Denver International Airport

Denver International Airport often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. At 140 square kilometres (35,000 acres) it is the largest airport in the United States by total area, and the second largest airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport. Runway 16R/34L is the longest public use runway in the United States. In 2012 Denver International Airport was the 11th-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic with 53,156,278 passengers.

It was the fifth-busiest airport in the world by aircraft movements with over 635,000 movements in 2010. The airport is in northeastern Denver and is operated by the City & County of Denver Department of Aviation. DIA was voted Best Airport in North America by readers of Business Traveler Magazine six years in a row (2005–2010) and was named "America's Best Run Airport" by Time Magazine in 2002.

Denver International Airport is the main hub for low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines and commuter carrier Great Lakes Airlines. It is also the fourth-largest hub for United Airlines. The airport is a focus city for Southwest Airlines. Since commencing service to Denver in January 2006, Southwest has added over 50 destinations, making Lovely Denver its fastest-growing market. Denver International Airport is the only airport in the United States to have implemented an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system covering the entire airport.

History

From 1980 to 1983, the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) investigated six areas for a new metro area airport which were North and East of Denver. In September 1989, under the leadership of Denver Mayor Federico Peña (after whom Peña Boulevard is named), federal officials authorized the outlay of the first $60 million for the construction of DIA. Two years later, Mayor Wellington Webb inherited the megaproject, scheduled to open on October 29, 1993.

Delays caused by poor planning and repeated design changes due to changing requirements from United Airlines caused Mayor Webb to push opening day back, first to December 1993, then to March 1994. By September 1993, delays due to a millwright strike and other events meant opening day was pushed back again, to May 15, 1994.

In April 1994, the city invited reporters to observe the first test of the new automated baggage system. Reporters were treated to scenes of clothing and other personal effects scattered beneath the system's tracks, while the actuators that moved luggage from belt to belt would often toss the luggage right off the system instead. The mayor cancelled the planned May 15 opening. The baggage system continued to be a maintenance hassle and was finally terminated in September 2005, with traditional baggage handlers manually handling cargo and passenger luggage.

On September 25, 1994, the airport hosted a fly-in that drew several hundred general aviation aircraft, providing pilots with a unique opportunity to operate in and out of the new airport, and to wander around on foot looking at the ground-side facilities—including the baggage system, which was still under testing. FAA controllers also took advantage of the event to test procedures, and to check for holes in radio coverage as planes taxied around and among the buildings.

DIA finally replaced Stapleton on February 28, 1995, 16 months behind schedule and at a cost of $4.8 billion, nearly $2 billion over budget. The construction employed 11,000 workers. United flight 1062 to Kansas City International Airport was the first to depart and United flight 1474 from Colorado Springs Airport was the first to arrive.

During the blizzard of March 17–19, 2003, heavy snow tore a hole in the terminal's white fabric roof. Over two feet of snow on the paved areas closed the airport (and its main access road, Peña Boulevard) for almost two days. Several thousand people were stranded at DIA.

In 2004, DIA was ranked first in major airports for on-time arrivals according to the FAA.

Denver International Airport covered by the December 22, 2006, snowstorm

Another blizzard on December 20 and 21st, 2006 dumped over 20 inches (51 cm) of snow in about 24 hours. The airport was closed for more than 45 hours, stranding thousands.

Art

Both during construction and after its opening Denver International Airport has set aside a portion of its construction and operation budgets for art. Gargoyles hiding in suitcases are present above the exit doors from baggage claim. The corridor from the Jeppesen Terminal and Concourse A usually contains additional temporary exhibits. Finally a number of different public art works are present in the underground train that links the main terminal with the concourses.

Mustang, by New Mexico artist Luis Jiménez, was one of the earliest public art commissions for Denver International Airport in 1993. Standing at 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and weighing 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg), "Mustang" is a blue cast-fiberglass sculpture with red shining eyes located between the inbound and outbound lanes of Peña Boulevard. Jiménez died in 2006 while creating the sculpture when the head of it fell on him and severed an artery in his leg. At the time of his death, Jiménez had completed painting the head of the mustang. The sculpture was completed with the help of the artist's staff, family, and professional race-car painters Camillo Nuñez and Richard LaVato. Upon completion the sculpture was sent to California for assembly and then shipped to Denver. "Mustang" was unveiled at DEN on February 11, 2008.

