ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C & R L N e w s ■ S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 0 / 6 91 ACRL NATIONAL CONFERENCE D i s c o v e r D e n v e r A d e skto p trave log ue by Ellen Greenblatt Thanks to the wizardry of the Internet, we can now explore con­ ference venues long before we step off the plane. Begin your dis­ covery of Denver by using the suggested sites below as points of departure on your travels through cyberspace. But first, a little context before we plunge in . . . Although many people think Denver is located in the Rocky Mountains, it is actually located on high, roll­ Credit: Denver Metro Conv ing plains near the foothills, and is surpris­ ingly one of the flattest of all U.S. cities; it is also one of the high­ est. Several landmarks proudly proclaim Den­ ver’s status as the “Mile High City,” including the State Capitol Build­ ing (tradition claims the 15th step on the Denver's spectacular s of the Rocky Mountainwest side to be exactly 5,280 feet above sea level1) and Coors Field, our baseball stadium (an entire row of seats is painted purple to indicate that they, too, are a mile above sea- level). Denver’s climate is dry and mild, with only about 8 to 15 inches of precipitation per year, and more than 300 days of sunshine (more annual hours, in fact, than Miami Beach!). While it does snow here, snowfalls are usu­ ally fairly light and rarely linger more than a day. Since the days of the “Pikes Peak or Bust” gold rush, Denver has been a favorite desti­ nation. Currently, the population of Denver proper is slightly over a half million while the six-county metro area tallies in at just be­ low 2.5 million and counting—our popula­ ion Center & Visitors Bureau tion has increased 23% in the last ten years. Our booming eco­ nomy and mild climate are strong draws for folks wishing to relo­ cate, making Colorado one of the fastest growing states in country. And speaking of booming, did you know that Denver has the distinction of be­kyline lies at the base s. ing the “baby boomer capital” of the United States? Fully one third of our population is be­ tween the ages of 35 and 54. So as you can see, Denver is certainly a vital, “happening kind of place.” Its status as ent EAllen Greenblatt is assistanbt director for technical soervices at Auraria Libruary, University of Colortado at Den ver, e-ma teghreenebl@ caarboun.cutdhenveor.edru il: mailto:egreenbl@carbon.cudenver.edu 692 I C&RL News ■ September 2000 a major urban area ensures that there are plenty of cosmopolitan activities and attrac­ tions to entice visitors, while its unique loca­ tion near the Rocky Mountains makes it a wonderful gateway to all types of outdoor recreation—no matter what the season. A n d n o w o n t o t h e c y b e r t o u r . G e t t i n g a f e e l f o r D e n v e r About Denver, http://www.denvergov. com/AboutDenver/aboutdenver.htm. One of the best places to start your journey is by visiting this fascinating multi- media site chock-full of “facts, lore and legend” about Den­ ver. Hosted by the City and County of Denver and com­ piled by resident expert Tho­ mas J. Noel, a history profes­ sor at the University of Colo­ rado at Denver (whose latest book is C0olorado: A Liquid History and Tavern Guide to the Highest State). About Den­ ver provides both historical and contemporary insights into the “Mile High City.” Read about colorful Denver charac­ ters from Chief Little Raven to former mayor Federico Pena. V i s i t t h e D e n v e r P e r f o r m i n g A r t s C o m p l e x .Visit some of Denver’s histori­ cal landmarks. Take a walking tour through Denver’s historic Civic Center. Learn about Denver’s diverse cultural heritage. Root for our five professional sports teams. Checkout the “Photo Album” (my favorite section) in which contemporary photographer John Fielder revisits the locales captured by pho­ tographer William Henry Jackson in the 1870s to demonstrate the dramatic changes that have taken place over the years. Noel also includes several well-chosen links to other Denver Web sites. Another good site to help you get acquainted with Denver is the one maintained by the Denver Metro Convention & Visi­ tors Bureau, http://www.denver.org/. Denver V irtu a l Tours, h ttp :// www.denvergov.org/virtual.asp. Here’s a place to get a real feel for Denver without ever leaving your office. Another amazing site hosted by the City and County of Den­ ver, Denver Virtual Tours offers 360-degree panoramic views of various landmarks and hotspots around Denver. You can make vir­ tual visits to Denver parks, sports facilities, public art displays, and other venues. Use your mouse to schuss down the slopes in Winter Park, stroll down the 16th Street pedestrian mall, tour the Colorado State Capitol Building, or run for a touchdown at Mile High Stadium— current home of the Denver Broncos. Colorado Rockies Photo Galleries, http://www.swparks.com/us/travel/colorado/ photo_pages.html. Experience the majestic Rocky Mountains throughout Colorado by clicking on this site comprised of more than 150 landscape and nature photographs. By the way, C re did you know that the dit: D mountainous area of Colo­ env rado is two times as big as er M Switzerland and contains etro more than 1,000 peaks that C on rise two or more miles vent above sea level? More thanion C 20,000 acres of this area is ent maintained by Denver’s er & Mountain Parks Department, V i which is also responsible for sitors maintaining the road to