All Good Things Come To An End, Lo Bueno Tiene Un Final



Cabinets display Chinese Chippendale silver epergne
made in London in 1861 by silversmiths to the British
Royal Family. European antiques and artwork decorate
Palace Arms, many date to the early 1800's.  Artifacts
include dueling pistols that belonged to Napoleon.  Two
papier mache golden eagles on the walls are said to have
been carried atop parade standards during Napoleon's
march from the Arc De Triomphe to Notre Dame to declare
himself Emperor of France.

  Ideally, you need two days to show visitors the highlights of Denver (on the run).  We were short on time so it was not possible to do all my favorite things.  We did drive by the impressive Invesco Field at Mile High.
Also, we drove past the Colorado State Capital which is part of the Denver skyline at 5,280 ft above sea level and features the gold bell-shaped dome. I have taken many people for the tour of the Molly Brown House filled with antiques and history featuring the flamboyant Molly Brown, famous survivor of the Titanic. The Denver Botanic Gardens are incredible and you need one half day and the other half for Denver Art Museum.  We couldn't manage those three things. We did drive down the small historic area on Larimer Street, the first downtown area of Denver. You can spend a complete day on Larimer and enjoy the trendy shops and wonderful outdoor restaurants. The Brown Palace has been operational since opening in 1892 and continues to charm travelers from around the world.  The skybridge is an excellent place to inspect the outside of The Brown built of Colorado red granite and red sandstone.  Sea sand was brought from the coast for the mortar.  Twenty six different Colorado animals are carved into sandstone medallions between the arched windows. The Brown Palace, Trinity Methodist Church and Navarre, across Tremont Street were the only neighborhood occupants in the early days of The Brown.  Ship Tavern opened in 1934, shorly after the repeal of prohibition.  The Tavern still displays the detailed ship models, replicas of actual ships from America's clipper period.  There is much more to mention about The Brown Palace and they offer guided tours on Wednesday and Saturday at 3:p.m. lasting about 75 minutes.  Reservations are required.  Saturdays are a good day to walk beautiful downtown Denver and enjoy the pedestrian 16th Street and Larimer Street.

In the lobby your eyes sweep upwards past
six tiers of cast iron balconies to the stained
glass skylight.  The 2,800 square- foot skyllight
is the original and is an excellent example of
"daylighting" an interior space.  The cast iron
panels surrounding the balconies are of one
design, but for reasons unknown,  two panels
 were installed upside down, so instead of 
"dancing on their feet", you see "ladies standing
on their head."



Navarre on Tremont, across from The Brown

 

To walk through The Brown is a journey into the history of
the West.  The Brown Palace, completed in 1892, is a remarkable
piece of Victorian Architecture based upon the Italian Renaissance
Style.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has
been designated a Denver Landmark.

The stone used inside the lobby is Mexican Onyx.
The pillars are solid onyx and weigh more than 1,500
pounds each.  On the second floor there is an onyx
room known as the grand salon.
  

We had hotel rooms near Park Meadow Shopping Center for an early departure to the airport.  Miguel, Lety and Poncho spent several hours in the Disney Land of Shopping.  We enjoyed a farewell dinner of California Pizza and everyone turned in early, tired but happy with a busy week in the mountains.


Larimer Street, small historic area restored
with wonderful shops and restaurants.

                                       Some repacking was required for the shopping.

                                   HASTA LA PROXIMA, UNTIL NEXT TIME