Solar energy system!

Partial view of the solar farm under construction, leaving the airport, July 1, 2008.

Between February and August 2008, construction of an on-site, two-megawatt solar energy system took place. The single-axis tracking system provides 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year and uses 9,200 solar panels made by Sharp. Originally designed to power a jail, it spares the environment of more than five million pounds of carbon emissions annually. The system generates the equivalent of half the energy needs of the underground trains that move people between concourses. The $13 million-plus system sits on 7.5 acres (or 30,000 m2), clearly visible to people entering and exiting the airport. WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp. designed and built the system, while MMA Renewable Ventures LLC—rather than DIA—owns the solar farm and sells its energy to the airport. Denver International Airport’s three solar array systems now produce approximately six percent of the airport’s total power requirements. The output makes DEN the largest distributed generation photovoltaic energy producer in the state of Colorado.

Telecommunications

DIA has Wi-Fi access throughout the airport. The free service is ad-supported through an advertising-filled HTML frame that is inserted into the top of the browser window. Users of the Wi-Fi network are also required to view a 30-second advertising video in the browser before Internet access is granted, although in many cases a click-through button is provided to avoid viewing the ad. The network is managed by FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based firm. T-Mobile HotSpot service is available in the airport lounges run by United Airlines and American Airlines. The airport has pay-per-use kiosks which can be used to access the Internet and to play video games. The current stations were developed by Zoox Stations and were installed in 2007.

Controversy

There are several conspiracy theories relating to the airport's design and construction such as the runways being laid out in a shape similar to a swastika. Murals painted in the baggage claim area have been claimed to contain themes referring to future military oppression and a one-world government. However, the artist, Leo Tanguma, said the murals, entitled "In Peace and Harmony With Nature" and "The Children of the World Dream of Peace," depict man-made environmental destruction and genocide along with humanity coming together to heal nature and live in peace.

Conspiracists have also seen unusual markings in the terminals in DIA and have recorded them as templar markings. They have pointed to unusual words cut into the floor as being Satanic, Masonic, or some impenetrable secret code of the New World Order: Cochetopa, Sisnaajini and Dzit Dit Gaii. These words are actually Navajo terms for geographical sites in Colorado. "Braaksma" and "Villarreal" are actually the names of Carolyn Braaksma and Mark Villarreal, artists who worked on the airport’s sculptures and paintings.

There is a dedication marker in the airport inscribed with words, "New World Airport Commission". It also is inscribed with the Square and Compasses of the Freemasons, along with a listing of the two Grand Lodges of Freemasonry in Colorado. It is mounted over a time capsule that was sealed during the dedication of the airport, to be opened in 2094. The Freemasons participated in laying this “capstone” (the last, finishing stone) of the airport project.

Robert Blaskiewicz writing for Skeptical Inquirer Magazine states that conspiracies about the airport range from the "absurd to the even more absurd". When asking airport media representatives, 'what conspiracies are associated with the airport', they responded, "You name a conspiracy theory and somehow we seem to be connected to it." Blaskiewicz found that contrary to claims from conspiracy theorists that DIA will not discuss these stories with the public, they also give tours of the airport.

Denver and jurisdictions surrounding the airport are involved in a protracted dispute over how to develop land around the facility. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock wants to add commercial development around the airport, but officials in Adams County believe doing so violates the original agreement that allowed Denver to annex the land on which the airport sits.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado. It features majestic mountain views, mountain lakes, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails and campsites. The park is located northwest of Boulder, Colorado, in the Rockies, and includes the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Colorado River.

The park has five visitor centers. The park headquarters, Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, is a National Historic Landmark, designed by the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin West. The park may be accessed by three roads: U.S. Highway 34, 36, and State Highway 7. Highway 7 enters the park for less than a mile, where it provides access to the Lily Lake Visitor Center which is closed indefinitely. Farther south, spurs from route 7 lead to campgrounds and trail heads around Longs Peak and Wild Basin. Highway 36 enters the park on the east side, where it terminates after a few miles at Highway 34. Highway 34, known as Trail Ridge Road through the park, runs from the town of Estes Park on the east to Grand Lake on the southwest. The road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), and is closed by snow in winter.

