The Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858-59 brought 100,000 prospectors west, most finding nothing but trouble. The gold at Cherry Creek was real but limited; miners who stayed found greater deposits in the mountains. Denver survived as the gateway: supplies came through Denver; ore came down through Denver; the wealth of the mountains enriched the merchants of the plains. The city that started as a mining camp became a railroad hub, a cattle town, a state capital. By the time mining declined, Denver had diversified enough to survive. The gold rush was the beginning; what came after was the point.

Denver International Airport, opened in 1995, is legendarily weird. The tent-roofed terminal was meant to evoke the Rocky Mountains; conspiracy theorists see Illuminati symbols. The murals inside depict environmental destruction and genocide with disturbing specificity - artist Leo Tanguma says they're about peace and hope, which isn't obvious. The gargoyles in the baggage claim were added later, deliberately playing into the conspiracy theories. The airport is also enormous, far from the city, and the subject of underground tunnel speculation. DIA embraces its reputation, selling merchandise and adding deliberately creepy installations. The conspiracies are fake; the weirdness is real.

Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012; Denver's dispensaries opened in 2014. The industry has since generated billions in revenue, funded schools with tax proceeds, and transformed neighborhoods where dispensaries cluster. The legalization was controversial: opponents predicted disaster; supporters promised tax revenue and reduced incarceration. The results are mixed: usage rates haven't dramatically increased, but impaired driving concerns persist. The industry created jobs, from cultivation to retail to edibles production. Denver became where Americans came to legally buy marijuana, a tourism category that didn't exist before and now supports hotels and cannabis tours.

Denver is the largest city near the Rocky Mountains, making it the gateway for skiers, hikers, and climbers heading into the high country. The mountains are visible from downtown on clear days - though 'clear' is increasingly rare as Brown Cloud pollution and wildfire smoke affect visibility. The ski resorts within two hours of Denver are world-class: Vail, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Keystone. The mountain identity shapes Denver culture even for residents who never ski - the outdoor gear stores, the Subarus with roof racks, the lifestyle marketing that sells Colorado as adventure playground. Denver sells access to mountains more than mountain experience itself.

Denver is served by Denver International Airport, 25 miles northeast of downtown, connected by rail (45 minutes). Downtown concentrates around 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian promenade with free shuttle buses. The Denver Art Museum offers a distinctive Libeskind-designed building and excellent Western American collection. Larimer Square preserves Victorian architecture with restaurants and boutiques. The breweries are numerous - Denver hosts the Great American Beer Festival annually. Day trips to the mountains depart from Denver; Rocky Mountain National Park is 90 minutes northwest. The altitude (5,280 feet) affects visitors - stay hydrated, expect breathlessness, and adjust to the thin air. The experience rewards mountain appreciation from a city that exists because the mountains needed a gateway.