Southwest to Bid for Frontier

Leading no-frills, low-fare carrier to bid for Denver-based Frontier. Keep fingers crossed

Frontier Airlines is in bankruptcy protection right now. Republic Airways Holdings seemed poised to take over the Denver-based carrier, its convenient A-Gates at Denver International Airport and, hopefully, bring it out of bankputcy while retaining Coloradans loyalty for this home-grown carrier. A just just-released news from Southwest Airlines indicates that it too is now in the running. Republic indicated that it planned to operate Frontier independently. Whether Southwest would do so is an unknown, but its track record is fantastic. In the best of all worlds as I see it, Southwest's bid would be successful, and that company would run Frontier but under its original colors and with those clever "spokesanimals" on the tail.

Below Southwest's just-out press release as it relates to customers, with the section for the investment/financial community deleted:

Title: Southwest Airlines Developing Bid Proposal in Frontier Airlines Bankruptcy Court Proceeding
Date: 7/30/2009 1:20:00 PM

Low-Fare Carrier Seeks to Acquire Frontier Airlines

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV)
confirmed today that the carrier is preparing a bid to acquire Denver-based
Frontier Airlines, which will be sold at auction in bankruptcy court next
month. The carrier has submitted a nonbinding proposal in accordance with the
bidding procedures established in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern
District of New York. The bid is worth a minimum of $113.6 million, which is
in excess of the bid currently filed by Republic Airways.

Submission of a nonbinding proposal gives Southwest an opportunity to
engage with Frontier in the due diligence required to determine the scope of a
binding proposal to be submitted by the court's Aug. 10, 2009, deadline.

"We are excited about the opportunity to submit a bid," said Gary Kelly,
Southwest's Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO. "We see a strong fit
between our Company cultures, a mutual commitment to high quality Customer
Service, and similar entrepreneurial roots."

A successful acquisition of Frontier Airlines will allow Southwest to
expand its network with its legendary low fares, add jobs into Southwest, and
boost competition in Denver and other cities. Southwest is a qualified
investor and is still preparing its proposal; therefore, it is premature to
comment on the specifics at this point.

To view a Q&A with a Southwest Airlines Executive Vice President Corporate
Services and Corporate Secretary Ron Ricks, please visit:
http://www.blogsouthwest.com/blog/southwest-bids-frontier-airlines.

Frontier filed for bankruptcy court protection in April 2008. On June 22,
2009, Republic Airways submitted a bid to purchase Frontier for $108.8
million.

After 38 years of service, Southwest Airlines offers a reliable product
with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the most productive
airline in the sky and offers Customers a comfortable traveling experience
with all premium leather seats and plenty of legroom. Southwest recently
updated its gate areas and improved its boarding procedure to make flying
Southwest Airlines even more convenient and simple. Southwest Airlines
currently serves 66 cities in 33 states, and announced service to Boston
Logan, which begins Aug. 16, 2009, and to Milwaukee, which begins Nov. 1,
2009. Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and has more
than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

Hotel Review Sites: Useful or Misleading?

Thoughts about hired reporters vs. "volunteers" who post about travel

A few months ago, I needed a last-minute hotel/motel room in Santa Monica. I foolishly booked online without doing due diligence and found myself trapped in the Pacific Sands Motel, which I have described to friends as the "worst motel in the country." I blogged about here. Had I read the traveler-generated reviews on, say, TripAdvisor.com before booking, I might have suspected that it is a pit. But then again, when I looked later, I saw some positive write-ups that might not have deterred me. I've always suspected that some of the good reviews of bad places (and defensive comments to negative reviews) were plants.

Pauline Frommer, whose budget travel genes are as pure as Prince Charles's to the English throne, recently addressed that very topic, "Some marketing folks spend their time posting bogus reviews for the hotels that hire them. The practice of 'buzz marketing' has now become so widespread that TripAdvisor has recently started posting warnings on reviews it thinks may be fake. (I doubt very much they’ll be able to catch more than a small fraction of the fake reviews.)"

She went on to describe Oyster.com, which focuses only on hotels and, more significantly, "sends out a small army of young journalists (right) to write reviews....[who] post numerous pictures, crawl around on the floor looking for scuff marks and cigarette burns (or at least they say they do in their posts) and most importantly, compare and contrast the properties in an informed way."

