Best Moonlight Ride

If you've ever stumbled out of a LoDo bar on a certain weekend night in August to find yourself surrounded by bicyclists, don't worry -- it wasn't that fourth martini. Every year, thousands of riders gather near downtown at midnight for the Moonlight Classic, a twenty-mile, after-dark ride that wends its way all over the city. With help from the Denver police, event organizers close off some of the busiest streets to give cyclists a new, lunar perspective on the city. In the past, the course route has gone through LoDo, Cherry Creek, Park Hill, Capitol Hill and other neighborhoods. "Last year we had about 4,500 riders," says event director Scot Harris. "This year it may be 5,000. It's growing steadily." The ninth annual Moonlight Classic, which benefits Seniors, Inc!, kicks off at the State Capitol on August 18. This ride's a real howl.