Like many Australians visiting the US, I simply saw Denver, Colorado, as the place the plane lands, before you zip off to a ski destination like Aspen.

Now I've belatedly learned it's worth roaming around the "Mile High City," so named for its distance above sea level.

Even my late afternoon, half hour drive from the airport is spectacular; chasing the setting sun casting gold streaks on the striking Rocky Mountain range.

I check into the luxury boutique Hotel Teatro, opposite the huge Denver Performing Arts Complex, where I later enjoy a Frank Sinatra tribute show. Next day I'm up early to explore ­ and (phew) find a modern, cosmopolitan city, with loads of eateries, shops, bars and history (like the Buffalo Bill
Museum and the Black America West Museum).

Bookworms will love having coffee and browsing at The Tattered Cover, America's largest independent bookstore. It sports a huge range of books and magazines, and hotshots like Jane Fonda and  well-known writers often drop in for lectures and signings.

Wandering into the Colorado History Museum, I learn how, after the 1859 gold rush this area's pioneers transferred a tiny campsite into a thriving town, (booting out a few Indians on the way).

The lengthy 16th Street Mall in the city's heart has a free, continual, shuttle bus system, so every two minutes or so you can whisk across town. My May visit coincides with an annual arts festival; so the sunny streets are riddled with painters flogging their colourful wares.

Three days fly past; I then move to Denver's most elegant bed and breakfast, the Capitol Hill Mansion.

"You'll like it here," assures Carl, the host. (After sampling some of his cookies and cake and settling into a huge, cosy room, I understand one Aussie checked in for a night ­ and stayed 18 months!)

His lovingly restored 1861 mansion is close to where Molly Brown, Titanic heroine, once lived.  Her home is now a fascinating museum with daily tours. Denver's hippest area is the part known as LoDo. Once a  rough magnet for outlaws and cowboys, it is now jammed with bars, eateries, and art
galleries.

Denver claims it's the "thinnest" city in the US ­ only a whopping 48 per cent of its citizens are obese!

Presumably the slimmer ones are busy hiking , skiing, mountain-biking, or trekking to the stadium to watch their beloved Colorado Rockies (baseball) and Broncos (NFL).

"We love camping and trekking around here," enthuses expat Aussie Kerri Pinkney, who moved to Denver after marrying a local several years ago. "You have to watch out for bears of course but that's part of the fun!"

"That's what's so great about Denver -­ its proximity to so many beautiful nature sites."

I later catch a Greyhound bus out of town, to experience the magic of the nearby mountains. Now I see why Kerri can't leave. I return by train from Glenwood Springs, agog at the magestic cliffs, tinkling streams and enchanting forest in every direction. How foolish I was to ever see Denver as just the site of a major airport.

* Check out the latest downtown happenings by visiting the Denver Convention and Visitor website at www.denver.org.

 
How To Get There:

United Airlines flies daily from Sydney to LA and San Francisco; then take a connecting flight to Denver.

Where to Stay:

Capitol Hill Mansion includes a fabulous breakfast.

Hotel Teatro is a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Denver.

Jacqui Lang is a Sydney-based freelance writer with 18 years experience in print and TV, whose passions include skiing and roaming the globe. You can email her.