Recently in Denver Category

Tattered Cover is one of the biggest of the remaining independent bookstores in the United States. There are presently three locations to serve Denver, but we recommend the one in the lower downtown area, or LoDo (1628 16th St.), right near the historic Union Station. Two floors of classic and contemporary books, a newsstand, and coffee shop await. The store features a fireplace and is peppered with some of the comfiest couches and seats that we've ever seen in a bookstore. This is a place where reading and gathering is encouraged, and not discouraged in a shuffle to keep the cash registers ringing. Author events and signings are frequent.

Tattered Cover also holds an interesting place in legal history. Nine years ago, it was an unlikely focal point of a drugs manufacturing case when the store refused to cooperate with a search warrant of records relating to the defendant's book purchase at Tattered Cover, which was later revealed to be about calligraphy. Tattered Cover argued First Amendment rights all the way up to the Supreme Court of Colorado, where it eventually prevailed.

Bring your page-turners back to your comfy room at the Sheraton Downtown Denver and hit the sheets! Tattered Cover may sadly be a part of a dying breed, but we'd love to know, what are your favorite independent bookstores?

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Westin Villas Avon.jpgAvon, Colorado is a paradise for outdoorsy types, with an endless range of activities that provide open-air thrills against a breathtaking natural backdrop. Now it has a stunning new resort where adventurers can relax and recover at the end of an action-filled day. The Westin Riverfront Mountain Villas open on May 29, 2009, bringing a new level of service and style to this rustic mountain area. Situated at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, the resort is the ideal place to enjoy a perfect mix of outdoor adventure and tranquil alpine moments. Whether your interests lie in skiing, hiking, and biking on the mountain or kayaking, rafting, and trout fishing on the Eagle River, you'll find the perfect setting for your Colorado dreams. When the day is done, the luxury begins at the resort, which boasts delightful villas with private balconies, jacuzzi and outdoor heated pool, and a range of spa services designed to soothe tired muscles and leave guests feeling refreshed and reinvigorated. Dine in an atmosphere of casual sophistication at Restaurant Avondale, where the cuisine is matched only by the mountain views, and then toast the beauty of the place with a glass of wine at the Wine Bar. Mountain life is sweet indeed. Click here to book your stay at this exciting new resort, and start getting into the Colorado spirit.

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Springtime Alfresco Dining

Tuesday May 5, 2009

It really is the perfect time of year for outdoor dining across most of the United States: it's finally warm enough in the North, and it's not too hot in the South and Southwest. Here are a couple great places with patio or sidewalk seating where you can kick back and enjoy the fine weather and a bite to eat.

In Hoboken, Onieal's offers up some amazing burgers with a view of Church Square Park. It's just a short walk from the W Hoboken, too.

Café du Monde on Jackson Square has the best people watching in New Orleans, but for a more intimate dining experience, visit Napoleon House's bistro, with its quaint and quiet courtyard tucked in back. Or if you can score a reservation, K-Paul's a couple doors over also has courtyard as well as balcony seating overlooking the Louisiana Supreme Court building. They're both steps away from the W New Orleans - French Quarter.

Should you find yourself in Denver for a Rockies game, Lodo's Bar & Grill is a good place to stop for a bite either before or after the game, on your way back to the Westin Tabor Center. It's across the street from the ballpark, and its spacious rooftop deck means plenty of sun to put you in a good mood for the game — or keep it going afterward.

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Kerouac and Cassady 300.jpgLike most guys, reading Jack Kerouac's On the Road was a watershed moment in my life. Its descriptions of the energy and excitement of the traveling life - everything flying by in a blur of parties, highways, and odd acquaintances - lit a fire in me as it did countless others. The protagonist of the book, Dean Moriarty, was based on Neal Cassady (left), a friend of Kerouac (right) who spent his formative years with his father in Denver. The city has capitalized on its literary connection by creating the Denver Beat Poetry Driving Tour, a self-guided journey into the Denver of the 1930's and 1940's. The tour visits seven destinations that shaped Cassady, Kerouac, and other Beats. Civic Center Park, for example, is mentioned in books by both Cassady and Kerouac and in the poem "The Green Automobile" by Alan Ginsberg ("Denver! Denver! we'll return/roaring across the City & County Building lawn...." ). Sonny Lawson Baseball Field, meanwhile, was where the young Cassady played baseball. Kerouac would later describe, "a great, eager crowd roaring at every play." Those who'd like to have a drink in the same bar that Cassady frequented (it only makes sense) should drop by My Brother's Bar on 15th and Platte Street, where Cassady's brother once tended bar. The owner even has a letter Cassady sent from reform school asking that his bar tab be paid. For the entire itinerary, click here and get those literary juices flowing. Starwood has hotels throughout Denver, including the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel and the Westin Tabor Center, Denver.

