This gallery highlights a trip I took to Denver, Colorado with my best friend in August of 2013.

Denver City was founded in November 1858 as a mining town during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush in western Kansas Territory. That summer, a group of gold prospectors from Lawrence, Kansas, had arrived and established Montana City on the banks of the South Platte River. This was the first settlement in what was later to become the city of Denver. General William Larimer, a land speculator from eastern Kansas Territory, named the town site Denver City to curry favor with Kansas Territory Governor James W Denver. The Colorado Territory was eventually created on February 28, 1861, and Denver City was incorporated on November 7, 1861. In 1867, Denver City became the Territorial Capital. With its new-found importance, Denver City shortened its name to Denver. Denver is nicknamed the Mile-High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level, making it one of the highest major cities in the United States.

This gallery highlights exploration of the city itself, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Coors Brewery, the nearby city of Boulder, and the Denver Botanical Gardens. I hope you enjoy this brief snapshot of this beautiful area adjacent to the Rocky Mountains.