Mile High: The GABF Kicks Off Thursday

Could you use a beer? If so, Denver is the place to be this week. Lyke2Drink is heading to the Mile High City for the Great American Beer Festival and will be filing reports starting on Wednesday. We have four full days of fun planned -- including seeing some other parts of Denver besides the inside of the Colorado Convention Center. If you happen to be heading to the GABF, here are a few places you might want to check out:

Buffalo Bill's Grave & Museum: See memorabilia honoring the famous frontier scout, showman and Pony Express rider, William F. Cody. Gun collections and posters from the Wild West Show, along with his grave site. (303) 526-0747.

Butterfly Pavilion & Insect Center: Lush tropical forest filled with up to 1,600 free-flying butterflies. There is also an insect center and gift shop. (303) 469-5441.

Colorado State Capitol: Find the plaque on the 15th step that marks the spot that is exactly 5,280 feet -- one mile -- high. The dome is covered with 200 ounces of gold and you can see a distance of over 150 miles from the observation area. (303) 866-2604.

Denver Art Museum: Recognized for one of the finest collection of Native American art. (720) 865-5000.

Denver Botanic Gardens: Includes an alpine garden with rare tiny flowers, a Japanese tea garden, as well as a water garden with hundreds of water lilies that bloom in late summer. (303) 331-4000.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Famous for its interactive children's discovery center, Egyptian mummies, wildlife exhibits, colorful gems and minerals, the Hall of Life health center, IMAX films and dynamic temporary exhibits. (303) 322-7009

The Denver Zoo: Rated as one of the top 10 zoos in America with 3,500 animals. The Zoo celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996. (303) 376-4800.

Downtown Aquarium: A world-class aquarium that opened in 1999. (303) 561-4450.

The U.S. Mint: More than five billion coins are made here each year. It is also the second largest storehouse of gold bullion in the U.S. Tours must be arranged in advance. The gift shop has many unique coins not available anywhere else and there is a small museum on the history of money. (303) 844-3582.