The California Zephyr serves Granby (near the west entrance of the park) by rail from Denver, crossing the Continental Divide through the Moffat Tunnel well south of the park. The park's website suggests Granby as an appropriate rail terminus for visitors, although it lies about sixteen miles from the park without public transportation connections. The park is surrounded by Roosevelt National Forest on the north and east, Routt National Forest on the northwest, and Arapaho National Forest on the southwest.

Geography

Map of Colorado. The area of the Rocky Mountain National Park is in dark red.

Rocky Mountain National Park encompasses 265,761 acres (415.25 sq mi; 1,075.50 km2) of land in Colorado's northern Front Range. The park is split by the Continental Divide, which gives the eastern and western portions of the park a different character. The east side of the park tends to be drier, with heavily glaciated peaks and cirques. The west side of the park is wetter and more lush, with deep forests dominating. The park contains 359 miles (578 km) of trails, 150 lakes, and 450 miles (720 km) of streams. The park contains 72 named peaks higher than 12,000 feet (3,700 m), and over one fourth of the park resides above tree line. The highest point of the park is Longs Peak, which rises to 14,259 feet (4,346 m; surveys before 2002 show 14,255 feet (4,345 m)) above sea level. On the north side of the park, the Mummy Range contains a number of smaller thirteener peaks, including Hagues Peak, Mummy Mountain, Fairchild Mountain, Ypsilon Mountain, and Mount Chiquita. Several small glaciers and permanent snowfields are found in the high mountain cirques, including Andrews, Sprague, Tyndall, Taylor, Rowe, Mills, and Moomaw Glaciers.

History

Evidence has shown that Native Americans have visited the area of the park for the last 10,000 years. Their influence in the region was limited, however, and their visits often transitory. The Ute Tribe visited the west side of the park, particularly around Grand Lake. The Arapaho visited and hunted in the Estes Park region. The Long Expedition, led by Stephen H. Long, for whom Longs Peak was named,visited the area in 1820, though they never entered the mountains.

In 1859 while on a hunting expedition, Joel Estes and his son discovered the meadows that eventually became Estes Park. He moved his family there in 1860 and raised cattle. He stayed only until 1866, forced out by long, harsh winters. In the next years, settlers and homesteaders staked their claims in the Estes Park region. Tourists, particularly those interested in climbing the high peaks of the region, appeared after this time.

In 1880 a small mining rush began in the Never Summer Mountains. The mining town of Lulu City was established with great fanfare and promotion by the media, particularly by Fort Collins newspapers. The ore mined, however, was low grade; by 1883 the rush went bust, and most of the residents moved on. A satellite town, Dutchtown, was abandoned by 1884.

Enos Mills, then a 14-year-old boy, moved to Estes Park in 1884. He explored the mountains of the area and wrote many books and articles describing the region. He later supported the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, and he split his time between the mountains he loved and the cities of the eastern United States, where he lobbied for the legislation to create the park. The legislation was drafted by James Grafton Rogers, a Denver lawyer and avid outdoorsman. Mills' original proposal for park boundaries went from Wyoming all the way down to the Mount Evans area, including areas such as the Indian Peaks Wilderness. Much of the land was favored for mining, logging, and other operations, however, so the proposed park was reduced to an area approximating the current park borders. The bill passed Congress and was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on January 26, 1915. A formal dedication ceremony was held on September 4, 1915 in Horseshoe Park. The park has expanded over the years, with the largest parcel — the Never Summer Range — added in 1929.

The 1920s saw a boom in building lodges and roads in the park, culminating with the construction of Trail Ridge Road between 1929 and 1933. The Civilian Conservation Corps handled several building projects during the Great Depression and remnants of their camps can be found in the park today. On June 24, 2010, a wildfire burned over 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of the park in Larimer County near Estes Park. Estes Park Fire Department believed that lightning may have started the fire.