B ure Mount Evans, the highest au paved road in North America (altitude 14,260 feet—see h ttp :// community.webshots.com/ album/171073 for some gorgeous views), as well its own private buffalo herd—all part of the largest city park system in the nation. S k i t h e R o c k i e s For many of us, winter in Colorado is syn­ onymous with skiing. GoSki Colorado (http://www.goski.com/colorado.htm) offers information on snow conditions and ski re­ sorts and provides expert guides and a chatroom. To get a virtual taste of downhill skiing, view the Flash animation on the Blue Sky Basin (Vail) Web page (h ttp :// www.blueskybasin.com/index.html). If cross­ country skiing is more your style, be sure to checkout the Colorado Cross Country Ski Association's page (http://www.colorado- xc.org/indexa.htm). For the ultimate in cross­ country skiing, visit the 10th Mountain Di­ v is io n H ut System page (h ttp :// www.huts.org/index.html). Modeled after the European custom of hut-to-hut travel, this sys­ tem offers more than 300 miles of trails in the http://www.denvergov http://www.denver.org/ http://www.denvergov.org/virtual.asp http://www.swparks.com/us/travel/colorado/ http://www.goski.com/colorado.htm http://www.blueskybasin.com/index.html http://www.colorado- http://www.huts.org/index.html m o u n ta in s b e tw e e n Vail, Leadville, a n d As­ p e n . T h e g r e a t i n d o o r s Those of us more inclined to indoor pursuits need not feel left out. Denver has lots of al­ ternative entertainment and recreational op­ portunities. For example, there are more than 30 theaters and more than 100 cinemas throughout the metro area. Foremost among these is the Denver Performing Arts Com­ plex (DPAC) (http://www.denvercenter.org). Covering a four-square block in downtown Denver and containing eight theaters with a combined total of more than 10,000 seats, DPAC is the second largest performing arts center in the United States (after Lincoln Cen­ ter in New York City). DPAC offers a variety of entertainment, including symphony con­ certs, touring Broadway shows, and local pro­ ductions. One of DPAC’s divisions, the Den­ ver Center Theatre Company, was the recipient of the 1998 Tony Award for “Out­ standing Regional Theatre.” Just a few blocks away is the Pepsi Cen­ ter (http://www.pepsicenter.com/), home to two of Denver’s professional sports teams— the Colorado Avalanche (hockey) and the Denver Nuggets (basketball)—as well as a prime location for concerts, ice shows, cir­ cuses, and other events. Those of us who are “born to shop” can take advantage of Denver’s reputation as the “Shopping Capital of the Rocky Mountain West” and use the Insider’s Guide to Den­ ver Shopping (http://www.insiders.com/ denver/main-shopping.htm) as a guide to help plot shopping expeditions to major shopping malls, such as Cherry Creek or the Pavilions. There’s something for every shop­ per here—from swanky malls to antique deal­ ers to flea markets. Denver has lots to offer book lovers in particular, most notably the Tattered Cover Bookstore (h ttp:// www.tatteredcover.com/), the largest inde­ pendent bookstore in the United States; the Hue-Man Experience Bookstore, the nation’s largest African American bookstore; Cultural Legacy Bookstore, one of the country’s top Latino bookstores; and the Den­ ver Book Mall (http://dimensional.com/ -bkmall/), headquarters to more than 30 antiquarian, used, and specialty book deal­ ers. Credit: Denver Metro Convention Center & Visitors Bureau Called the Maroon Bells, this range of snowcapped peaks near Aspen is one of the most photographed spots in Colorado. Colorado has more than 1,000 peaks that are over two miles high. And for the gourmets among us, Denver boasts more than 2,000 restaurants. Local spe­ cialties include Mexican and Southwestern food, micro-brew pubs, and, for the you car­ nivores out there—buffalo and other exotic meats. (Ever tried rattlesnake or ostrich? Prai­ rie oysters?) To find out more about Denver’s cultural scene, point your browser to Westword Online (http://westword.com/), the Web ver­ sion of Denver’s most popular alternative weekly newspaper. Along with arts, music, movie, and restaurant reviews, the site pro­ vides a searchable calendar. There is also a “Best of Denver” section, here you can iden­ tify such gems as the “best restaurant when someone else is paying,” “best quick ski fix,” and the “best politically correct tourist greeting.” T h e s u g g e s tio n s a b o v e s h o u ld h e lp y o u p r e p a r e fo r y o u r v isit to t h e M ile H ig h City n e x t M arch. T h e r e ’s ju st o n e m o re c o n tin ­ g e n c y y o u m a y n e e d to p la n fo r . . . N o t e 1. While the marker was carved into the steps in 1947, 20 years later some students discovered that the measurement was in error and a geodetic survey marker was placed in the correct spot, three steps above the original marker. ■ Reserve your space RR eeggsiisssttrreaattiiroonnv ffeoorr yAACRL’CoRuL’ssr NN saattpiioonnaaalcl CCeRoonn ­­ ffeerreennccee bbee ggiinnss iinn SS eeppttee mmbbee rr 22000000.. WWaattcchh tthhee ccoonnffeerreennccee WWeebb ssiittee ffoorr mmoorree iinnffoorrmmaa­­ ttiioonn aa tt wwww ww..aallaa..oorrgg //aa ccrrll//ddee nnvveerr..hhttmmll.. C&RL News ■ September 2000 / 693 http://www.denvercenter.org http://www.pepsicenter.com/ http://www.insiders.com/ http://www.tatteredcover.com/ http://dimensional.com/ http://westword.com/ http://www.ala.org/acrl/denver.html http://www.ala.org/acrl/denver.html