Fin de Siècle Elegance at Historical Bed-and-Breakfast

Although the Castle Marne Bed and Breakfast has undergone many changes since being built in 1889, one feature has remained constant: the peacock window. Its circle of blue, pink, and clear glass is arranged in an abstract pattern of feathers, casting kaleidoscopic glimmers of light across the cherry-paneled dining room inside. Similarly, the rusticated stone exterior is original, carved from local rhyolite stones that glitter with flecks of quartz and mica.

The old-fashioned charm continues throughout the nine guest rooms, where antique wood furnishings nestle into unique nooks and individual décor often pays tribute to the inn’s past. Colonel Platt’s room—named for a former owner who fought in the Civil War—lays out a sturdy walnut bed draped with delicate cabbage-rose-printed fabric. Guests can relax in the claw-footed bathtub, or find out if car keys can float in the two-person hot tub that burbles on the covered balcony. Nearby, the John T. Mason room comes furnished with Mason’s renowned butterfly collection housed in display cases, which sit amid 17-foot ceilings, palladium windows, and blue-and-white canopy draperies.

Come morning, a spread of breakfast fare awaits in the Peacock Dining Room, including dishes such as lemon-poppy-seed muffins, seasonal fruits, and artichoke-heart quiche. Two seating times for breakfast accommodate both early and late risers (7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. weekdays; 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. weekends). During afternoon tea (4:30 p.m.–6 p.m.), the the Peiker and Feher-Peiker family of innkeepers shares Castle Marne’s history and embarrassing childhood photos of former mayors, and guests mingle near the parlor’s carved mahogany fireplace and baby grand piano.

Denver: Historical Neighborhoods Near Untamed Mountains

Around Castle Marne, the Wyman Historic District is lined with Victorian and post-Victorian mansions. The neighborhood borders the lawns of Denver’s City Park, which also houses the year-round Denver Zoo, a historical menagerie composed of naturalistic habitats. A 10-minute walk to the northwest reveals Denver’s lower downtown district, known as LoDo, which has formed the heart of the city since the 1850s. Today in LoDo, cheers from the Coors Field ballpark rise over blocks of grill houses, pubs, and shops.

Though they reside outside the city, the mountains hold the true heart of the locals. In all seasons, herds of Denverites make the weekend exodus to bike and hike the majestic Rockies. Visitors to Rocky Mountain National Park can cross-country ski, snowshoe, and sled among 14,000-foot peaks—occasionally crossing paths with mule deer, elk, or sentient snow angels.