We LOVE Aurora

4. Denver has 300 days of sunshine a year.

Located east of a major mountain range, Denver has a mild, dry and sunny climate with more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach. In winter, Denver is dryer than Phoenix with an average daily high of 45 degrees (7 degrees Celsius) in February. Golf courses remain open all year and have been played as many as 30 days in January.

5. Denver’s history is short, but colorful.

In 1858, there was not a single person living in the Denver metro area. Thirty years later, Colorado was a state with a population of almost 200,000. It was a Gold Rush that caused this boom, and in a 30-year period, Denver saw some of the wildest events in the Wild, Wild West. This fascinating period is relived in museums, old gold mining villages, and hundreds of elegant Victorian buildings.

7. Denver is a cultural city with the second highest educated population in America.

In its Old West days, Denver had a performance of Macbeth before it had a school or hospital. Today, the Denver Performing Arts Complex has nine theaters seating 10,000 people and is second only to New York’s Lincoln Center. The seven-county metro area has a self-imposed sales tax for the arts that raises up to $40 million a year, which is distributed to 300 arts organizations and facilities. Denver’s live music scene entertains year-round, ranging from intimate venues like the Paramount Theatre to legendary open-air spots like Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, where the Beatles, U2, and many more have played.

8. Denver is one of only a few cities to have seven professional sports teams.

Denver loves its sports, from basketball to football to soccer to baseball. Denver also has horse racing and a professional rodeo. Denver has 90 golf courses, 85 miles of bike paths, and the nation’s most unique city park system. Visitors can explore the city using B-cycle, Denver’s pioneering bike-sharing program. Pick up a bike at one of 80-plus stations (located near hotels and major attractions), take a ride, and return it at any other station — all for a small membership fee.

9. It’s easy being “green” in Denver.

From global warming and renewable energy to environmental cleanup, Denver is emerging as a model for sustainable cities. The Denver Zoo’s Toyota Elephant Passage will use a biomass gasification system, which can turn human trash and animal waste into energy to power the exhibit. Denver International Airport (DEN) completed its two-megawatt solar power system in 2008, a 1.6-megawatt array in 2010, and a 4.4-megawatt solar power system in 2011. In 2006, former Denver Mayor (now Colorado governor) John Hickenlooper announced The Mile High Million, an ambitious tree-planting program with a goal of adding one million new trees in metropolitan Denver by the year 2025. As of early 2016, more than 2.2 million new trees have been planted.

10. Denver is farm-fresh.

Whether you’re enjoying a night out on the town at one of Larimer Square’s independently owned fine dining spots or digging into the offerings from one of the city’s many gourmet food trucks, you can count on fresh, local ingredients. The city’s beer world is booming, too, with new craft breweries opening up every month, along with several distilleries and wineries, too!

Source: We love Aurora and Denver | denver.org

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