Denver, US

Framed by a serrated Rocky Mountain backdrop, Denver, the mile-high city, blends Old West traditions with 21st-century savoir-faire. With its tree-lined boulevards, expansive city parks, eclectic museums, and rich architectural heritage, Denver is a worthy launch pad for Colorado’s stunning natural attractions. Gold was first discovered in Denver in the 1850s, in Larimer Square to be precise, a place now famed for its bustling nightspots, elegant cocktail bars, and venerable restaurants. True to its Old West history, Denver is a carnivorous place and its fondness for slabs of beef finds expression in an array of brawny steakhouses complete with shiny brass, deer antlers, and booths appointed in rich, red leather. The city’s main attractions include the Denver Mint, where former US presidents are immortalized on millions of coins each year, the grandiose state capital chiseled from Colorado granite (the 13th step on the building’s west side stands at exactly 5,280 feet (one mile) above sea level), and the Victorian mansion of Margaret Tobin Brown, the feisty suffragette who survived the Titanic and went on to run (without success) for the U.S. Senate. For more modern marvels, the Denver Art Museum features a new, futuristic wing designed by Polish-American architect, Daniel Libeskind, which houses an outstanding contemporary collection that includes Damien Hirst’s crowd pleasing “Party Time” installation. The Denver Performing Arts Complex is quite simply a beast. Occupying four blocks, it’s home to ten performance spaces, including the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Colorado Ballet, and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. A half-hour car ride outside of town, spliced between mammoth red sandstone rocks, the sublime acoustics of the 9000-seater Red Rocks amphitheater draws the world’s top artists.

*This is just a sample. Zephyr provides access to aircraft at every end of the spectrum, from luxurious VIP airliners, to ultra long range business jet, helicopters, and economical turboprops.