DIA
For a good portion of my childhood Denver International Airport was an ongoing construction project. I would hear bits and pieces about it on the news or catch articles in the newspaper. It was a pretty big deal back then being one of the largest projects in the country and when it formally opened in 1995 it was something a native Coloradan could be proud of, well, minus the automated baggage system…
Once it was completed my family and I spent a good amount of time there since my dad was an employee of United Airlines. We were able to fly to a number of places and other airports. There is probably a little bit of bias here but I haven’t been to an airport better than DIA.
The aesthetics, artwork, and little touches make it a special place. As you drive up to the airport you can’t help but notice the iconic tents of the main terminal that remind you of both the Rocky Mountains in the background, and indian tee-pees of yesteryear.
Inside the airport a large amount of time and money was spent on artwork. Inside the train tunnels there are 5,280 propellers that spin and turn as the trains fly by. There are also a number of other hidden pieces in the tunnels as you roll by.
One of my favorite pieces of art are the paper airplanes that direct you up the stairs into the terminal from the train. You’ll also find dinosaur bones and other things hidden in the floors as you walk the concourses.
DIA will always have a positive place in my memory because it was a wondrous place where exciting journeys began.