Frommer praises their energy and accepts their objectivity, but she cautions that prices and price categories are the new site's major weakness. For instance, in examining the listings and reviews in New York, with which she is up-to-date familiar, she finds several properties misplaced, pricewise, and also believes that the averages were calculated in January and February, "the two cheapest months of the year." She added, "The reviewers also seem to be so focused on what’s going on in the hotel that they tend to ignore a key factor in picking where to stay: location. The amenities and charms of particular neighborhoods over others are glossed over lightly on the site." That is directly to contrary to the dreadful Pacific Sands Motel across from the Santa Monica pier, whose location for many people trumps its abundant flaws.

From where I sit in a fly-over state, a glaring flaw that still currently exists is its extreme geographic limitation: currently Aruba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Las Vegas ("coming soon"), Miami and New York. Three Caribbean destinations and three mainland cities. That's it.

My travel plans include none of the above, and when I go to New York, my favorite and most economical accommodation is the Hotel Fold-Out Couch at a friend's place. Still, Pauline Frommer's recommendation, even with caveats, carries considerable weight, so I share it here.

Frontier's Larry the Lynx Commercial Wins an Emmy

There nust be something about airliners' tails....

Back in airlines' bright, shiny and profitable days ( i.e., the '70s) and when they sought to attract the traveling businessman with slightly provacative commercials, Continental Airlines ran a television commercial that claimed,

"We really move our tails for you.

We make your every wish come true.

Fly Continental Airlines.

We really move our tails for you."

The follow-up described Continental planes, in their former livery (right), as "proud birds with golden tails." Ah, the fantasy of shapely young stewardesses aiming to please.

Fast-forward to the 21st century, when more overtly sexy commercials fill the airwaves (the current Cadillac commercial presented ad nauseum during the Tour de France), but even the most clueless creative department won't pretend that air travel today is sexy.

An ad campaign for Denver-based Frontier Airlines, which is about to become part of the Republic Airways group (but hopefully will retain its own identity), has been running an ad campaign that is cute, clever and memorable. Talking animals on the tails of Frontier planes extol the virtues of Frontier, and one of them is now a regional Emmy winner.

The honored ad features Larry the Lynx (right) and Jack the Rabbit, two of the "spokesanimals" adorning the tails of Frontier's planes, who explain that the airline has switched to leather seats. Larry adds that Frontier doesn't have a cow its planes, because "It would be creepy." Click here to see the Emmy-winning commercial.

Rebirth of Snowcat Skiing at Irwin Lodge -- Hopefully

Once the largest snowcat skiing venue in the US, Irwin Lodge might come out of mothballs

From 1986 to 2002, the Irwin Lodge off the Kebler Pass Road 23 miles from Crested Butte was the country biggest and best-known backcountry skiing operations. A 24-room lodge (below) located in a former mining camp accommodated overnight guests in rustic comfort and great congeniality. Sublime skiing on 600 to 700 inches of snow per year within a permit area of 1,600 acres with a vertical of up to 2,100 feet per run made for memorable experiences. When the previous operator pulled out of the backcountry business in 2002, the lodge was put on the market for $3.95 million. No sale. Now, a glimmer of resurrection is on the horizon.

Alan Bernholtz, Town Council member of six years, mayor of Crested Butte, founder of and senior guide for Crested Butte Mountain Guides, co-founder of the Crested Butte Avalanche Center, activist and indefatigable organizer of and volunteer at community events, has established Irwin Backcountry Guides LLC in the hopes of starting operation for the winter 2009-10 for extremely limited guided snowcat day skiing and snowboarding. You can read the USFS letter inviting comments to this proposal by click here. Bernoltz has already made some modifications to his original applications to comply with initial US Forest Service requests and is awaiting approval for to set up service for the coming winter. From a distance, the lodge (below) appears in good shape.

As solid as the lodge looks from a distance, bringing it back into operating condition after seven winters at 10,700 feet in the Colorado Rockies is daunting. The good news is that the roof appears largely intact, in in the great scheme of things, it probably is. However, a closeup reveals the toll that seven winters have taken on the cedar siding, doors and windows. "No trespassing" signs abound, and pink plastic tape surrounds the property, so a micro-inspection is not possible. Locals have told me that all or most of the furnishings are gone, and that the inside would need a lot of work to make it habitable.

Irwin Backcountry Guides has reportedly rehabilitated a cabin on the property to use as a warming hut and perhaps lunch spot for day visitors. I think the cabin below with its spiffy adjacent outhouse must be it. This cabin nestles a couple of hundred feet below the main lodge.

