• Best for: Hikers, bicyclists, foodies, sports fans ... OK, just about everyone.
• Getting there: United and Frontier fly nonstop from Fort Lauderdale; United and American fly nonstop from Miami, a 4-hour flight.
• Cost of a weekend getaway: Roundtrip airfare starts around $345. Online travel agencies were offering three-night air/hotel packages for late June from about $500 per person double occupancy.
WHERE TO STAY
• Brown Palace: 321 17th St.; 800-321-2599 or www.brownpalace.com. Historic hotel once owned by the ''unsinkable'' Molly Brown. Rooms from $159 per night.
• Hotel Monaco: 1717 Champa St.; 800-990-1303 or www.monaco-denver.com. A Kimpton hotel with pet concierge. Rooms from $259 per night.
• Capitol Hill Mansion Bed & Breakfast, 1207 Pennsylvania St.; 800-839-9329 or www.capitolhillmansion.com. Historic B&B. Rooms from $114 a night.
WHERE TO EAT
• My dinner at Frasca (1738 Pearl St., Boulder, 303-442-6966; www.frascafoodandwine.com) might have been the best Italian meal I've had in the States. But there were other memorable repasts on this trip. Tasting menu, $62.
• Fruition (1313 E. 6th St., 303-831-1962; www.fruitionrestaurant.com) is a fresh-ingredients-driven eatery. Main courses, $21-$25.
• Great Tex-Mex cuisine is just one of the draws at Mezcal (3230 E. Colfax Av., 303-322-5219; www.mezcal-restaurant.com), along with striking murals of old Mexican B movies (and ribald south-of-the-border comic-book strips in the bathrooms). Entrees from $7.95.
• The Wynkoop Brewing Co. (1634 18th St., 303-297-2700; www.wynkoop.com) kicked off the Mile High City's peerless brewpub scene and the revitalization of a rundown warehouse district (the now-hoppin' LoDo) back in 1988. Diners can opt for an array of steaks, chops and other comfort food, and on game nights at nearby Coors Field, there's no better place to stop for a bowl of gumbo ($9.50) and other glorified bar food. Entrees, $16.95-$22.95.
• Pete's Kitchen (1962 E. Colfax Ave., 303-321-3139; www.petesrestaurants.com) serves hearty, tasty breakfasts all day and (especially) all night. A classic diner, all entrees under $16.
INFORMATION
• Denver Metropolitan CVB: 303-892-1112; www.denver.org
• Colorado Tourism Office, 800-COLORADO; www.colorado.com
