What to do in Denver: AAA virtual travel show tidbit

In the chat room lounge at the AAA virtual travel show, “Europe is Closer Than You Think,” someone asked a question about what to do in Denver in April. I had two suggestions and before the show ended I typed in my responses. The advantage of having a virtual show is that one is on-line and can verify details and can provide links to back up advice.

One of my suggestions was to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens. Granted, I was at these gardens two summers ago in July, but April is also a fine time. I know because, I checked before I sent someone astray. The gardens are huge and exquisite. Beginning April 19 there’s an exhibit called Urban Nature, an art show of street murals that represent ideas of how to bring nature into the lives of urban dwellers. The murals were created on large panels by a mix of artists. A mix of artist is always fun, I think. I love those projects where people are given parameters and you see what comes out in the various styles and techniques.

Also, even though spring has yet to come, there is always something blooming at the gardens. Here’s the page that tells you what to look for. The calendar lists events including days where there isn’t admission. Two of the inside things I enjoyed were the Tropical Conservatory and the gift shop. In the conservatory you can see the Cloud Tree Forest which is unique to here.

Iran Photo Project on Flickr

There’s an interesting photo project going on at Flickr called the iRAN Project. I came across it a month or so ago and bookmarked for a later mention. It appears to have been set up by a Madhi Ayat as a way for photographers in Iran to show day- to-day life as they capture it with a their cameras. The latest photos were posted on May 19, 2007. This one is not Ayat’s, but in his pool of favorites. Elishka took this one of the Sardasht valley. I like it because it reminds me of the best travel moments.

Along with his photographs, the photo pools of other photographers’ work cover subjects that range from nature to architecture to portraits. There are discussion threads as well. Ayat has also included a link to Tehran24.com, another site dedicated to illuminating the daily life in Iran through photographs. Both collections are sort like coffee table books on-line.

Besides viewing the photographs for their artistic merit and interest, I find it fascinating just to see the variety of the subjects photographers pick as the ones worth noticing. The fact that Iran is the overarching theme is also intriguing. These are views of the world not often seen.