Denver, Colorado sights and scenes

Undeniably, the art museum’s Daniel Libeskind-designed Hamilton building looks great from the outside. But it has generated controversy because of its angled walls, which could prompt a visitor to ponder the difficulty of displaying art in a building with so few straight-standing ones.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

With the Rocky Mountains nearby, a Denverite’s thoughts might naturally turn to rock climbing. A vast REI store offers a 47-foot indoor pinnacle to let a climber test his or her mettle as light streams prettily through large windows.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Patrons drink up the sun — and that’s not all — on the rooftop deck of a bar on Market Street. Not far away is Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, who represented the National League in the 2007 World Series.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A bright day brings visitors to sidewalk cafes along 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian and transit mall that serves as downtown Denver’s retail core as well as a tourist attraction.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The image of a lion seems appropriate for one of Denver’s power-lunch spots, the Capital Grille. And the city knows something about power, inasmuch as it’s the capital of Colorado, has benefied from high-tech industry progress and will host the Democratic National Convention in August.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

The dome of the state Capitol building glistens above downtown Denver streets. It’s one of the area attractions for which there is no admission charge, like Red Rocks Park or Dinosaur Ridge, or tasting tours of the Celestial Seasonings tea headquarters in Boulder or the Coors brewery in Golden.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A teenage kayaker practices his white-water moves on the South Platte River — an encounter with rugged nature in downtown Denver.  (Chris Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

It might look humble, but El Chapultepec, at Market Street and 20th, is the city’s most venerated jazz venue (and offers “hot burritos” along with the cool music). There are also a few other watering holes within a block or two of the Pec, as locals know it.  (Chris Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A 3-year-old kite enthusiast has done what many Denverites do: escape to Confluence Park, where Cherry Creek joins the South Platte River. It’s a place where city folk sneak away from their offices to walk, run, pedal and picnic.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

From any angle, the lobby at the Brown Palace Hotel is impressive. Other key tidbits about the 1892 grande dame: It has a notable tea service and presidential suites named for former guests Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A team of sculpted rock climbers has taken its place on a lobby wall at the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver, which will serve as the Democratic National Convention’s headquarters hotel.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A reflecting tabletop dominates the dining room at the Brown Palace Hotel’s Eisenhower suite, which struck a Times reporter as offering a certain Oval Office vibe.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)