Popular areas

Longs Peak seen from Dream Lake trail

The park is dominated by Longs Peak, which is visible from many vantage points, and has an elevation of 14,259 feet (4,346 m). Each year thousands of people attempt to scale it. The easiest route is the Keyhole Route, impassable to regular hikers in all but the hottest summer months due to snow and ice. This eight-mile (13 km) one-way climb has an elevation gain of 4,850 ft (1,480 m). The vast east face, including the area known as The Diamond, is home to many classic big wall rock climbing routes. Not all leave Longs Peak alive and safe. There is a stone gazebo at the Keyhole formation with a plaque memorializing Agnes Vaille, a well-known climber in the 1920s. In January 1925, Vaille fell 100 ft (30 m) while descending the North Face. Vaille survived the fall with minor injuries, but was unable to walk. Her climbing partner, professional mountaineering guide Walter Kiener, went for help; but when rescuers arrived, Vaille had died of fatigue and hypothermia. One of the rescuers, Herbert Sortland, froze to death after breaking his hip while trying to rescue her.

Hallett Peak

Bear Lake, in the heart of the park, is a popular destination and trailhead. The lake lies below Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide. Several trails start from the lake, ranging from easy strolls to strenuous hikes. Bear Lake Road is open year round, though it may close temporarily due to bad weather.

Grand Lake

Trail Ridge Road connects the town of Estes Park in the east with Grand Lake in the west. The road reaches an altitude of 12,183 feet (3,713 m), with long stretches above tree line. It passes the Alpine Visitors' Center, a popular destination, and crosses the Continental Divide at Milner Pass. Numerous short interpretive trails and pullouts along the road serve to educate the visitor on the history, geography, and ecology of the park. The southern area of the park is Wild Basin, a wild and remote region. Several trails cross the area and backpacking it is popular. The Mummy Range is a short mountain range in the north of the park. The Mummies tend to be gentler and more forested than the other peaks in the park, though some slopes are rugged and heavily glaciated, particularly around Ypsilon Mountain and Mummy Mountain.

The snow-capped Never Summer Mountains are found in the west side of the park. Here the south-trending Continental Divide takes a brief sharp northward loop, which creates an interesting reverse scenario, where the Pacific Basin is on the east side of the divide and the Atlantic Basin on the west. The mountains themselves, the result of volcanic activity, are craggy and, more often than not, covered in deep snow. This area saw the most extensive mining in the park, and trails lead past old mines and ghost towns.

Paradise Park is hidden in the peaks above Grand Lake. This rugged and wild area has no trails penetrating it.

Lakeside Amusement Park Denver

Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado near Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda spearheaded by prominent Denver brewer Adolph Zang. Eventually the name was changed to Lakeside Amusement Park, but the local populace kept referring to it by its original name for its glittering original display of over 100,000 lights. Today it is one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and the oldest in Colorado in its original location. The park, comprising nearly half of the Town of Lakeside that it was responsible for creating in 1907, features the landmark Tower of Jewels.

The lone remaining American amusement park to have had the name White City, the park was originally built in the Exposition and White City architectural styles. Following its acquisition by Ben Krasner in the 1930s, Lakeside underwent a period of major renovations and incorporated many new features in the Art Deco style. Architect Richard L. Crowther designed much of Lakeside's Deco and Modern features and included a great deal of neon lighting in his work.

There are many examples of architectural salvage to be found throughout the park. Inside the main restaurant is a marble and mirror backbar which was saved from the Denver Union Station, one of the picnic pavilions is created from a retired center column of a ride, and the pool for the current Skoota Boats ride is an adaptive reuse of the original Shoot-the-Chutes ride.

The main office features a functioning manual telephone switchboard that is still in use.

