Denver, Colorado, is very proud of the fact that it is 5,280ft above sea level; so much so that it has a local magazine called 5280 which tells you about what you can do in this city (Bakersfield has a similar magazine but in Denver it’s much easier to recommend where to go to eat).

Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr liked Colorado so much that he renamed himself after its capital city. Colorado returned the favor and made John Denver, as he is better known, their poet laureate and chose “Rocky Mountain High” as one of their state songs.

Jack Swigert was born in Denver and he is commemorated by a nice statue in the airport (see above). Swigert landed on the moon on the Apollo 15 mission (so is one of only 24 people to visit the moon) but is probably more famous for being the replacement Command Module Pilot in Apollo 13 after for Ken Mattingly had to pull out in case he developed German Measles. He died in 1982 so never got to see Kevin Bacon playing him in the movie “Apollo 13”.

Here are some things to do in Denver:

- Go skiing. This is recommended in Winter only, requires large sums of money even prior to medical bills after accident:

- Go to the Zoo. At $10 per entry this is probably the best value day out in the country (aside from St Louis Zoo which is free):

    -Get a cashier’s check from the Alpine Bank in Breckenridge. If you bank with Bank of America you will probably be under the impression that “America” includes Colorado but you would be wrong. But not only is Alpine Bank convenient but they have the most helpful people in the entire world working there.

    -Go to Boulder and see some, erm, boulders:

    -Have an Indian meal at the India House restaurant in downtown Denver. Having tried Indian food in many places in the US it is safe to say this is by far the best in the country (so far at least).

Colorado is a nice place. No wonder John Denver used to sing:

“Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh baby, I hate to go”