One option is the Denver light rail. It stops all over central Denver and is great for getting pretty much anywhere from Coors Field to the Theatre District to Elitch Gardens. It’s also useful for long hauls into the suburbs, although you’ll have to hop a bus if you want to go to Boulder or Denver International Airport. More information, maps, and schedules are available on the Denver public transit website.

Probably the best method of getting around is by bicycle. Bike lanes run throughout the city, although they’re not perfect and can occasionally end without proper warning. To combat this, both BikeDenver and pretty much any bike rental shop offer maps of official and recommended bike routes throughout the city. If you’re a serious cycler who plans on taking long rides all over, it’s best to rent a bike from a bike shop. There are too many shops to list here and reviews vary wildly, so do your own research on what sort of bike rental shop meets your specific needs.

This may sound like a lot of work for the casual cycler who’s just looking to take short hops around town. For this, there’s Bcycle, a bike-sharing service that keeps rental bikes stashed at about 50 locations around town for you to use at your convenience. Current rates are $6 per day or $20 per week for access to unlimited 30 minute-or-less rides between stations.

The main catch with Bcycle is that you get charged $1 for going over 30 minutes and increasingly more for time after that. Furthermore, you can’t check the bikes out overnight, so that means no participation in the legendary, several-hundred strong weekly Denver Cruiser Rides. If you do go with Bcycle, make sure to either print out a map of stations from their website or pick up a copy of The Voice for $1, the homeless advocacy magazine sold by homeless vendors around town that includes a Bcycle map.

Finally, and most ridiculously, there’s Denver Patio Ride, the human-propelled bar hopping machine that lets you and several of your friends pedal your way from bar to bar. Ostensibly, no alcohol is allowed on board, but rumor has it that this regulation goes unenforced. If you’re looking for the most absurd way to hit up as many of Denver’s microbreweries as possible, you’ve found it.

With a light rail and bike rentals at your disposal, why drive around in a car in a city that has more than 300 days of sun a year?

[Photo courtesy of Flickr/paulswansen]

That said, vegetarians need not despair. Denver has a sizable vegetarian and vegan community and most restaurants have at least one or two items on their menus that cater to the meat-averse. There are also a good number of vegetarian-only and vegetarian-friendly restaurants around town.

Any discussion of vegetarian food in Denver begins and ends with Watercourse Foods. Everything on the menu is vegetarian, organic, locally grown, and delicious. The Seitan Buffalo Wings are the stuff of local legend. The same owners also run City O’ City, a more relaxed, loungey place that serves mostly sandwiches, pizza, beer, and mixed drinks.

Two places close to downtown that have a plethora of vegetarian and vegan options are the Mercury Café and the Vine Street Pub. Fans of restaurant reviews that use the word “eclectic” would do better at The Merc, as they’re famous for serving up locally sourced food, hosting poetry and salsa nights, and aiming to be the last place in America that doesn’t accept credit cards. If you’re looking for vegetarian takes on bar food – like, say, a vegetarian reuben – and an excellent array of microbrews (the pub is an offshoot of the Boulder’s Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery) then the Vine Street Pub is more your style.

For Indian food, a veggie’s best bet is to make the short hop over to Aurora’s Masalaa. The whole menu is vegetarian and nearly everything is under $10. There’s even a section titled, “From the beaches of Mumbai,” which has to count for something. If you’d rather not make the trip out of town, Govinda’s is just east of City Park but only open on Fridays and Saturdays. If that name sounds vaguely familiar it’s because it’s one of many Hare Krishna-run buffets around the world. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, then all we’ll mention is that Hare Krishna cuisine doesn’t use onions or garlic and leave it to you to figure out the rest.

Finally, there’s vegetarian food for those who spend their time secretly yearning after forbidden hot dogs and other greasy Americana dishes. On Colfax, there’s Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs, which can accommodate any bizarre regional hot dog topping proclivities you may have. If you’re down in the south side of Denver, only a few blocks north of the University of Denver is Mustard’s Last Stand. They bill themselves as a Chicago-style hot dog stand but also produce veggie burgers, veggie dogs, and yet another vegetarian reuben.

This isn’t the final word on vegetarian Denver. In fact, it’s far from it – the city is spotted with more than its fair share of Vietnamese, Thai, and Ethiopian restaurants with menus that are primarily vegetarian. You may have to dig a little and ask a few questions, but you certainly won’t run out of options.

[Photos courtesy of Flickr/luvsickmedia]

Twice a week (and sometimes more if there’s something special going on in the sky) the observatory holds a public night where astronomers from the nearby University of Denver give short lectures on the stars and planets, answer whatever pressing astronomical questions you may have, and let you have a peak through the telescope. It’s quite a unique experience, as not every day do you get to check out the stars through a telescope so old that it was on display at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair — the same expo that dubiously declared Pabst to be America’s finest beer (hence the blue ribbon).

In return for this opportunity, the observatory asks for a $3 donation ($2 for children) to keep the facilities running. They also ask that you make a reservation. It’s not usually necessary to do so farther than a day or two in advance, although the events do generally fill up.

[Photo courtesy of Denver Astronomical Society]

It’s not hard to see why so many artists keep coming back: the surroundings are beautiful, the acoustics are fantastic, and the backdrop is the Denver skyline.

There are some drawbacks, of course. Traffic on the winding mountain road that takes visitors up to the amphitheatre can be hectic at times, although nothing worse than your average well-attended sporting event. Also, the uniqueness of the venue tends to both to cause shows to sell out well in advance and drive up ticket prices — where else in the world can an ABBA tribute band charge $30 and up?

For those who didn’t manage to time their trip to Denver in time to see their favorite act or lacked the foresight to buy tickets sufficiently far in advance but still want an excuse to visit, there are several alternatives.