A nominal admission fee is charged for each person entering the park. Children under the age of two are admitted free. A coupon is issued to each person paying admission that can be redeemed for a ride coupon or be used towards the purchase of an unlimited ride pass. There are three entrances: a rarely used west gate accessed from the former Lakeside Mall parking lot, a drive-through auto gate accessed from Sheridan Blvd. and a walk-in entrance at the Tower of Jewels. The admission fee is collected at these entrances; ride coupons and unlimited passes are sold inside the park. This fare structure is a frequent source of confusion for first-time visitors. Many patrons think that they are paying for parking because the admission fee is collected at the auto gate before the vehicle is parked. Consequently some people will turn around, park outside and try to walk in through the auto gate, only to be stopped and directed to one of the cashiers, who then need to explain that parking is always free and that it costs the same to enter whether they drive or walk in. In contrast to, for example, Palisades Amusement Park, which had a chronic shortage of parking space, there is ample parking available at Lakeside and the spacious lot rarely fills up completely.

At one time, each ride was priced individually and had its own separate ticket booth. Most of these booths were of the standalone type. One notable exception was the Cyclone coaster, which had a built-in ticket booth between the entrance and exit ramps. Eventually, ride coupons were implemented with a fixed amount for each coupon, and each ride required from one to six coupons. Coupon sales were consolidated at four locations - the train depot, the carousel, the Ferris wheel and Kiddy Play Land. Unlimited ride passes are sold at the carousel, Ferris wheel and Kiddy Play Land. Many of the original ticket booths are still in place and are used for storage.

The 22" gauge lake-circling miniature railwaytrain features the steam train locomotives "Puffing Billy" and "Whistling Tom" from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair along with the world's first miniature gauge diesel locomotive, patterned after the California Zephyr.

The 1908 carousel was apparently made up from used figures from other carousels. Many of the animals bear characteristic designs of famed woodcarver Charles I. D. Looff. The carousel has also been credited to the Parker company, but the Lakeside horses do not have the typical Parker metal horseshoes.

Original rides in the park which are no longer around include the Shoot-The-Chutes (a splash-down water ramp ride) at the park's south center, the Scenic Railway at its southern end (an elevated track over a mile long), the lofty Velvet Coaster, the StarShip 2000, Flight to Mars, a Coney Island Tickler, the Double-Whirl, a Ferris wheel and the Circle Wave. W.H. Labb of Indianapolis designed the Shoot-The-Chutes and Velvet Coaster, the latter he intended to be a combination of the Foster coaster at Chicago's White City and a type of figure-8, with framework 1,200 feet long and with dips and turns a total 3,600 lineal feet. The Scenic Railway, the Glide and other attractions were destroyed by a fire on November 15, 1911. The skeletal remains of the Staride, a former Ferris wheel-type ride on the north side of the park, still stand. The sign for the old Speed Boats attraction, plus the pier for boarding, also stands vacant with a rope to keep trespassers away.

From the late 1930s through 1988, Lakeside Amusement Park operated Lakeside Speedway on the park grounds. The auto racetrack was a 1/5 mile oval and featured races of three car classes sponsored by CARC: stock, limited modified and fully modified. The race track was built on the site of the park's original baseball diamond and incorporated the original stands into the new use. The degrading track remains today.

Through 1985, there was a Funhouse located on the site now occupied by the Dragon. The Funhouse featured an animated Fat Lady mannequin (Laffing Sal, also known as Laughing Sal) that signaled the opening of the Funhouse and the main park in the evening by loud laughter. Inside, there were slides, moving floors, spinning discs, rolling barrels, and catwalks.

While not considered a ride per se, there was a Casino Theater just south of the Tower of Jewels. Concerts, plays and dance marathons were held there while it was in operation. The building is still in place and is used for storage. Also still in place is the old Riviera ballroom.

Denver History through a Beer Glass

Denver History Through A Beer Glass

From the rough and tumble saloon days to 2009's inaugural Denver Beer Fest, the Mile High City and beer history are intertwined through the ages. For more than a century, Denver has reigned as the king of beers. Explore Denver history through a beer glass ...

Denver's Early Years and Early Beers

Denver and beer go back a long way - right back to the city's founding in 1859. The miners and pioneers who flocked to the new city after gold was discovered in the Platte River were a thirsty bunch - Denver's downtown was thick with saloons and barrooms. The hub of all most activity was Larimer Square. In fact, the first city government was formed - where else - in a saloon called the Apollo Hall in Larimer Square, which you can check out for yourself at 1425 Larimer Street. Denver's early residents might have been a little too thirsty in those days - one of the first laws enacted by that city government was an ordinance prohibiting the selling of liquor on the streets or from wagons or tents.