The initial permit application is for just 10 skiers or riders per day, but the buzz in town swirls around the possibility of eventual heli-skiing operations at the Irwin Lodge site. I see two results if that is approved: the lodge would have to be massively rehabilitated and a lot of townsfolk who treasure open backcountry access will be massively pissed, especially if the operation is aimed at attracting the kind of deep-pocketed clientele that can afford heli-skiing.

Meanwhile, there is not yet dedicated contact information for Irwin Backcountry Guides, but you can certainly reach them via Crested Butte Mountain Guides, P.O, Box 1718, Crested Butte, Colorado 81224; 970-349-5430.

Tour de France Travel Guide

Illustrated guidebook to the Tour's routes, climbs and towns

Every July, my husband and I are gripped by the human drama, athletic competition and sheer scenic splendor of the Tour de France, now cheerintelecast daily in the US by Versus. Especially that it's now in high definition, we watch the crowds in achingly charming cities and towns, the scenic rural roads past farms and vineyards, the cheering fans that choke down the mountain climbs and the fast descents from the alpine zones into the greenery. Every year, we talk about how fine it would be to follow the Tour in person, and every year I enter the online contest on the longest of shots that we'll win a trip for the following year.

We probably will never get there, but now there's a vicarious way to get the inside info. Graham Watson’s recently published Tour de France Travel Guide provides insider’s access based on 31 years of following and photographing the race. According to the publisher, VeloPress, "Watson has mastered the Tour’s daily challenges—where to eat, where to sleep, how to get around, how to see and photograph the race, and most of all, how to enjoy the greatest show on two wheels."

This beautifully illustrated guidebook features hundreds of Graham’s stunning photographs, full-color maps, travel tips, checklists and travel resources, plus such special features as clever menu decoder, tips on how to meet the riders, a glossary of French cycling terms, some history historical on each region of France visited by the Tour and even a chapter on how to photograph the Tour like a pro. I guess my trusty little digital camera won't cut it. Again according to the publisher, "this book presents a fresh and unique strategy for getting around the Tour’s many daily obstacles to find a front-row seat for all the action."

The price is $24.95, which is a lot less than actually being there.

Straphangers in the Sky

Will "vertical seating" at Ryanair, the pioneering low-fare airline's latest wild idea, fly?

Ryanair, a brash super-discount airline based in Ireland, is always coming up with innovative and even outrageous ideas about packing as many bodies as possible into airplanes or deriving revenue from something other than the air fare itself. Ryanair recently conducted a two-week poll of passengers about "vertical seating."

Reportedly already available on some Asian airlines, passengers would lean back in their "seats" and would be buckled up, unlike straphangers on buses or subways. Ryanair wondered whether its passengers would be willing to fly that way if it meant free or super-super-cheap tickets.

The Ireland-based airline released the results of 88,000 passengers who participated in the poll:

Q. If it meant your flight was free, would you stand on a one-hour flight?

A. Yes 66 percent; No 34 percent

Q. If it meant your flight was half that of a seated passenger, would you stand on a one-hour flight?

A. Yes 42 percent; No 58 percent

Q. Do you think passengers should have a choice of sitting or standing as they do on buses, trains and underground transport?

A. Yes 60 percent; No 40 percent

Other than the oxymoronic nature of "vertical seating" itself, I have a few questions. How do you place a carryon under the seat in front of you if there is no seat in front of you? And how can the equate the choice between standing, or rather sitting vertically, on a plane with the ground transportation their poll mentioned. People who choose to stand while commuting generally have no choice. They do so because all the seats are taken -- and there is no fare differential between those who sit and those who stand.

Addition & Subtraction in Tourism Promotion

Israel Tourist Authority "claims" extra land that it has; Michigan "forgets" one-third of its state

The back page of New Mexico magazine is called "One of Our 50 is Missing," filled with anecdotes and examples about people (some of them officials of some level of government) who think New Mexico is somehow part of Old Mexico rather than the United Sates. The license plate even includes USA to clarify in which country a vehicle is registered. That makesNew Mexico accurate and proactive in identifying itself.

Not so the state of Michigan and the State of Israel whose mistaken maps promoting tourism to their area had to be pulled or corrected.

The Associated Press reported on a kerfuffel caused after Michigan released a map without the Upper Peninsula, separated by two Great Lakes from the more populous lower section. AP noted that the "U.P., which is about the size of Denmark and bigger than nine U.S. states, only has 3% of the state's population" was missing from a map released by Michigan itself. The correct map is shown to the upper right.

