuments. Never has it been where all monuments are completely upgraded or repaired. There is always repair work to be done. Along the sides of the capitol there are what I thought was cherry trees. I later was told these are crab apple trees. As we reached the front part we climbed the steps to a portion which “One Mile Above Sea Level” was engraved. This offered a iconic photo opportunity.
After the capitol, we visited Four Mile Historical Park. The park is four miles from the state capitol which is how it got its name. Within the 12 acre park is the oldest house in Denver. After exploring the various outdoor exhibits such as chicken coops and wigwams, we took a tour of the house.
Inside the house we started off in the oldest section, which by comparison was the more sparse section. Exposed pines on the ceiling and homemade furniture reminded us how the earliest settlers of Denver lived. As we moved into newer potions of the house the furniture got better, an indication of the impact the arrival of the railroad gave to Denver. What used to take months to obtain now took mere days. Within the house, we saw bedrooms, sitting rooms, a underground kitchen and other unique exhibits to the house. The house itself had been occupied continuously from the 1850s to 1960s until the Denver historical society took it over.
After Four Mile Historical Park it was time for lunch. I find myself a connoisseur of sandwiches, which is why it was important to visit the first Quiznos restaurant in downtown Denver, just blocks away from the Capitol. We were disappointed to find no air conditioning in the establishment. Doors to the bathroom were locked indicating the restaurant had been overrun with vagrants at time.
I realize that the air conditioning could have just gone out hours before and with it being a Sunday there was no time or ability to fix it, yet. However if it had been days of no air conditioning, it would be a major problem. I’d consider it a black eye for Quiznos. The room temperature was 85 degrees. We chose to eat outside on the patio.
We drove to Golden, Colorado, to tour the Coors Brewery. I’m not a drinker at all, ever. However my traveling companions were interested in it and I obliged. The wait for the “long” tour was an hour long, so we decided to visit the gift shop. Upon entering the area we found there was a short tour which gave a general overview of the beer making process and decided to go on that tour. We later found that the short tour was more than adequate and I myself would have become bored very quickly on the long tour.
Prior to taking the tour participants show their drivers license to get a armband so that they can receive a sample at the end. The tour itself was expectantly heavy on Coors propaganda, emphasizing the purity of the beer, that it is American made, and most all wastes are recycled. At the end there was a lounge area for tour groups to get 3 free beverages…obviously beer, but also soft drinks.
At the end of the tour there is a gift shop where you could pick up anything with the Coors logo on it. Everything from Coors brand lip balm to Coors brand ponchos were available. I searched for some type of evidence that Coors subtly supported underage drinking such as a stuffed animal or toy with a Coors logo on it. I found nothing. I was pleasantly surprised.
Within downtown Denver there is a section called the 16th Street Mall. I’d imagine it must have been there for quite sometime, after all how could a city persuade name brand stores to commit to building stores in downtown. Several blocks of stores dotted the street. I found myself having déj� vu when we passed by a Subway, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. and seeing another store of the same franchise brand just blocks away. I counted three Subways in this area alone.
Now might be a good time to mention Denver’s vagrant problem. It might be the economy. It might be people trying to take advantage of the situation. It might be a little of both. I kept seeing young people..twentysomethings…on the corners with signs begging for money. We were even asked by a guy walking with a backpack “Can you give me money so that I can buy some drugs?” At least he was honest. All of it I found slightly annoying. I am of the opinion that one should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, contact charities as needed, but never lower oneself to beg.
It was time for supper. We had made 7PM reservations at the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver’s oldest restaurant. The restaurant itself is located in a sketchy part of town among the housing projects. Makes me wonder if the area was once a good part of town and the area around it fell into disrepair.
The inside of the Buckhorn Exchange is a taxidermist’s dream with stuff game mounted on the walls. Buckhorn’s draw is its offering of exotic animals such as alligator tail and Rocky Mountain oysters. Rattlesnake was unavailable, instead replaced with calamari. I opted for barbeque pork ribs.
After dinner we stopped by the Golden Spoon, a yogurt restaurant across from our hotel before returning to our rooms.
Already looking forward to driving to Aspen today.