The Mile High City will welcome the 2007 Junior National Hereford Expo July 7-14, and while cattle events will be the star of the show, here’s a quick guide to some of ’s fun — and educational — entertainment options. by Kindra Gordon

uch of Denver’s appeal carved out of huge 500-foot-high red is its scenic setting with sandstone cliffs. Located 12 miles the Rocky Mountains as a west of Denver, the park is open to

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DENVER METRO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU M backdrop. Climate also makes Denver the public daily (unless there is a a crowd pleaser — it boasts an average scheduled performance) and is a Denver of 300 days of sunshine yearly. perfect site for hikes and picnics. Enjoy the outdoors with a visit Thrill seekers should plan a to the , which is rated day at Six Flags Elitch Gardens, one of the top five in America with Denver’s year-round amusement more than 3,000 animals at its park located very close to downtown. picturesque grounds. The Butterfly The facility is actually two parks in Pavilion & Insect Center is also a one – one side with more than 40 unique outdoor experience with thrill rides, including Mind Eraser, a tropical forest setting filled with an inverted roller coaster, and the 1,600 free-flying butterflies. other side a complete water park ’s beauty is breathtaking with tube rides, wave pools and river at the , a rafting. Hyland Hills Water World 9,000-seat9,000-seat naturalnatural outdooroutdoor arenaarena is another popular amusement park

Neat to eat For a fond family memory of your visit to Denver, have dinner one evening at Casa Bonita. This 52,000-square-foot restaurant recreates a Mexican village Denver Museum of Nature & Science complete with waterfalls, cliff divers, strolling mariachis and of course Mexican food. It is located at 6715 W. Colfax Ave., (303) 232-5115. For an Italian feast, Cinzetti’s will transform you to a Tuscan Villa. The buffet- style restaurant lets you roam throughout while trained chefs are preparing fresh Italian food at 14 exhibition-cooking stations. Up to 80 items are featured and allow you to experience the flavors of Italy. And, save room for the rich desserts, which include a gelato station with 12 flavors of ice cream. It is located west of Interstate 25, just north of 104th Ave. at 281 W. 104th Ave., (303) 451-7300. Another fun restaurant is the Trail Dust Steak House, located on U.S. Highway 36 at Sheridan, (303) 427-1446, where the walls are covered with neckties. Bring along your own and you’ll find out why. Refuse to remove them and the waiters will snip them off — they don’t believe in formality! Kids find this especially amusing. Enjoy! HW Red Rocks Amphitheatre

34 HEREFORD WORLD / May / June 2007 www.hereford.org devoted entirely to water fun; see www.waterworldcolorado.com. If time allows, catch a major league baseball game at , home of the . Or if it’s not game time, tours of the 50,000-seat facility in are worth the stop; call (800) 388-ROCK for more information. Also while downtown, be sure to Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. visit the , a mile-long pedestrian promenade lined with Visit the Celestial Seasonings shops and outdoor cafes, including Tea Co. in Boulder, (303) 581-1202, The Cheesecake Factory. Shuttles where tours include tea tasting on the mall are free and offer an and then a walk through of the interesting way to tour downtown. production area to see how tea is processed and packaged. Kid stuff Lastly, Denver is chock full Above all, Denver boasts some of museums from modern art to neat attractions for kids. The city’s Western ways. For the history buff, Children’s Museum has a 9,000- consider visiting these: square-foot playground, a child- The Black American West size supermarket and the famous Museum tells the forgotten story of KidSlope, the only year-round ski African American cowboys, and the mountain for children. many contributions they made in The Denver Museum of settling the West. Colorado History Museum Nature & Science is known for its The has outstanding collection of dinosaur what is considered to be the world’s bones in the massive exhibit called best collection of American Indian DenverDenver triviatrivia Prehistoric Journey. A special artworks covering all tribes of • Denver truly is one mile high. The 15th interactive space exhibit and the North America. step on the west side of the State Capitol larger-than-life IMAX films are also The Leanin’ Tree Museum of building is 5,280 feet above sea level. The highlights of the museum. Art (as in the Cowboy-themed purple row of seats at Coors Field are also Colorado’s Ocean Journey is a greeting cards of the same name) exactly one mile above sea level. world-class aquarium where visitors has the nation’s largest private follow two rivers at their headwaters collection of contemporary Western • In 1935 the cheeseburger was born in in the mountains on their paths to art. Located in nearby Boulder, Denver when Louis Ballast melted a slice the ocean. The experience includes Colo., the free museum is open of cheese on a hamburger at a Humpty sharks and colorful tropical fish to the public with more than 200 Dumpty drive-in restaurant. He patented his along the way. paintings and 85 bronzes by some invention and the rest, as they say, is history. Just 30 minutes west of Denver on of the best-known Western artists. • Denver has all four major league sports — U.S. Highway 285, kids will delight Buffalo Bill’s Grave & Museum in Tiny Town, a kid-sized village features memorabilia honoring the the National Football League (NFL) Denver with dozens of “Old West” buildings famous showman and Pony Express Broncos; National Hockey League (NHL) built at one-sixth scale in a scenic rider, including posters from the ; National Basketball mountain location. Best of all, an Wild West Shows. Association (NBA) and authentic toy steam locomotive The Colorado History Museum Major League Baseball Colorado Rockies. circles the park giving children and provides exhibits that trace the Denver also has a professional soccer team, adults a ride past the miniature town. colorful history of the Indians, the . explorers, gold miners, cowboys • Denver is a city that prides itself on its Take a tour and pioneers who have called Another unique adventure is a tour of Colorado home. Western heritage. It hosts the National the U.S. Mint in downtown Denver. The is the Western Stock Show and Rodeo each More than 10 billion coins are made home of “Unsinkable Molly Brown,” January, and is home to the National there each year. Free tours of the who made an imprint in history Cattlemen’s Beef Association. HW facility are offered on weekdays and when she survived the Titanic include an overview of the history sinking. Costumed guides give tours of money, and a chance to see the of her Capitol Hill mansion, which is making of coins, from stamping filled with mementos from her life. and sorting to bagging. Advance For more information visit registration is required for tours. www.denver.org. HW Sign up by visiting www.usmint.gov. www.hereford.org May / June 2007 / HEREFORD WORLD 35