Known as the "Mile High City," Denver was founded in 1858 as a small mining town by a group of gold prospectors. The capital of Colorado, Denver is one of the largest cities before the Rocky Mountains- a rest stop that many pioneers took advantage of during the gold rushes of the 1800s. Today, the glory days of the Pike's Peak Gold Rush are long gone, and the only relic of those times is the distinctive golden dome of the State Capitol building, shining like a jewel in the city's skyline.

A progressive beacon in America's heartland, Denver was one of the first cities to set up a civil rights commission, and one of the few in the country to provide fair public housing to Latinos, African-Americans, and Japanese-Americans. The liberal, racially tolerant attitude of Denver has attracted immigrants from all over the world, and one fifth of the city's population has Hispanic ancestry. There might not be any more gold on the mountains of Denver, but its citizens' hearts shine brighter than any precious metal.