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Starpick the Westin Tabor Center, Denver

Wednesday February 25, 2009

Westin Tabor Center Denver Lobby 200.jpgDenver is one of the friendliest and most interesting cities in the Western United States, with fine restaurants, a wealth of cultural institutions, and a scenic skyline set against a picturesque background of snow-capped mountains. If you've been waiting for the right moment to take a trip to Denver, here's a grand opportunity: the Westin Tabor Center, Denver is one of this week's participating Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next two weekends. Centrally located in downtown Denver, the hotel is adjacent to the 16th Street Mall, a 16-block-long pedestrian and transit mall, and is just minutes away from some of the city's greatest attractions. Families traveling with children will enjoy the Children's Museum of Denver, with hands-on exhibits and interactive playscapes, while art buffs won't want to miss the Denver Art Museum, which recently unveiled a new extension designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. Fans of live theater, meanwhile, should make their way to the nearby Denver Center for Performing Arts for a performance of Shakespeare's Richard III. After a drama of such gravity and cultural heft, you can feel free to spend the rest of your time pursuing fun and light-hearted activities. Of course, the Westin Tabor Center, Denver is just one of dozens of Starpicks properties this week, so check the list to find the destination of your dreams.

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When was the last time you saw dinosaurs in a zoo? If it's been a few million years, it's high time for a visit to Swetsville Zoo in Timnath, Colorado. Granted, it's not a zoo in the traditional sense, but rather a sculpture park filled with the crazy creations of Bill Swets. The former dairy farmer and volunteer firefighter began crafting his whimsical creations in 1985, using discarded car parts and industrial junk of all kinds. The result has been an outdoor "zoo" filled with welded metal dinosaurs, bugs, animals, and creatures that defy description that draws upwards of 20,000 visitors a year. Although he has no formal artistic training, it's impossible to look at his three-piece alligator band - complete with drum and banjo - and not smile at the creative genius of this humble man. Swetsville Zoo is less than an hour's drive from the Westin Westminster.

[image via Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce]

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An ocean, a mountain range, and half a continent may separate Colorado from the British Isles, but from September 4-7, Stanley Fairgrounds in Estes Park will become a little outpost of Scotland and Ireland in North America. The Long's Peak Scottish-Irish Highlands Festival brings the best of Scottish and Irish culture to this scenic park near Denver, which boasts sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains and Roosevelt National Forest. The festival features some amazing feats of bravery and strength, from a rousting jousting contest to the famous caber toss, in which big, burly guys take a 15- to 20-foot-long log and attempt to toss it end over end. My back hurts just thinking about it. But it's not all rough-and-tumble excitement. Expect plenty of Highland dance, pipe bands, drum corps, and every type of Irish and Scottish food and drink, from soda bread and shepherd's pie to the ever-present Guinness Stout and Glenfiddich whisky. Estes Park is 50 miles from the Westin Westminster Hotel and 80 miles from the Sheraton Denver West Hotel.

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convention aleIt's nearly convention time, and as conventioneers prepare to descend upon Denver and Minneapolis, local breweries are readying special beers honoring the candidates.

In Denver, Wynkoop Brewing Company has created Obamanator, a dark, German-style Maibock lager sure to pair well with Wynkoop's buffalo meatloaf or hearty stout-braised pot roast. Denver's oldest brewpub is just a couple blocks from the Westin Tabor Center and the convention center.

In Minneapolis, Great Water Brewing is serving a Golden Oat Pale (G.O.P., get it?) at its brewpub, which is within easy reach of the Four Points by Sheraton Minneapolis. Flat Earth Brewing Company is producing Convention Ale, a Belgian-style red ale which features both an elephant and a donkey on the label; look for it at bars and restaurants near the convention center. Be a good citizen reporter and let us know, what conventional beer do you prefer?

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For an unusual look at Denver life as it was at the turn of the century, drop by the Molly Brown House Museum on Pennsylvania Street. The handsome 1880's structure was the home of Margaret "Molly" Brown, a local political activist, philanthropist, and socialite whose survival of the 1912 RMS Titanic disaster earned her the nickname "unsinkable." (Her story was so popular that there was even a stage musical and film in the 1960's called The Unsinkable Molly Brown.) The house is filled with period furnishings, artwork, jewelry, and appliances, as well as an extensive fashion collection covering the years of Margaret's life, 1867-1932, which includes men's wear, women's wear, children's clothing, and various accessories. It's one of the most complete and compelling exhibitions of a late 19th and early 20th century household anywhere, so vivid that you almost feel transported to another age. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits, and summer 2008 features "No Pink Tea," a tribute to the struggle for women's suffrage. The museum is convenient to three Starwood hotels, including the Westin Tabor Center, Denver.

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lecentraldenver.jpgFamished in the Mile-High City? There's plenty of great food within easy reach of the Westin Tabor Center. Tamayo for instance — the local outpost of Chef Richard Sandoval's trademark nuevo Mexican. Snag a table on the balcony if you can, and order some of his fantastic guacamole and a mango margarita or tequila flight.

For wine lovers, Z Quisine is the destination; the tiny French bistro has picked up awards nearly every year since it opened, including "best wine bar" this year from the alt.weekly Westword. Likewise, Le Central gets top marks as an everyday French destination, especially for its steamed mussels done 10 ways, with unlimited pommes frites, for just $9.

Denver being what it is, there are dozens of steakhouses as well. Elway's and the Brazilian Rodizio Grill are good bets, but for something a little different, try CowBobas, which mixes grilled ribeyes with Asian bubble teas.

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