Denver, Colorado

Denver's Capitol building is intentionally reminiscent of the United States Capitol. Designed by Elijah Myers, it was constructed in the 1890s from Colorado white granite, and the inside was mainly of Colorado Rose Onyx from Beulah, Colorado. It was opened for use in November 1894.

The distinctive gold dome consists of real gold plate, first added in 1908, commemorating the Colorado Gold Rush.

The tourists on the front steps are son-in-law, David, grandson, young Allen and grandpa Allen. We are sitting just a few feet from the step that indicates the elevation (5280 ft.) which is a mile high.

(Note: to enlarge any of the photos, click on it: to return, click on back arrow top left of page)

These tourists are Donna, young Allen and grandpa.

David, Allen and I climbed to the top level of the dome but was not permitted to go into the dome itself as it was discovered recently that some of the metal in the top part is rusting and might be a hazard to the public. Wow, estimates to repair at $10 to 30 million.

Our guide was wonderful, very knowledgeable and he enjoyed his job.

Murals inside the Rotunda tell the story of Chief Ouray, white settlers and the gold discovery.


There were over 200 hand made quilts on display, the most we've seen anywhere.

Colorado Senate Chambers.

View of the public buildings and the Colorado Rockies in the distance. Also in the right hand side of the picture is Mile High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos football team.

Big renovating project on the Arts Building in downtown Denver. Look at the next shot taken with my telephoto lens of the workers on the roof.

This is a close up shot and the workers are wearing their safety harnesses. OSHA and the insurance company will be happy about that.

Val (daughter) and David (son-in law) visiting the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.

Grandpa Allen (the shorter one) and grandson, Allen. Academy Chapel in the background.

Air Force Academy Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO.

The Quad, classrooms and living quarters for the cadets.

The cadets and their main mode of transportation.The Buckhorn Exchange (The Original Steakhouse), 1000 Osage St., Denver, CO.

This National Historic Landmark and Western Museum has been serving the finest in Old West fare since 1893. Henry H. "Shorty Scout" Zietz was the founder, a self-celebrated character of the Old West (Chief Sitting Bull gave him his nickname). Shorty ran the place for 50 years; his family took up the mantle for another forty and sold the restaurant in 1978.

The steaks were simply awesome, the very, very best.

They have a large menu of prime grade beef steaks, buffalo prime rib, elk, salmon, quail, game hen, and baby-back pork ribs are just some of the marvelous offerings on the Buckhorn menu.

Exotic appetizers such as alligator tail, rattlesnake and buffalo sausage are available, and no dinner is complete without the house specialty, Rocky Mountain Oysters (we didn't have any).

Donna had elk and the rest of us had the big steak (New York Strip).

Note: if you are a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), you may not like this place, there are 500 stuffed animals on the wall.

The Molly Brown House.

In 1970 local citizens joined forces to preserve the long-time home of Titanic’s most famous survivor. Today, you can visit the Brown’s opulent 1889 home, designed by architect William Lang. You’ll also hear the fascinating tales of Molly Brown’s incredible life, from instant mining-town wealth, to labor reform and the stages of New York.

Buffalo Bill's gravesite, Lookout Mountain, Colorado.

A number of years ago, we visited the town named after him in Cody, Wyoming and ate at his restaurant named, The Irma, after his daughter. It was there that we found out Wild Bill was buried on Lookout Mountain, near Golden, Colorado.

In 1917, Buffalo Bill's last wish was to be buried on Lookout Mountain overlooking the Great Plains and the Rockies. We finally made it there this year.

The main drag in Golden Colorado, a great little town and also the home of Coors beer.

Golden's future vision:

“Through this shared community process, identify and articulate the most important defining values of Golden … that which describes the very core or “heart and soul” of the community… that which makes Golden, Golden.”

This is the view from Buffalo Bill's Lookout Mountain to the city of Golden.

Yes, that's Coors in the background, the white roof is where they brew it.

This is Clear Creek and it flows right by Coors beer. Until Prohibition, Coors beer was distributed in just a few isolated markets, including Denver, San Francisco, Wyoming and New Mexico. But the company's fame had spread much farther. The time was now right to compete with some of the hundreds of regional brewers then operating. The six years following repeal saw Coors successfully expand its market to include 10 Western states. During that period, the simple slogan that would serve the company for the next 50 years first appeared.

The slogan? "Brewed with Pure Rocky Mountain Spring Water."

Under the direction of fourth-generation Peter Coors, the company began the decade of the '90s by reaching a long-sought goal of becoming the nation's third largest brewer and experiencing the fastest volume growth rate in the industry. Not only that, but the company started expanding internationally, eventually making its products available in Japan, Canada, Greece, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Korea and other countries. Coors products are sold in more than 30 foreign markets.

The brew kettles.

Today, with annual sales exceeding 20 million barrels, Coors remains at the forefront of the brewing industry, building on a rich heritage to meet the needs and expectations of its consumers. It's a heritage that began with the commitment made by Adolph Coors way back in 1873: to brew the finest quality beers, using the highest quality ingredients available.

The pause that refreshes....and it's free (3 limit)

This flower has nothing to do with Coors beer, just thought I would share it with you. Actually it was in Val's yard.