Now I know why I avoid technical conferences. They are so so boring and you almost never learn anything important. As I am retired, I don't need to schmooze for funding. I still have lunch/dinner arranged, but that is more to see old friends. So today, I decided to wake up late (10 hours sleep) and have lunch at Ellyngton's, one of the more classier lunch places in the Brown Palace Hotel a block from my hotel. Actually, I was supposed to go to Palace Arms, but I enjoyed my lunch, anyway. I had a flat iron (tough but tasty beef from the shoulder) steak salad with a pasta e Fagioli:
The above was accompanied by Sterling cabernet and chardonnay. Here is the salad again:
If the restaurant only spent some time to cut off the gristly portions between the flesh, the toughness can be eliminated. Also, the soup was much too salty. But the total price with virtually half a bottle of wine (each serving must have been at least 6.5 ounces), tax and tip was still cheaper than a typical appetizer from Robuchon's. I completed my meal around 3PM and there was no rush to leave. I can highly recommend Ellyngton's for lunch.
I like to test out the mass transit system in all cities, so the rest of the day was spent on their growing light rail system (all at ground level). Five lines of just about 40 miles thus far. It has a daily ridership of a little more than 200,000. Much of the view consisted of the Santa Fe railway tracks, Interstate 25, rust, abandoned buildings, and industrial areas.
This is still a work in progress and lines to other portions of the city are in proceeding. The total FasTracks Project is expected to cost $6.5 billion (or maybe it will be $7.8 billion) for 119 miles by 2016. About a billion dollars came from the Feds. Sure there has been nearly a $2 billion overrun on costs so far and the ridership is challenged. However, Denver will expand from 2.7 million to 4.3 million by 2035 and a mass transit system can only solidify public planning.
I did not do any in depth research, but there is some unhappiness about Macquarie, an Australian company, privation and other issues. Sounds like Honolulu.
There is artwork at all stations. For $4 I was able to ride four lines over a three hour period. I suspect I should have paid more, but the machine that took my money was not functioning properly, and I did not see any checking of tickets through the whole adventure.
I was supposed to have an OTEC dinner tonight, but I'm not sure where to go. Anyway, I can use another night of rest.
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