There are 200 named peaks visible from Denver, including 32 that soar to 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) and above. The mountain panorama visible from Denver is 140 miles (225 km) long. There is a step on the State Capitol Building that is exactly 5,280 feet (1,609 meters) above sea level. In Denver's rarified air, golf balls go 10 percent farther. So do cocktails. Alcoholic drinks pack more of a wallop than at sea level.

The sun feels warmer in the thinner atmosphere, but your coffee is cooler, because water boils at 202 degrees (94 degrees celsius). Denver boasts the 10th largest downtown in America and one of the most exciting and walkable. Within a mile radius, downtown Denver has three major sports stadiums, the nation's second-largest performing arts center, three colleges with 30,000 students, an assortment of art and history museums, a mint that produces 10 billion coins a year, a river offering white water rafting, more than 8,400 hotel rooms, a $140 million theme and water park, a $100 million aquarium and 300 restaurants.