Denver is as casual as the rest of America these days, so don’t worry about bringing your formalwear unless you are coming for a black-tie event. Even the Brown Palace’s stately Palace Arms Restaurant has given up their jacket-and-tie policy, though an evening gown and tuxedo would not look out of place in this setting. Jeans, slacks, T-shirts, sandals: It’s all worn to church or a four-star restaurant.

Finally, a place to acceptably wear that bolo tie! Denver and a couple of other Western cities are about the only places I’ve seen officials — governors, mayors, and the like — donning cowboy boots, hats, and decorative bolo ties for work. If you’ve got one, throw it in the suitcase and drive up to the Fort for a Western dinner like no other.

You can easily buy the basics — hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, good walking or hiking shoes, thermal underwear — needed for any season in every neighborhood. A small backpack or other tote bag is handy to have for carrying extra water, sunscreen, and snacks on sightseeing walks or if you choose to hike in the nearby foothills.