Denver, CO

A fine capitol, though nothing special. There are some beautiful murals in the rotunda by Allen Tupper True with poetry by Thomas Hornsby Ferril One of the murals was titled "Beyond the sundown is Tomorrow's Wisdom, today is going to be a long time ago", which sounds like a rather nice motivational poster (less trite, slightly cynical, and more philosophical). Some great views of downtown Denver from the rotunda balcony - which may have helped with its ranking. 

The official elevation of Denver is measured outside the west entrance to the building, where the fifteenth step is engraved with the words "One Mile Above Sea Level". A second mile-high marker was set in the 18th step in 1969 when Colorado State University students resurveyed the elevation. In 2003, a more accurate measurement was made with modern means, and the 13th step was identified as being one mile (1.6 km) high, where a 3rd marker was installed.

Endnotes:

¹ Thomas Hornsby Ferril (1896–1988) was a poet laureate of Colorado from 1979-1988. Carl Sandburg called him "The Poet of the Rockies". 

03.10.2023