Getaways

>>The Mile High City has come of age. Denver's Old West vibe now exists chic-by-ski-boot with a cultural renaissance, the downtown streets have been transformed into a bustling urban scene, and you can ski the slopes-many are within an hour of downtown-and be back for dinner. Why not celebrate a Rocky Mountain urban holiday exploring this city's treasures, past and present (www.denver.org)?

SEE: With a dramatic, titanium-peaked roof reminiscent of the mountains looming near it, the new addition to the Denver Art Museum (www.denverartmuseum.org) has created international buzz. The first U.S. work to be completed by star architect Daniel Libeskind, it's the lynchpin for an ambitious Libeskind-designed cultural district. The interior dazzles, but do keep your eye on the impressive contemporary art. And something old is new again-The Ellie Caulkins Opera House (www.operacolorado.org) has been recently restored to its 1908 charm. Catch a performance or simply take the $6 tour back in charmed time.

DINE: You can still get some of the best steaks in America here, but grab top-notch grub at the six-table French chef Patrick DuPays' Z Cuisine (2239 W. 30th Ave., www.zcuis

ineonline.com), or Steuben's (523 E. 17th Ave., www.steu

bens.com). If you yearn to be elegant, book a table at the Palace Arms dining room at The Brown Palace Hotel (www.brownpalace.com), with its celebrated wine list and shades of Eisenhower and Churchill, both of whom dined here.

SHOP: Glitz shopping central is still the luxe Cherry Creek neighborhood. Discover one-of-a-kind wares at Kazoo & Co. (www.kazootoys.com), with quality toys from independent American manufacturers. For everything outdoors, REI (www.rei.com) is an adventure in itself. Scale the store's indoor 45-foot rock to test climbing equipment, buy a tent/boots/anything camping or sports-related-and discover outdoor pursuits you never knew existed.

STAY: Denver's Brown Palace Hotel & Spa (www.brownpalace.com) is the city's Gilded Age grande dame, more than a century old and still going strong. Or be cutting-edge at the Hotel Monaco Denver (www.monaco-denver.com), intimate and fashion-forward (staff uniforms designed by Cynthia Rowley), with boldly colored rooms and suites named after musicians. Its location-right on the 16th Street pedestrian mall, newly wired for WiFi-is ideal for people-watching.

INSIDER TIP: In this most outdoorsy of cities, it should come as no surprise that Denver boasts America's largest public park system-14,000 acres in all. Ten minutes' walk from downtown is Confluence Park, the meeting point of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek, with 40 miles of hiking trails and white-water kayaking.

-Mary Alice Kellogg