Hemispheres Magazine

DAY TWO / You might be tempted to stay snuggled among the Frette linens of your downy bed. Instead, hop up and take a short walk to Snooze, a popular breakfast spot with a Jetsons-meets–Happy Days décor that earned a Mayor’s Design Award. Down an a.m. cocktail (try the Snooze Hound made with Absolut Ruby Red, grapefruit juice, and DeKuyper Razzmatazz) if you’re so inclined, or enjoy a Snooze house coffee if you’re not. Pair it with a Pork’s Benediction, made with Niman Ranch pulled pork, or pineapple upside-down pancakes with vanilla crème anglaise.

Well fed, you’re prepared for a day of art and culture. Your first stop is a 10-minute taxi ride away at the Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. Set within the Arts and Crafts–style commercial art building lies a treasure trove of decorative art collected by artist Vance Kirkland (1904–1981) and museum curator Hugh Grant (not the movie star). Guided tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday. Wander around on your own, pondering American and international art periods and styles, including art nouveau, modern art, and pop art, much of which is shown in vignette-style settings. Don’t miss a visit to Kirkland’s studio, where you can see how he hung from an innovative strap system to create his famous dot paintings.

From there, a refreshing six-block walk east along 13th Avenue will take you to the Denver Art Museum. The dramatic, titanium-skinned Frederic C. Hamilton Building (inspired by Rocky Mountain peaks and designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind) has become a city landmark both architecturally and for its collections of African, Western American, Oceanian, modern, and contemporary art. Exhibits this month include Varied Voices, Clyfford Still Unveiled, and Houdon From the Louvre. For a breather, roam the Martin Plaza, eyeing the sculpture, including the nearby larger-than-life bronze Scottish Angus Cow & Calf, then cab it to Santa Fe Drive.

Known as Denver’s ArtDistrict, Santa Fe Drive is the flipside of the local museum scene, an unconventional collection of galleries, artist studios, and shops housed in revitalized low-rise warehouses and storefronts. It’s also home to El Chile Rojo, a family-owned Mexican restaurant with festive yellow walls, turquoise tables, and chile pepper curtains. Order a mango margarita from the surfboard menu; then lay into fat green chile–pork burritos, barbacoa beef tacos, or jumbo-shrimp fajitas.

Up the street, Reed Photo-Art Gallery Denver is a showplace for fine photographic art and other media by local and national artists, including Colorado nature photographer John Fielder; you may have noticed his book, Mountain Ranges of Colorado, in your hotel room. In the quirky Museo de las Américas, Latin American art and culture is explored through rotating exhibits and hands-on workshops, and crafts are sold in the tiny shop. Across the street, Core New Art Space is a venue for contemporary artists with a variety of galleries and exhibits to explore.

Head back to The Ritz for a quick change and a night on the town. It starts with an early dinner downstairs at Elway’s (named, of course, after the former Denver Bronco quarterback, John Elway). Make a pass through the bar and snag a seat if you can. Order a round of shellfish from the raw bar, followed by short-rib sliders, mini lamb empanadas, and rosemary-smoked salt-Parmesan frites to share.

After dinner, it’s off to the nearby Denver Performing Arts Complex, the largest performing-arts center under one roof. You have tickets to the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. Other shows scheduled for December include The Nutcracker (presented by the Colorado Ballet) and Jersey Boy.

After the show, stop in at the Limelight Supper Club & Lounge in the performing arts complex for a nightcap and dessert. Back in your room, set a 6 a.m. wake-up call. Tomorrow, you’re off on a ski adventure.

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