DOWNTOWN. This expansive outdoor mall, accented with lush planters and graceful trees, features a wealth of retail and dining facilities and has helped to revitalize downtown Denver. The pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare is also convenient if you want to browse, since stores, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and entertainment venues lie in a concentrated stretch. Even so, the scope of the mall is quite large, spanning multiple city blocks. A complimentary shuttle service transports visitors from one end to the other.

CHERRY CREEK. The upscale Cherry Creek North Shopping District is an enclave of fashionable boutiques, galleries, and elegant restaurants favored by the city's most practiced shoppers. Many stores carry unique, handcrafted items, a boon if you're trying to find something special for that hard-to-shop-for person. Art lovers can spend hours perusing the variety of galleries that line the quiet streets. Throughout the year, festivals, fairs, and public events take place in the vicinity. Opposite Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

CHERRY CREEK. The directory of stores at Cherry Creek Shopping Center reads like a "who's who" of sophisticated and popular retailers. At the large facility, you'll find upscale department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus alongside favored venues like Restoration Hardware, Tiffany & Co., Abercrombie & Fitch, Williams-Sonoma, and Diesel. Plenty of dining options are available ­ both quick-service and sit-down. Valet parking available.

DOWNTOWN. Shop 'til you're about to drop at stores like Ann Taylor, Talbot's, Bath and Body Works, Banana Republic, Niketown and Virgin Megastore. Then drop into Hard Rock Café, Coyote Ugly, or Lucky Strike Lanes for a refreshment or three. Or check out the schedule at the 15-screen multiplex. General shopping hours vary slightly by season; restaurants and bars have individual business hours. Parking daytime $4/hour; evening and weekend $7.

LODO. Larimer Square and its surrounding area have been bustling since Denver's inception. Early on, the Square served as a main thoroughfare for gold prospectors and settlers and was home to the city's first drygoods store, bank, and bookstore. Today, it's still a happening place, known to locals as one of Denver's premiere shopping and dining districts. Visitors will find a host of upscale restaurants and interesting specialty shops, along with seasonal and special events held throughout the year.