Denver, Colorado

Mid-August 2011 brought us to the mile-high city of Denver where we spent four days in nearby Golden, Colorado. Our first order of business was to visit the State Capitol located in the heart of Denver's Civic Center area. The building was constructed in the 1890's from Colorado white granite, and was intentionally built to resemble the United States Capitol. The distinctive gold dome consists of real gold plate to commemorate the Colorado Gold Rush. The official elevation of Denver is measured outside the west entrance to the building, where the fifteenth step is engraved with the words "One Mile Above Sea Level." From this step, at 5,280 feet, the sun can be seen setting behind the Rocky Mountains. An impressive quilt display hung throughout the Capitol on the day we visited, adding beautiful splashes of color throughout.