After hearing that my post about Denver wasn’t “up-to-snuff,” I decided to return.

It's always sunny in Denver.

This is what a meeting looks like from the outside.

Well, in truth, I decided to return because I had another meeting there, but if it makes the reader who complained feel better, I’ll tell him it was for him. By the way, who complains about a post on this site?!?! You know who you are…

Anyway, now that I’ve been there 2.5 times (the 1/2 was a layover in the airport), I fall decidedly in the “expert” category and can say with confidence that Denver is basically America’s gift to the world.

Let’s put it this way: Think of the best parts of every community — large or small — that you’ve visited. Now, put them into a single place. Guess what you’ve got? That’s right! Denver.

Then, go ahead and add what (at times) can be a weird beer culture…

And Colorado becomes the Australia of the United States. Why? Because all anyone talks about is beer.

Dude. Have you tried that new Microbrew with the ginger and strawberries? The hops are incredible.

With 300 days of sun, endless outdoor activities, and beautiful people rivaled only by the people back at Bondi Beach, Denver is wonderful. In this glowing review, I’ll choose to ignore the heavy industrial areas, heavier traffic, and vast distances between Point A and Point B.

Tasty. I always wondered where the dog food came from.

Tasty. I’ve always wondered where the dog food came from.

Now, at this point, you’re either reflecting on your own trip to Colorado or trying to figure out what the place is all about. Let me put it this way: If you’ve ever been to a Chipotle, you’ve basically seen the State.

I did ask one resident what he didn’t like about living in Colorado. He told me that he missed the lakes of his native Oklahoma. As he looked wistfully in the distance, he told me that Oklahoma has more lakes than Minnesota and more shoreline than California. I’ve been to Oklahoma and, lakes or no lakes, it’s got nothing on Colorado.

Wow.

Wow.

Sure, like most of my trips, the majority of my time was spent in meeting rooms, but when I was outside of them, there were some pretty amazing things to take in.

For example, because I brought my internal East Coast clock, I woke up early enough for a run. Let’s put it this way, the Mile High City’s nickname is not just for show. That run was brutal! I somehow clawed my way 3.5 miles 1.0 miles up. Although the thin oxygen made it unpleasant, a surprise coyote inspired speed I didn’t know I had.

Following the run and a long meeting, I grabbed a quick, pre-sunset trip to Red Rocks Amphitheater. It’s pretty amazing.

I'm sure Red Rocks Amphitheater is sometimes filled with concert-goers. However, all I saw were athletic people losing weight by running up these stairs.

I’m sure Red Rocks Amphitheater is sometimes filled with concert-goers. However, all I saw were athletic people losing weight by running up these seats.

And, before I sign off, let’s talk about The Rockies (the mountains, not the baseball team).

Jeeze. These things are big. Massive rocks calling me from the distance.

I grew up among the Appalachians, which are beautiful and retain their place as my favorite mountain range (you have a favorite mountain range, too, right?).

You can call the Appalachians beautiful, but they ain’t majestic. The Rockies sure are. But I wanted to get close. Since I had a late flight out on the last day, I decided to drive up to Boulder. Granted, I was on a conference call during the brief hike, but the views were incredible (the cell service was also quite remarkable, too. I now recommend conference calls in unusual places).

That's legit. Yeah, I used THAT word.

That’s legit. Yeah, I used THAT word.

Oh! And the food in Denver does not suck.