Coors Conquers Colorado

Beer history of monumental proportions was made in the area when a young German immigrant by the name of Adolph Coors (who came to America as a stowaway aboard a ship) founded the Coors Brewery in Golden in 1873. His amber concoction, brewed with fresh Rocky Mountain water from natural springs surrounding the brewery, became a favorite among locals, earning it the name "Miner's Banquet." Coors Beer didn't remain a local secret for long. Over the years, it became one of the largest manufacturers of beer in the U.S., and was family-owned until 2006. But some things never change: Coors still uses the same 44 natural springs that dot the company property to brew its beverages.

Visit the MillerCoors Brewery in Golden, take a 30-minute self-paced tour through its malting, brewing and packaging processes, and sample some fine Coors beverages afterwards.

Denver's Dry Years

Prohibition first struck Colorado in 1916, then the entire nation in 1920. Even so, Coors found ways to survive for 18 dry years, including converting the brewery into a malted milk manufacturer. Denver, meanwhile, found ways to keep enjoying beer, albeit in a more discreet fashion. The Miller Building at 1401 Larimer St., was once Gahan's Saloon, a legendary watering hole and poker hall for politicians, policemen and city hall reporters. During the dry years, Gahan's Saloon became Gahan's "Soft Drink Parlor" as a cover for the Denver's hottest speakeasy, which operated out of the basement.

Microbrewery Explosion

Perhaps it was inevitable that Denver's long beer history would give rise to a population filled with beer lovers - including some who would even begin brewing and selling their own beverages. As a result, Denver has become known as the "Napa Valley of Beer" - on any given day, more beer is brewed in Denver than in any other city in the U.S. Today, there are 15 brewpubs and microbreweries in downtown Denver including the two of the largest in the nation: theWynkoop Brewing Company and the Rock Bottom Brewery. Interesting beer fact: Denver elected one of the Wynkoop's founders, John Hickenlooper, mayor in 2006. Coincidence? Colorado got on board last year, too, when they elected Hickenlooper to the office of state governor in 2010. With so many unique and tasty brews to try in the Mile High City, it's no wonder Denver has become the go-to metropolis for beer connoisseurs all over the globe.

Great American Beer Festival

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, there is no other place on earth where a beer aficionado can find more beers on tap than the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), held each fall in the Mile High City for more than a quarter of a century now. Over the course of three days, close to 50,000 beer-lovers tour America's brewing landscape, one ounce at a time, by sampling more than 3,000 different beers from more than 600 of the nation's finest breweries. The GABF, which is held annually in Denver's Colorado Convention Center, gathers practically every type of beer from all of the regions of the country, arranged geographically on the festival floor. The 2013 festival, Oct. 10-12, promises to be bigger and better than ever. More info atwww.greatamericanbeerfestival.com.

Denver Beer Fest

A new chapter in Denver beer history was written in 2009, with the first annual Denver Beer Fest which took place at dozens of locations throughout the city. Beer tastings, brewer talks, fun interactive events and plenty of suds-centric activities were held in brewpubs and restaurants, of course, but also in theaters, art galleries, museums, and other unconventional venues. The 2013 event takes place Oct. 4-12.

Great American Beer Festival

A nine-day celebration of all things beer, including beer tastings at local restaurants, beer-paired dinners and “meet- the brewer” nights.

Great American Beer Festival is the premier U.S. beer festival and competition. Each year, GABF represents the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served, in a public tasting event plus a private competition. GABF brings together the brewers and diverse beers that make the U.S. the world’s greatest brewing nation.

GABF was founded in 1982, and has been growing and evolving along with the American craft brewing industry ever since.