The first is Film on the Rocks, a weekly summer film series put on by the Denver Film Society that pairs up movies conducive to watching outdoors with a large crowd (Red Rocks seats over 9,000). Cult classics like The Big Lebowski and Edward Scissorhands are showing this summer, not to mention Twilight. (Note: this is the last time NileGuide will mention the Twilight series.)

Showings are preceded by a concert starting around 6:30 and the movie takes over after the sun goes down. Standard tickets are $12 and the Denver Film Society also sells additional tickets to a pre-party and a party bus to and from the show (for those who are afraid The Goonies won’t live up to their fond adolescent memories if they’re sober).

Non-cinephiles looking to make the fifteen-mile drive out to the amphitheatre will be happy to discover that admission is free whenever there’s no concert going on. There are a few miles of trails running around the park for those looking for more than just the amphitheatre that are well worth checking out.

Finally, any visitor to Red Rocks should remember that it’s more than a thousand feet higher up than Denver. That means those coming during the day are advised to bring sunscreen and lots of water, and those who arrive for nighttime festivities should remember how much more of an impact a few drinks can have at this altitude. That said, Red Rocks is another great excuse to get out of the city and spend some time in the mountains, which is what Colorado is all about.

[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia]

Those looking for a low-key and free way to enjoy the summer weather and soak up some culture can head down to City Park on Sunday evenings at 6 p.m. to enjoy the weekly jazz concerts that run from June until early August. There’s more to the festivities than just music, as you’ll find people sprawled out on blankets pretty much everywhere within earshot of the band, enjoying food and Denver’s relaxed open container laws. That’s right — alcohol is permitted in Denver’s public parks, and although glass is discouraged, police will turn a blind eye to a bottle of wine as long as you make a decent effort to keep it out of plain sight.

Like the locals, show up early on your bike (which volunteers will keep an eye on at the “Bike Corral”) to get a good place to enjoy your organic and environmentally friendly bag-in-box wine along with a gluten-free snack of your choice. But to each his or her own, we say.

Weekly lineups, maps, and other event details can be found on the City Park Jazz website.

[Photo courtesy of City Park Jazz]

Back for another exciting year at the People’s Fair, the Wine Pavilion allows fairgoers the opportunity to relax in the shade, sip a quality glass of wine, and enjoy the sights and sounds from the Bandstand, which features jazz, big band, swing, and salsa music.

With over 250,000 fair-goers and numerous exhibitors, vendors, and volunteers, Civic Center becomes Colorado’s third largest city over the weekend. For two days, the streets are closed and filled with juggling clowns, face painters, arts and crafts, delicious food, and smiles as the people of Denver celebrate the Rite of Summer.

The fair will be open on Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, June 5 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The full lineup of entertainment and a list of participating artists is available online.

[Photo courtesy of Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods]

The festival is at the Denver Pavilions at 500 16th Street and will be open on Friday the 27 from 4 – 8 p.m., Saturday the 28th from  11 – 8 p.m., Sunday the 29th from 11 -  5 p.m., and Monday the 30th from 11 – 4 p.m.

[Photo courtesy of Downtown Denver Arts Festival]

Opening with a colorful parade, the fiesta continues throughout the weekend with arts and crafts, Mariachi bands, the colorful costumes of dancing troupes, pinatas, and exciting live performances, from contemporary to traditional, on multiple stages. See here for the full lineup of entertainment.

During the festival, there will also be a Green Chili Bowl Cook Off on Saturday, May 7th starting at 12:00 p.m. across from the local stage in the center of Civic Center Park. The tantalizing aroma of the food alone should draw you here from wherever you are.

[Photo courtesy of Cinco in the Park]

The Brick Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to serve as a liaison between U.S. Peace Corps volunteers abroad and their domestic supporters at home, generating financial and managerial support for volunteers’ community-based projects. The youth center in Malawi is the project of a former Peace Corps volunteer.

The keynote speaker of the event will be Christopher R. Hill, an American diplomat who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq. Mr. Hill was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon from 1974 to 1976, and credits his work with the organization for teaching him his first lessons in diplomacy.

The format of the golf tournament is a 4-person scramble. In a scramble, each player tees off on each hole and the best of the tee shots is selected; then, all players play their second shots from that spot. The best of the second shots is determined, then all play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed. Teams are constructed with an A player, B player, C player, and D player, with those players designated based on handicaps (with the A player as the low-handicapper and the D player as the high-handicapper).

The tournament entry cost of $125 includes lunch, green fee, cart, and range balls, plus entry into a raffle for prizes from local businesses. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are also available, ranging from $100 for a hole sponsor to $1,500 for the title sponsor.

The tournament will be held at 8 a.m. at the Wellshire Golf Course in south Denver. Entry deadline for the event is Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 5 p.m. (MST). For more information or to register for the tournament, visit The Brick Foundation.

[Photos courtesy of The Brick Foundation and Wikimedia Commons]

Several of the restaurants participating in this event are independent local restaurants that use locally sourced foods. Fuel Café is a hip, funky, industrial restaurant, that’s off the beaten path. Ideal for an evening of lingering over great food, conversation and wine, Fuel is a one of a kind place—urban, on the river, with views of the city and the mountains. Entrees available are spinach gnocchi, pork maltagliati, cuban skirt steak, prosciutto wrapped cod, chicken marsala, duck breast, and acorn squash stuffed with pesto and quinoa.

Offering sophisticated dining in an elegant and relaxed environment, Shazz Café also uses local, seasonal ingredients and prepares everything from scratch. For Denver Restaurant Week, Shazz will be offering the following entrees as part of its fixe prix menu: beet gnocchi, pork chop, cod with mushrooms and fingerling potatoes, and vegetarian cassoulet.

[Photos courtesy of Denver.org]