A great way to familiarize yourself with the History of Denver and your surroundings for the coming week is to join us for a docent-guided tour at the Colorado History Museum as you time travel through Colorado’s colorful past — from covered wagons, fur trappers, gold mining, and narrow gauge railroads, to such notable characters as Molly Brown, Alferd Packer, and Buffalo Bill Cody. Free time afterward can be filled with a stroll to the Denver Art Museum, State Capitol, the Byers Evans Museum, or Civic Center Park.

Website: www.coloradohistory.org/hist_sites/CHM/Colorado_History_Museum.htm

Located 10 miles from downtown Denver, this 27-square-mile urban wildlife refuge is one of the largest in the U.S. In 1942, the U.S. Army acquired this native-prairie-turned-farmland to manufacture chemical and incendiary weapons for World War II. The facilities were later leased to private industry and agricultural pesticides were made at the site until 1982. Chemicals and weapons are no longer produced or stored at the Arsenal. In 1992, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assumed responsibility for managing the Rocky Mountain Arsenal as a national wildlife refuge. The Refuge offers opportunities for visitors to learn about the site’s diverse wildlife, unique history, and active environmental cleanup program. Access is carefully controlled during cleanup to ensure visitor safety. Plan to spend 1-1/2 to 2 hours on a trolley tour of the Arsenal. You’ll have time to stop by the visitors’ center and gift shop to learn more about the history and natural history of the area.
Website: http://rockymountainarsenal.fws.gov and www.pmrma.army.mil

Take a walk back through time as an expert geologist introduces us to the paleontology and geology of Dinosaur Ridge. This location features historically famous Jurassic dinosaur bones, dinosaur tracks, ripple marks and trace fossils, which can be seen along the roadside trail. A van will take us to stops along the one-mile stretch of road; some uphill walking will be involved. If time permits, we will visit nearby Red Rocks Park and its beautiful unique rock formations. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a world-renowned concert venue, is located within the park and offers spectacular views of Denver and the front range of the Rocky Mountains.
Websites:www.dinoridge.org and www.redrocksonline.com

Experience hands-on human anatomy without the need for latex gloves! Visit the Visible Human Project at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Follow the project’s progress from cadaver preparation to data analysis. The Visible Human Project was started in the early 90’s to develop complete, anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of normal male and female human anatomy. CT (CAT scan), MR (magnetic resonance) and cryosection images were collected from anatomically normal male and female volunteers. The data is being used by anatomists, radiologists, computer scientists, engineers, physicians, educators and illustrators. When you visit the University of CO Center for Human Simulation you will experience hands-on stereo 3-D with the Visible Human data.
Website: http://www.uchsc.edu/sm/chs/open.html

Once an old city cemetery, now one of the country’s largest and finest botanic gardens, the Denver Botanic Gardens displays more than 15,000 plant species from such far-away places as South Africa, Australia, and the Himalayas. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through 23 acres of flowers, foliage, ponds, and fountains. Denver Botanic Gardens was one of the first gardens in the country to emphasize native plants and to champion environmentally responsible practices, such as water conservation and biological control of pests. After the tour you’ll have time to further explore the gardens, visit the gift shop and art exhibits, and finish up with a cappuccino at the Monet Deck and Cafe.
Website: http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/home.cfm

Where science and art come together — experience the “science” of brewing beer and the “art” of sampling same. Golden CO has been the hometown of Coors Brewery since 1873. The tour reveals the unique Coors process of making beer from malting and brewing to packaging. The entire visit will last approximately 90 minutes, including a 35-to-40-minute walking tour, a chance to stop by the gift shop, to view displays and special exhibits, and the sampling area. Complimentary beer samples and soft drinks will be served following the tour. Beer samples are limited in quantity and available only to those 21 years and older with proper ID. An adult must accompany visitors under 18. If time permits, we’ll have a chance to wander through the historic town of Golden, once the Territorial Capital of Colorado.
Website: www.coors.com

Join Howard Cook, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science chief technologist and aerospace illustrator, on a behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s most sophisticated immersive theater. The Gates Planetarium is a virtual transporter that allows the viewer to see the starry night sky from Earth and then leave the planet and travel out into the cosmos. This advanced “sky theater” will be one of the first public venues in the world to incorporate ultra-high-resolution, all-digital projection with sophisticated real-time simulation technology to display scientifically accurate, visually realistic and esthetically pleasing simulations of the cosmos.
Website: www.dmns.org

Located within the Arapaho National Forest at approximately 12,000 feet in elevation, Mount Goliath and grand mountain vistas are waiting to be explored by the GNSI!

We will be led by naturalist Kathy Imel on a moderately difficult 1.5-mile hike along the M. Walter Pesman trail. She will introduce us to flora and fauna of the fragile sub-alpine and alpine tundra areas and an ancient bristlecone pine forest. Actual time spent on Mount Goliath will be approximately 3-1/2 hours. Lunch will be provided. Participants with heart or respiratory problems—be aware that high altitude can exacerbate these conditions. Altitude sickness (dizziness, headache, dehydration) can affect even healthy individuals unused to physical activity at this altitude. Freezing temperatures, strong winds, and snow are possible any time of the year on Mt. Goliath. Weather can change dramatically in a short period of time. Sturdy walking shoes (no sandals!), long pants, warm clothing (dress in layers), sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of drinking water are recommended.
Website: http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/mtgoliath.cfm

This two-day field sketching workshop will be taught at Indian Creek Park, a 2000 acre private ranch 45 minutes from the University of Denver campus. The Tasher House, the workshop “base camp,” is a refurbished, traditional Colorado timber house built at the turn of the century.

After a morning of introduction and drawing warm-ups, the workshop moves outdoors for the remaining day and a half to discover three to four Colorado high mountain habitats and biomes, each offering wonderful instruction opportunities on light, movement, detail, and capturing the whole picture.

The elevation of the property is at 8,400 ft. and participants will be doing some light hiking. Comfortable walking shoes are essential as the terrain is uneven and requires a few short hill climbs.

Housing accommodations are a 20 minute drive at Quality Suites. Winner of the 2002 Gold Award, the hotel offers a complimentary continental breakfast, indoor swimming, exercise room, hot tub, steam, laundry facilities, in-room refrigerators, TV, telephone, data port. Single and double or triple rooms are available, all in a double-queen suite setup. Transportation and lunches and snacks (for both carnivores and vegetarians) are provided as part of the workshop fee.