The Great American Beer Festival takes place at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Please visit the Travel section for hotel accommodations, public transportation, driving and parking information and to learn more about the area. More than 3,000 beers to choose from at the festival, you’re bound to find a flavor that amazes—or perplexes—you. There are many brewers around the hall, serving beers and answering questions. However, if you’re the type to pore over a course catalog before the semester begins, you’ll probably appreciate the Brewers Studio, You be the Judge and Beer & Food Pavilions.

Each pavilion offers a full schedule of talks featuring craft beer luminaries and experts discussing a range of topics, from barrel aging to beer and cheese pairing. Sponsored by Falling Rock Tap House, the Brewers Studio Pavilion focuses on the people and stories behind the world’s most interesting beers and breweries. For instance, you can taste 2012 GABF medal-winning beers, learn about Stone’s barrel-aging program or enjoy the always-raucous Brewers Feud.

If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, make sure to visit the Beer & Food Pavilion, sponsored by Yard House Restaurants, to learn about how you can integrate your favorite beverage into your next dinner party. Want to whet your appetite? How does barley wine and pig butter sound? If you aren’t feeling so adventurous, the Beer & Food Pavilion offers many other options, like beer pairings with Official Sponsor Snyder’s pretzels.

The festival is huge, but did you realize that there’s a competition happening behind the scenes with more than 4,300 beers and nearly 200 judges? Although the GABF competition isn’t open to the public, you can learn about the judging process at Cicerone’s® You Be the Judge Pavilion. There, you can also learn how to recognize beer off-flavors and participate in a mock beer judging.

But wait, won’t we miss out on the festival if we sit through these seminars? Not to worry! All pavilion talks are 30 minutes or shorter, and most include special tastings of beers that might not even be available in the hall. Added bonus: the Beer & Food Pavilion generally has tasty snacks to pair with the beers on tap.

Union Station Denver Colorado

Union Station is Denver, Colorado, USA's historic plan dresser at 17th and Wynkoop in the LoDo district. The station first opened in 1881.

Denver's first van office was constructed in 1868 to serve the new Denver Pacific Railway, which connected Denver to the main transcontinental files at Cheyenne, Wyoming. By 1875, there were four different railroad stations, sequences passengers transfers between different railroad lines inconvenient. To remedy this issue, the Union Pacific Railroad proposed creating one central "Union Station" to combine the various operations. In February 1880, the owners of the four lines (the Union Pacific, the Denver & Rio Grande Western, the Denver, South Park & Pacific, and the Colorado Central) agreed to build a column at 17th and Wynkoop Streets. Architect A. Taylor of Kansas City was hired to develop the plans, and the classification opened in May 1881.

A shine in 1894 destroyed the central slices of the 1881 depot. The Kansas City architectural boldness of Van Brunt & Howe was hired to formatting a larger substitute depot in the Romanesque style. Both the 1881 and 1894 depots included a tall central clock tower with four clock faces.

In 1912, the original Union Depot junction was dissolved and replaced by the Denver Terminal Railway Company, representing the then-major laborer of the rank (the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe, the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy, the Chicago, Rock Island, & Pacific, the Colorado & Southern, the Union Pacific, and the Denver & Rio Grande Westen). The new mixing decided to demolish and rebuild the central portion of the class to crankshaft the increasing passengers traffic. The new central portion, designed by Denver architects Gove & Walsh, was built in the Beaux-Arts situation and opened in 1914.

During its heyday, the class was served by 80 daily caravan operated by six different railroads; however, pack of this was terminated at the time of the arrangement of Amtrak, which has since operated only one series daily between Chicago and the Bay Area, routed through Denver. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad's Ski Train was operated until the conclusion of the winter of 2008-2009, at which time the attainment was discontinued. In September 2009 plans were announced to revive the service as a special limited route onset in December, but this did not happen due to insurance problems. Current passenger services include:

The new Union Station stop on the RTD Light Rail which opened in August, 2011. The MallRide was also moved west adjacent to the clarification bannister stop. On the far left are the consolidated main files railroad tracks.

Under a public/private consortium, the station and the surrounding 19.5 acres (79,000 m²) will soon be the hub of Denver's new FasTracks rail network, under the Regional Transportation District's master plan for the station site, officially known as the Denver Union Station. Eight teams of prominent architects, developers and engineers competed in 2002 for the massive contract to redevelop the station into a transit-oriented retail, office and residential complex, with a budget in the range of $900 million.