Some "Yoopers," as U.P. residents call themselves, felt slighted last year when a state-sponsored tourism commercial only showed the more populous peninsula to the south. The TV ad was later fixed." U.P. residents, who refer to themselves as Yoopers, have legislaion on their side requiring their forested, rural portion of the state to be included on all oficial maps.

The AP report continued, "Last year, some high school students from Escanaba wrote to a textbook publisher after a map in a history book appeared to exclude the U.P. from the borders of the United States. The map colored the U.P. white — like the void surrounding the country — while the rest of Michigan was shaded light blue. The map identified states by their postal codes; the U.P. was designated "IL," for Illinois — which had no label. Other maps have shown the U.P. as part of Wisconsin or Canada.

Meanwhile, across he Atlantic, a poster promoting visitation to Israel was withdrawn by a UK truth-in-advertising watchdog called the Advertising Standards Authority after 442 people complained that a map on the poster (lower right) shows the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights as part of Israel. According to a report in The Guardian, the Tourism Ministry responded that the map was "a general schematic tourism and travel map, rather than a political map."

Fido and Fifi in Flight

Pet Airways transports canine and feline "pawsengers" to five cities


Pet Airways, a startup airline that takes dogs and cats out of the cargo hold and considers them "passengers" has inaugurated service to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (formerly Jefferson County Airport) to serve metro Denver pets and the folks who pay their bills. Other airports include Republic Airport on Long Island (Farmingdale, New York); Baltimore/Washington International Airport; Chicago's Midway Airport; and Hawthorne Municipal Airport near Los Angeles.

In this recessionary time, it seemed extravagant to fly an animal for $149 to $299 one way, but people seem to be willing to pay it. That seemed like a lot of money to me (having only flown a pet once, in 1988, for $35) until I checked Pet Airways fare comparison chart. It turns out that in addition to charging for checked bags, food, seat choice and anything else they can toss into the revenue stream, other airlines are charging a pretty penny to transport pets. United, of course, is the high-fee champion, charging $175 to transport a small animal under the seat and a whopping $250 as baggage. With today's fare wars, humans might be flying for less than their pets.

Pets are dropped off at the Pet Lounge to await boarding time. I presume they do not have to go through a metal detector, empty their pockets or remove their shoes. In the air, they fly "in safety and comfort" on Beech 1900 aircraft. Normally configured as 19-seaters, they can accommodate 50 pet carriers affixed to an interior wall. A pet attendant monitors the "pawsengers" and passes out inflight snacks, presumably for no additional charge. Like in the old days of aviation, Pet Airways puddle jumps eastbound and westbound, with potty breaks at each stop. And pet owners can check online to find out where their pets are.

Pet Airways hopes to have up to 24 cities in the U.S. and Canada on their route system within two years. Heaven help them if they encounter major weather delays or, worse, an accident. Meanwhile, it's either an idea whose time has come or one whose trajectory will echo the Clear security shortcut that recently tanked spectacularly.

QE2 Bound for South African Port?

Dubai's economic downtown causes the legendary ship to seek another permanent harbor

In "The Flying Dutchman," a ghost ship drops anchor in a port somewhere in Norway. It is revealed that the captain, the namesake "Flying Dutchman," once swore to the devil that he would sail around the Cape of Good Hope if it took him forever. Once every seven years, he was permitted to leave his ship in search of a woman to redeem him from his deathless wandering. If he failed, he would sail the oceans, when the fantasy opera was set, until Judgment Day.

I thought about "The Flying Dutchman" when I read "QE2 Might Sail Again Before Becoming a Hotel" in USA Today. Just last October, when it became known that the former flagship of the Cunard fleet was sold to a Dubai developer, the All About Cunard blog explained, "Cunard admits the QE2 could have carried on for several more years, but Cunard president Carol Marlow argues the offer from Dubai of £50 million was simply too good to turn down and in pure economic terms it was probably the right thing to do. It seems that prudence over passion has prevailed. Dubai has promised to look after the liner, the fastest in the world, and moor her on [artificial islands called] The Palm."

In November, the ship reached what was to be her "final home" in Dubai (above right), where she was to be converted into a luxury hotel. As recently as March, the owner, a Dubai developer, reaffirmed its "commitment" to turning the QE2 into a luxury hotel in the face of rumors that that she might be sold.

Now, USA Today reports, "The cash-strapped owner of QE2 ocean liner - thought to be permanently resting in Dubai - is considering moving the ship to South Africa or elsewhere...Owner Nakheel, a subsidiary of Dubai World, applied for permission to anchor the QE2 in Cape Town, South Africa, a Daily Mail story says. The company's also believed to be in talks with a local hotel management firm, Johannesburg's Business Day says."

