The inside scoop

Need a Denver Broncos jersey, wild huckleberry jam, Rocky Mountain postcards or a quick bike ride?

The space just outside the Colorado Convention Center has some nice spots for sightseeing, grabbing a bite or taking a break from indoor meetings to enjoy this week’s fabulous local weather.

You might have seen the racks of red bikes that are part of the city’s B-Cycle program. For a $5 membership fee, you can ride free for 30 minutes or less or take a loaner out for two hours for a mere $6.60. There are check-in stations at the corner of the convention center at 14th and Champa and also 15th Street and Tremont. I don’t think the folks with APHA's Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section will be happy to learn helmets aren’t included, but you can pick one up at Salvagetti Bicycle Workshop, 1.5 miles from the convention center at 1611 Platte St.

Along 16th Street, the pedestrian mall offers everything from fast food chains to gourmet candy to Denver-specific souvenirs and some amazing people-watching. Check out the Wild West of America Souvenir Market at 715 16th St. for personalized tins of sugar-free mints, rock-shaped candy and Colorado T-shirts, sweatshirts and postcards. Sportsfan at 912 16th St. has Nuggets, Broncos and Rockies gear galore, but I wonder why they have a Tennessee Vols flag in the window.

Hungry? Five local restaurants will donate 10 percent of your bill to the Colorado Public Health Association when you show your APHA badge:

1515 Restaurant – 1515 Market St.
FreshCraft – 1530 Blake St.
Boney's BBQ – 1555 Champa St., Ste C
Rack and Rye – 1320 15th St.
Gumbo's – 1530 16th St.

And if you need a breath of fresh air and maybe a little peace and quiet away from the bustle of the meeting, the 10-mile Cherry Creek Trail is just a few blocks behind the convention center off Speer Boulevard. It’ll also be the site of the Physical Activity SPIG 5k Fun Run/Walk on Tuesday morning. But at dawn today, there was no one about but some ducks, a handful of joggers and one guy on inline skates.

Got any tips for your fellow APHAers? Let us here 'em in the comments below.

Above, a view of 16th Street just a few blocks from the Colorado Convention Center and, hey, wanna take a bike ride? Photos by Donya Currie