Recently I traveled to Denver to visit a friend and do some outdoor hiking. This was the first time I have traveled to Denver. As an evaluator, I wanted to learn what makes Denver so unique. As I familiarized myself with the city and its surrounding area, the whole experience left me quite impressed. A whole list of things I observed, including the State Capitol, the Federal Reserve, the local cultural institutions and the Rocky Mountains are things that a guy from Duluth is simply not used to.

The State Capitol is beautiful historic building where beautiful murals, chandeliers and a hall of Presidential portraits line the halls underneath this golden dome building. The local art galleries and history museums were also very interesting to explore because much of it celebrates life in the West.

What really impressed me about the city of Denver is the historic Lower Downtown, or “LoDo” area. The 16th street mall runs through blocks of restaurants, art galleries, restaurants, local shops and bookstores. I learned that the well-renowned Tattered Cover Bookstore is located at the end of the mall. I learned that the bookstore is locally-owned and famous for the extensive knowledge of its staff of books in pretty much every genre.

But the most memorable part of my trip was the hike to Lost Lake near Rocky Mountain National Park. I hiked up to an elevation of 10,000 feet to an abandoned mine. The view from that mine was breathtaking as you can see (post picture). What a memorable time.

The lesson I took away from this trip is that I should travel to new places more often. Additionally, it was interesting to me how thoughtful evaluation can enhance experiences and set future directions. I would welcome our blog reader’s suggestions for locations I should visit.