Is the QE2 fated to be shuttled from port to port with the promise of a new life as a luxury hotel, or will it finally happen? I just hope the grande dame of the oceans will not end up dismantled for scrap.

A Taste of Eastern Europe in Denver

Upcoming food and cultural festival in Globeville spotlights 120 years of history

While researching the Orthodox Food Festival & Old Globeville Days for Mile High on the Cheap, I found out that the Globeville section of Denver is a 120-year-old community with deep roots in Eastern Europe. Located in the shadow of the elevated sections of Interstate 70, it is mainly known as the site of of the National Western Stock Show complex.

Globeville might not have gotten much respect in recent times, but its history is long by Western standards and represents a tapestry of the American experience. Immigrants from Russia, Poland, Romania, Serbia Ukraine and Greece settled there and found community through the shared Eastern Rite religion. Later, they were joined and often replaced by people from such different places Mexico and Eritrea, and African-Americans too. Workers lived in the neighborhood was an important part of Denver's industrial landscape, and when industry and commerce changed and when Interstates 70 and 25 were routed by it, Globeville suffered. But as happens so often, houses of worship that cannot easily be moved provided a bit of a counterweight through good times and bad times.

According to Father Joseph Hirsch of the Holy Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Cathedral, "since Globeville's incorporation as a town and subsequent annexation into the City and County of Denver, there has been a Summer celebration of some kind or another. For most of that time, the main Homecoming event has been the annual Picnic held by the 109-year-old [now 110] Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral. In recent years, the District Attorney of Denver, Bill Ritter, now Governor of Colorado, promoted a Globeville Community Day which positively impacted the neighborhood but did not involve much participation from those outside of the neighborhood. In 2004, the Orthodox Community agreed to combine the Annual Orthodox Picnic with the Community Days celebration and to provide a free public celebration both for the residents and friends of Globeville as well as an opportunity to reach out to and inform the entire Front Range."

And that's what's coming up on Saturday, July 18, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday, July 19, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. when the the sixth annual Orthodox Food Festival & Old Globeville. Admission is free to this event that will feature ethnic foods, music, folk dancing international crafts and for the first time, an art show. There will also be inside tours of the historic and elaborate cathedral, which from the outside looks like a modest church. "Boogie Under the Stars" takes place Saturday evening from 7:30 to 9:30.

9News' Susie Wargin, whose own Denver pioneer heritage is anchored in old Globeville, wrote, "Inside St. Joe's, beautiful stained glass windows align the east and west walls. However there is one window on the west side, featuring the mother Mary with her mother, that shows exactly where I came from. My great, great grandfather Jan Wargin's name adorns the bottom of the stained glass. The word in my family is Jan was a founding member of St. Joseph's and helped fund construction while working at the Globe Smelting and Refining Company. It's a church that has always been very special to our family even though we are all in different locations now."

In the classic American tradition, some stalwarts like Father Hirsch, members of the Globeville Civic Association and Margaret and Robert Escamilla, the successful plaintiffs in Escamilla vs. ASARCO that has been called a landmark victory for environmental justice never give up on their community and just when a neighborhood is thought to be down and out, it is "discovered" by artists and urban pioneers who appreciate history, diversity and low prices, and the process of renewal begins. Globeville is on the rise. New sidewalks, undergrounded utility lines, zoning changes that favor local businesses and other quality-of-life enhancements are in place. The first major sign of gentrification is the multi-use TAXI development, an ambitious project whose first phase includes 43 residential lofts with 130,000 square feet of commercial and office space on an 18-acre site. Globeville's new second identity is RiNo (RIver NOrth), and the incipient arts district.

The festival is in large part a tribute to those who held on and made a historic community better, and all are invited to help celebrate. The event appropriately will take place at the Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral and Globeville-Argo Park at 47th and North Logan, Denver. For more information, call 303-294-0938.

10th Mountain Huts are a Robert McNamara Legacy

McNamara and Margy's Huts established by the late Robert McNamara

Obituaries for Robert McNamara, who died today, in the national media understandably focus on his years as Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, as the "architect of the Vietnam War" (which he later admitted was a mistake) and as president of the World Bank -- as well as his previous big job as the first president of the Ford Motor Company whose last name was not Ford. These high-profile positions earned him a place on the international stage, but Colorado backcountry skiers also know of him as the benefactor of two early huts in the 10th Mountain Trail system.

