- where do you live within Denver?
Southwest/Littleton area, close to access to the mountains and local hiking trails. Lots of local recreation activities. Grew up and have lived here all of my life (save for two years in Ouray and a year in Colorado Springs). West side is better, certainly for fast access to the mountains. Live on the west side and it could be another hour's worth of city driving when coming home from the mountains, depending on where you live.
- do we need two cars? do I need 4X4 or AWD?
2 cars is a good idea, though not mandeatory.
- what are taxes like?
Taxes are higher in Denver than in surrounding cities, although they're catching up. Denver picks up trash and has recycling. It's no compensation for the higher taxes, but it's nice (beats looking for a trash company to haul your shit away).
- how bad are the winters?
This is a matter of perspective and I'm not a good one to answer this question as I hate winter. I grew up in it, climbed mountains in it, worked in it. I've grown tired of it. To be fair, I agree with statements above. Denver has nice winters compared to other places. If you're not crazy about snow (some times lots of it), you might not like it here.
- I assume outdoor activities are everywhere, but do you have to work hard to avoid the crowds (like in CA)?
Certain places can be crowded at certain times, but it is not an overwhelming factor like CA.
- any culture in Denver (museums, art scene, theatre, etc)?
Denver is brimming with culture. You'll be overwhelmed at the opportunities. There's always something going on, if not in Denver, then in one of the other cities that make up the metro area.
- are there climbing clubs/associations that can introduce us to the area (as opposed to stumbling through the Rockies with my SP printouts)? what are the people like?
As mentioned above, folks really like the Colorado Mountain Club. There are several local based websites that are very good. 14erWorld and 14ers.com are highly recommended.
- any republicans left in CO?
Colorado is still a conservative republican state, outside of the metro area centers. Colorado Springs is a regilgious center and quite conservative for a city of its size. Western Colorado, with the exeption of Aspen and maybe Telluride to a smaller degree, are still strong Republican/conservative.
- can I still be a Lakers fan?
Don't know about that, but Denver is a big sports town. I'm not much in to sports, but yeah, the Broncos suck. If you like sports, Denver will love you.
- anything else I should know?
Denver's rush hour can suck just as bad as any other city's (though it's nothing compared to a "mild" gridlock in CA). Get a job that avoids rush hour commutes.