Back to the Mile High City

Denver is a premiere travel destination with many world-class outdoor, cultural and sports attractions.

It had been a while since I’d traveled to the Colorado Rockies to visit family. Normally, I’d schedule such a journey to Dillon, CO, in November to avoid the worst of the winter weather. But, that month found me in Dallas pursuing my Presidential Library quest (see my post of  January 24, 2026 titled A Charge to Keep). As a result, I opted to travel in late January. Aware of how sometimes tricky Route 70 West up to the mountains could be in the dead of winter, we all agreed to rendezvous in the city for the weekend. I’m happy to report the trip went off without a hitch. Denver is actually a great year-round destination, enjoying a relatively mild climate for its altitude, with dry, warm summers and mostly manageable winters. Known as the “Mile High City” in deference to its 5,000 foot altitude, Denver offers over 300 days of sunshine during most years, has a thriving arts scene and has emerged as a top-tier culinary city, recognized by the Michelin Guide for its high-quality dining.

The Raleigh Admirals Club is a relaxing spot with ample seating and complimentary food and drink.

Check-in at the American Airlines ticket counter at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) in Terminal 2 was quick and efficient and it didn’t take long to transit the TSA security checkpoint. Although it’s taken a long time for me to access TSA security using the CLEAR Plus lane during several recent trips, that wasn’t the case on this Friday morning. There was no one ahead of me and the entire process took only a few minutes. I had about a half hour before boarding and used the time to visit the Admirals Club located across from Gate C3, where I was pleased to catch up with Aileen and Wendy, two of my favorite agents who were on duty that morning. Boarding for my initial flight commenced promptly at 8:30 at Gate C17 and that day’s flight found me in window Seat 2A in the forward cabin as the aisle seat was taken when I changed my travel dates several weeks earlier. 

The American domestic First Class Charcuterie Plate is a decent, fresh, and reliable meal option.

We took off from Runway 5L at 9:20 that morning. Our captain soon informed us we’d be flying at an altitude of 36,000 feet and the journey to the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) would take 2 hours and 53 minutes. On most domestic flights exceeding 900 miles distance, American offers First Class passengers the option of pre-ordering meals beginning from 30 days up to 24 hours before departure. From the three choices offered, I selected the Charcuterie Plate. It was  served with Fruit and Mini Rolls along with Sliced Prosciutto, Egg, an Assortment of Cheeses, Almonds and Sourdough Shortbread. It was a substantial choice and I found it to be both tasty and filling. Our flight attendant made herself available for passengers in the forward cabin throughout the balance of the flight. We touched down to a rainy DFW at 11:15 and taxied for a good 15 minutes before parking at Gate C12.

The DFW Skylink provides unmatched convenience and efficiency, all within the security perimeter.

My next flight to Denver was departing from Gate B16 and I used the convenient Skylink to make my way over to the B Concourse. There was an Admirals Club near Gate B3 and, although it was lunchtime, it was surprisingly uncrowded. I had no trouble finding a seat and enjoyed the limited tarmac view despite the rain and fog. It was a good thing I was keeping an eye on the American app as I no sooner got settled when l discovered our departure gate had been changed to Gate D31, which meant another ride on the Skylink over to the D Concourse. That flight to Denver was operated with an Airbus A321 with 20 seats in First Class in the typical 2 x 2 configuration across five rows. Aside from my seat mate who kept the window shade down for the entire flight, it was uneventful and we landed at the Denver International Airport (DEN) at 2:00 PM and pulled into Gate C34 some 18 minutes later. 

The Jeppesen Terminal will be transformed and brought up-to-speed for expected future growth.

There’s a great deal of construction going on at DEN right now. The airport is undergoing massive, multi-year, $13 billion infrastructure improvements to manage growth, with significant construction ongoing through 2027. Major projects include the final, multi-phase “Great Hall Program” at the Jeppesen Terminal, Originally designed to accommodate 50 million passengers, the airport served over 82 million in 2024 and is projected to reach 100 million in the not-too-distant future. With all the temporary walkways, I found it a bit difficult to locate the exit door leading to the University of Colorado A-line train into the city, but once aboard, it was a quick, 36-minute ride to Union Station. While I could have walked the 20 minutes from there to our hotel, the temperature was hovering at 16° with a blustering wind and so I wisely elected to request an Uber and enjoyed the warmth of Ahmed’s Toyota Highlander on the short ride. 

The comfortable and spacious Corner King Rooms at Denver's Grand Hyatt are spacious and popular.

Our reservations were at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on Welton Street. This 26-story hotel features 516 rooms and suites located in the heart of downtown Denver’s business and financial district. It’s centrally located near the 16th Street Mall, the 1.7-mile pedestrian-friendly promenade which features over 300 shops, restaurants, and bars. Designed by noted architect I.M. Pei, its iconic granite paving mimics a rattlesnake pattern. The area recently underwent a major revitalization to add more seating, greenery, and improved accessible walkways. Upon my arrival at the hotel, I was greeted by a friendly desk clerk at Reception and was quickly checked into Room 1802. This 412-square-foot Corner Ring Room was designed to be a “lofty sanctuary" with enhanced natural light from its additional windows. It had a contemporary decor with Colorado-inspired touches and offered an expansive city view, a king bed with premium bedding, a well-lit desk, and a renovated bathroom with a walk-in glass shower and upgraded vanity. My son, his wife and my grandson later checked into Room 1813, which was a 392-square-foot space featuring two queen-sized pillowtop beds with premium linens and down comforters.

The two-tiered linear fireplaces bring warmth and add some character to the Grand Hyatt Lobby Bar.

In view of the colder temperatures outside and the fact that all of us had been traveling, we elected to remain at the hotel and first met for drinks at the Fireside Bar in the Lobby. It’s a rather chic, modern lounge known for its cozy ski resort-like ambiance. From there we made our way over to the Courier Market Kitchen, which has a special, newsroom-themed atmosphere honoring the site’s history as one of Denver’s first newspaper offices. The kitchen offers a modern approach to American favorites, including wood-fired, made-to-order flatbreads. We enjoyed a few appetizers and entrées, spending the bulk of the evening catching up and deciding on what we wished to do for the next two days.

I’ll tell you all about the balance of our weekend in a future post.

Until next time…safe travels.