On February 1, 2011, Amtrak's passengers position and boarding dock was moved to a temporary castes at 21st and Wewatta streets, seat Coors Field, in lineup to allow structure of the commuter rails tracks and platforms.[10] This temporary relocation is scheduled to conclusion until fonts 2014, at which time Amtrak's services will protocol back to the newly constructed fare domain seat Denver Union Station.

The new igniting rails station opened on August 15, 2011.The new location is west of the former illustration bannister stations, and is adjacent to the consolidated main files railroad tracks and near the Denver Millennium Bridge. The westernmost stop of the 16th Street Mall shuttle, also known as the MallRide, was also moved west and is adjacent to the new nourishment bannister stop.

Denver Politics

While Denver electing are non-partisan, Democrats have long held a consensus sway on Denver politics with herd officials elected citywide owning Democratic Party affiliation. In federal elections, Denverites also tend to vote for Democratic candidates, voting for the Democratic Presidential examinee in every selection since 1960 (excluding 1980 and 1972). The domain of Denver's Mayor has been occupied by a Democrat since the municipal general variety of 1963. Denver is represented at the federal profile by congresswoman Diana DeGette, a Democrat representing Colorado's 1st congressional district, which includes all of Denver and parts of Arapahoe County.

Benjamin F. Stapleton was the mayor of Denver, Colorado, for two periods, the first from 1923 to 1931 and the assistant from 1935 to 1947. Stapleton was responsible for many civic improvements during his term, notably during his second stint as mayor when he had entrees to stock and manpower from the New Deal. During this time, the park outline was considerably expanded and the Civic Center completed. His signature project was the construction of Denver Municipal Airport, which began in 1929 amidst heavy criticism. It was later renamed Stapleton International Airport in his honor. Today, the airport no longer stands, but has been replaced by a neighborhood also named Stapleton. Stapleton Street continues to bear his name.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Denver was one of the epicenters of the Chicano Movement. The boxer-turned-activist Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales formed an foundation called the Crusade for Justice, which battled bad brutality, fought for bilingual education, and, hordes notably, hosted the First National Chicano Youth Liberation Conference in March 1969.

In recent years, Denver has taken a loci on helping people who are or become homeless, particularly under the administrations of mayors John Hickenlooper and Wellington Webb. Denver's homeless population is considerably lower than loads other adult cities, but residents of the city streets have suffered during Denver's winters. Although mild and dry much of the time, Denver's winters can have summary last of cold fever and changing amounts of snow.

In 2005, Denver became the first major city in the U.S. to make the private asset of less than an ounce of marijuana legal for adults 21 and older. The city voted 53.49-46.51 percent in favor of the earthenware legalization measure. This promotion does not usurp kingdom law, which currently treats earthenware direction in scads the same tools as a speeding tag with fines of up to $100 and no imprisonment time. The electorate of Colorado voted on and rejected a similar statewide refinements in November 2006. Denver passed an alleviation in the fourth section of 2007 enforcing the mayor to appoint an 11 fragment review panel to monitor the city's compliance with the 2005 ordinance.

Former Denver mayor John Hickenlooper was a organ of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, an custom formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino.

Denver hosted the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which was the centennial of the city's first hosting of the milestones 1908 convention. It also hosted the G7 (now G8) climax between June 20 and June 22 in 1997 and the 2000 National Convention of the Green Party.

On October 31, 2011 it was announced that The University of Denver in Denver was selected as the swarm of the first of three 2012 presidential debates to be held on October 3, 2012.

The City and County of Denver levies an Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT or Head Tax) on employers and employees.

If any employee performs convention in the city limits and is paid over $500 for that handling in a single month, the employee and employer are both liable for the OPT regardless of where the main undertaking legislature is located or headquartered.

The employer is liable for $4 per employee per month and the employee is liable for $5.75 per month.

It is the employer's liability to withhold, remit, and line the OPT returns. If an employer does not comply, the employer tins be held liable for both course of the OPT as well as penalties and interest.