Both the McNamara Hut and nearby Margy's Hut, a memorial to his first wife Margaret, were built above Aspen in 1982. They were the impetus for the creation of a larger system that now spiders across the high country in the non-wilderness whose rough periphery is Aspen, Leadville, Edwards and Vail. The McNamara Hut is set in an area between the Hunter Creek Valley and Lenado in a high valley called the Burnt Hole. The McNamara and Margy's huts, which are shown on the map near the lower left corner of the map above, are both owned by 10th Mountain and are only open during the winter season to protect the summer range of a nearby elk herd.

The high-country treasure provided by olorado's 10th Mountain Trail system and its backcountry huts is high in my consciousness these days because I am among a goup of a dozen women hiking up to Uncle Bud's Hut near Leadville, which is open in summer as well as in winter.

Addendum: "McNamara Had Strong Ties to Aspen" was a July 7 memorial feature in the Aspen Daily News with a lot more details than I had known about. I'm not the only writer who made the connection after hearing he news of his passing.

Travel Slogans: Good & Bad

Quest for bad slogans make me think the best one I've heard lately

I've long enjoyed Doug Lansky's irreverent views of travel, but until my colleague Christopher Elliott alerted me (and other readers) to it, I didn't realize that Lansky has a great, also-irreverent blog called The Titanic Awards, subtitled "Celebrating the Dubious Achievements of Travel." Today he posted "a few contenders" for the dubious honor of the worst slogans to promote tourism to countries, states, provinces, cities, travel companies and so on.

My favorite of his nominees is Wales. Lansky spotlighted the slogan, “Wales. The Big Country,” and commented, "No, Canada is a big country. So is China. And India, Brazil, Australia. If you’re going to start making shit up, why not say Wales is a tropical island with white sandy beaches and attractive, well-tanned natives who serve free beer around the clock."

Lansky is inviting readers to nominate other slogans that are lousy, misleading or both. I'm going to try to come up with something, but meanwhile, the first thing that popped into my mind was a long-ago, hopefully tongue-in-cheek proposal for this advertising slogan for Panasonic: "From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor." It famously became the title of a book by Jerry Della Femina about the ad business in the days now dramatized on the TV series, "Mad Men."

Reading bad slogans brought to mind a clever, simple one that I recently encountered. The small city of Manhattan, Kansas, with a population of 51,000 +/- adopted the nickname, "The Little Apple."

Staycationing on Independence Day

We don't tend to go anywhere on Independence Day Weekend, but a lot of people come to Boulder, as well as Denver and the Colorado Mountains. Boulder celebrates its Sesquicentennial this year, with a ceremonies and patriotic music at Chautauqua Park. It is capped off with a great ground show and spectacular fireworks at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field. For a list of free or low-cost daytime events in the Denver/Boulder metro area, click here, and for local fireworks, click here.

Denver International Airport Expansion Projected

Reconfigured terminal, readiness for rail and new hotel are on DIA's wish list

Back in the winter of 1995, I departed for (I think) Honduras from Denver's Stapleton International Airport and returned home several days later flying into the newly opened Denver International Airport. That was more than 14 years ago, but people still sometimes call DIA "the new airport." Since then DIA has added a sixth runway, at 16,000 North America's longest commercial precision-instrument runway, which in allows fully loaded jumbo jet to take off at Denver's mile-high elevation even during the summer. With more than 52 million passengers, it is the world's 10th-busiest airport. It has only closed twice because of exceptionally heavy snows, once in March 2003 and again in December 2006.

There have, however, been some missing elements for a modern world-class airport, notably a hotel right at the terminal and a railroad station or lightrail station for intermodal connections. The Denver City Council has been presented with redesign plans that could include remaking the "Great Hall," as I just learned the main terminal under signature white Teflon tented roof is call, so that it is after rather than before TSA checkpoints. Designers recognize that snaking lines of passengers waiting to be screened is not the best use of this grandiose space. Also included would be a FasTracks train station at the airport, rail bridges for the route into the airport and a new Westin hotel adjacent to the terminal.

The price tag? It could be a billion buckaroos or so, some of which would theoretically be paid for from revenues and recaptured from increased business generated by shops and restaurants in the main terminal that connecting passengers could access without have to go through security again. The timetable? Who knows?

I don't know whether any or all of this will come to pass, but an exciting side note is that Santiago Calatrava, an award-winning Spanish architect, is on the "DIA makeover team." He is a European architectural superstar who has designed transportation projects around the world. I have seen two of them, one in Manchester, England, and the other in Barcelona, Spain (above right). I hope we'll have a chance to see his work at DIA.