I can't wait for you to visit Boston and heap abuse upon it. There's nothing funnier than a bad review, in my opinion, whether its of a city, an Angelina Jolie movie, or a metal band.

Also we study cancer here, too.

I had to spend a lot of time in Denver last year for work--four different five-day trips. Did I get to know the city? No, mostly due to being forced to spend the majority of my time in windowless basement conference rooms. Denver sucks. Downtown Denver is a soulless, commercial, chain-everything haven. But it is car-free on 16th street. If you walk down 16th towards the river, there is a really great bookstore, just after the pedestrian part ends. There are some beautiful views (rivals Seattle) nice walks to be had by the river, and baseball if you get the timing right. I think if you can get away from the center, there are some good things to see and do. There is also a great little French restaurant downtown where I had a fantastic lunch and talked to the waitress about The Sound and the Fury (which I was reading at the time). Damn, what was the name of that place? It takes about two days to acclimate. Since you are a smoker, I suspect it may take you longer. Drink lots of water, take aspirin or ibuprofen and avoid alcohol for the first few days, if possible.

I had to spend a lot of time in Denver last year for work--four different five-day trips. Did I get to know the city? No, mostly due to being forced to spend the majority of my time in windowless basement conference rooms. Denver sucks. Downtown Denver is a soulless, commercial, chain-everything haven. But it is car-free on 16th street. If you walk down 16th towards the river, there is a really great bookstore, just after the pedestrian part ends. There are some beautiful views (rivals Seattle) nice walks to be had by the river, and baseball if you get the timing right. I think if you can get away from the center, there are some good things to see and do. There is also a great little French restaurant downtown where I had a fantastic lunch and talked to the waitress about The Sound and the Fury (which I was reading at the time). Damn, what was the name of that place? It takes about two days to acclimate. Since you are a smoker, I suspect it may take you longer. Drink lots of water, take aspirin or ibuprofen and avoid alcohol for the first few days, if possible.

Dammit. Sorry for the double post.

Somehow, I don't think avoiding alcohol would speed up Skot's acclimation in anyway whatsoever. I think he would most enjoy Denver in a drunk a stupor as he can reasonably get away with on a business trip.

There's a great Mexican place that has live jazz, or at least there used to be when I drove through Denver on my way to Seattle 13 years ago. I'll contact the friend I stayed with to see if it's still around, or if he has any other suggestions for interesting things to do or fun places to go in Denver. The Botanical Gardens were pretty cool, but I know that's not so much your cuppa tea. A gin martini is much more up your alley...

kansas city has way more than just mind-blowing barbeque. come again and this time hang out with people who live here. i love this city.

when I'm forced to be in the Denver area, usually on some familial obligation, I stay in the suburbs. Might I recommend that you stay away from the Denver suburbs as much as possible? I may? good.

Being the Denver native, here is my two cents:

- The bookstore Jamy speaks of is the Tattered Cover. It's a locally owned Mom and Pop joint (two locations, one in LoDo and one in Cherry Creek) and I highly recommend patronizing it. (http://www.tatteredcover.com/)

-The jazz bar/Mexican joint S speaks of is called El Chapultepec. It's off of 20th and Market (across the street from Coors Field). It was a great dive before Coors Field moved in and cleaned up the LoDo area. It’s still one of the few bars down there that has some character. And they have decent burritos.

The downtown area started sucking when corporate chain shit took over shortly after the baseball field was built and drunk college kids starting hanging out in LoDo 24/7 ("Hey look, Tyler! It’s Hooters!") Still, there are good places to be had if you know where to find them.

I don't know where your hotel is, but I imagine most of this stuff is within walking distance. Check out Larimer Square for food, drinks and a great local coffee shop (http://www.larimersquare.com/). Josephina's is a fine bar to get liquored up in and though I've never been there there, I hear Ted's Montana Grill has a pretty mean buffalo steak. Illegal Pete's (http://www.illegalpetes.com/) has one of the best burritos in town.

If you want more info on bars/restaurants, feel free to shoot me an email.

Two more things:

1.) Chew gum on the plane ride. It helps in keeping one's head depressurized.
2.) Being at altitude sucks when you're a smoker, but is great when you’re a drinker.

Denver: We have a Hooters now.

I know nothing about Denver and am full of blind prejudice but I still feel bound to say that I feel for you, I fear you are right and the fact that it features in John Denver's surname isn't helping. Good Luck!

How true about Kansas City. Barbecue, beer and more bible totin' bad hair m'sidwwtf running around than is necessary. Ack.

Aw, man, kj. See what you did there? Now Skot's going to be the top google hit for "bad hair m'sidwwtf running around." Do you think he wants that kind of traffic?

Denver Rocks, YOU BUTT NUGGETS!!!

Denver not only sucks, it swallows. If you think downtown is wretched, try the southward sprawl. If endless cookie-cutter monotony is your cup of tea, this is the place. Any business attempting to set up shop in one of the countless shopping areas is doomed to failure if it's not a Blockbuster, Bank One, Walgreens, or one of a few other five-per-square-mile joints. The native Denverites loathe and detest Californians, who they blame for all their problems. Truth be known, the local economy wouldn't exist if not for transplants since tech companies couldn't recruit enough local brain power to staff them.