Things to Do in Denver?

now will you be dead or not?

 

LoDo, hit all of the places that make their own beer downtown.

 

Hey Mammie-rammer, If you have a family, start out early drive up to Glenwood Springs. There is a huge hot springs pool (if you have kids, it would be a big hit!). The drive is beautiful, you can rent bikes, or head up to hanging lake. It's a 2.5 hour drive. If you don't want to drive there's the Denver Zoo, Six Flags (amusement park) and a great Museum right downtown. Buckwheats and Boatdrinks for everyone!

 

Strange as it sounds, another fun place to go is the huge REI store on the Platte River. Jeff---please chime in if I leave out anything important. The REI is inside what used to be a power plant, and the architecture (esp. the way the renovating was done) is excellent. The store is one of REI's largest; e.g., there's a three- or four-story climbing wall inside! There's a Starbucks inside if you need a coffee to fuel your browsing. But don't eat there. Just on the corner is a really yummy hamburger & pint joint (which, oddly enough, plays classical music!) called My Brother's Bar . You can eat inside or in the shady courtyard. Also, right outside REI you can hop on a scenic train/trolley thing that gives you some sort of tour... Never done it, but it sounds cool.

The Museum of Nature & Science isn't quite in downtown per se, but it's really nice for adults or kids. Outside the museum is a big water fountain kids love to play in. The museum is on the eastern edge of City Park. It has nice views of downtown, and it's a great place for sunsets. On Sunday nights in the summer I'm pretty sure they have free jazz concerts by the lake in City Park. This is also where the zoo is.

www.westword.com is our free, local, alternative city paper. Pick up a copy when you get to town and check out other goings-on.

 

One thing you absoluetly must do is to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park. The Trail Ridge Road is from Estes Park to Grand Lake and it goes along the Continental Divide, topping out at about 12,000 feet. But it's a paved road with no problems for passenger cars. You can expect to see quite a bit of snow and some astonishing views. It's an all-day trip pretty much. On the way back, maybe stop in Idaho Springs for some chow or Black Hawk for some gambling.

Boulder's a great college town. The Boulder Mall on a summer evening is kind of like a strange circus, circa 1967. In the daytime, you can hike the Boulder Open Space or drive up Boulder Canyon to Nederland, home of Frozen Dead Guy Days. (It's a long story, Google it.)

Check here for concert listings. The best place is Red Rocks, a natural amphitheatre set up in the foothills. There's incredible views of the city and the sound is always great.

Denver has great food, especially ethic such as Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, etc. Get a free copy of the local newspaper Westword at grocery stores or street corners for listings.

Hope these help. PM me if you need any more info.

 

I second this...definitely a must-do. Either take 36 or the Peak to Peak up to Estes Park, drive over Trail Ridge Road all the way to Grand Lake. Stop at the Alpine Visitor's Center at the top of Trail Ridge and grab a hot chocolate (be careful...some people get sick at this area because of the altitude, about 12,000' - drink lots of water and go slowly). Take the short hike from the Alpine Visitor's Center up the trail that looks a little like an elongated set of stairs. Also, stop at Milner Pass on the back side of Trail Ridge, and take the obligatory picture on the continental divide.

At the other end of Trail Ridge is Grand Lake. Its a great place to get out of the car and walk around town. The town itself is small, and loaded with lots of junk/tourist trap shops. But its also a beautiful location. You can also drive along Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby. From there, you can either go back Trail Ridge (and as it gets later in the afternoon, scope for wildlife in the usual areas), or take Highway 40 through Winter Park and get back on I-70 west. Stop in Beau Jo's for Pizza in Idaho Springs.

Another thing to do if you have a car with reasonable pickup and no fear of heights is to drive up either the Pikes Peak Highway or Mt. Evans Highway. Both roads take you literally to the top of 14ers, and a view of the world (if you're not up to hiking one). I will say though that if you are not used to altitude, its a great place to get sick/light headed/throw up. Last time I drove to the top of Pikes, I had a nasty headache at the top.

 

I will second (third) all of the above but must draw your attention to the key recommendation, repeated here for emphasis:

Stop in Beau Jo's for Pizza in Idaho Springs.

 

Beau Jo's has good pizza but I also like the Buffalo Bar for it's funky ambience and microbrews.

 

Tracking down one of the Soccer Stop locations was worth the effort (for us anyway) a couple weeks ago.

http://www.soccerstop.com/

Also if you visit the 16th Street 'Mall' area downtown the Nike Town store has some USMNT gear in stock.

The Pepsi Center, very near Invesco, is open for what seems like about 15 minutes on odd numbered days by appointment only so call ahead if it is on your list of things to do.

Loveland (30 - 45 minutes North) has awesome public art almost everywhere and lots of it clustered around a lake with a path/trail that makes a loop. Also *IF* you're into that sort of thing Loveland has an Outlet Mall with near cancerous other retail growth around it.

Westminster has a 24-plex movie theater near the pitches where the Rapids train as well as a nice community fitness center w/ small indoor water park. There are other larger ones of these but I'm sketchy on location.

Lastly, be sure to go to Commerce City and check out the progress on the Rapids' new SSS. (Then update us as we are all starved for more information about it.) Also while you are there be sure to take in some of that fresh country air that they have -- and so close to a large city too! ;>)

 

The free wine tasting at the end of the Coors Factory tour in Golden is well worth taking if you are a Coors beer aficionado. There's also a great train museum 1/2 a mile up the road from the factory if you've got kids along. And since you're in Golden a visit up the mountain to Buffalo Bills grave site/museum is also a short 10-15 minute drive up to the top. good luck

 

I'd like to mention that, while it is well worth it, this short hike is deceptively hard because of the altitude. If you choose to do it, take your water bottle with you so you can sip along the way, and BRING YOUR WINDBREAKER with you because it may be very cold and very windy at the top. An easier "hike" with a good view is the Forest Canyon Overlook. I also really, REALLY dig the alluvial fan, which is close to the entrance to the park entrance, before you start up-up-up Trail Ridge Road. And before you actually enter the park, stop at Grandma's Mountain Cookies in Estes Park. The best cookies ever. I have to take some to my in-laws in Delaware every Christmas.

I also want to second both Beau-Jo's and the Buffalo Bar in Idaho Springs. Either one will provide you with good Colorado cuisine in a unique atmosphere.

 

There is also a BeauJo's in Arvada http://www.beaujos.com/locations.html if you don't want to leave the metro area.

The Butterfly Pavilion http://www.butterflies.org/ in Westminister is pretty cool, I've always liked the Denver Art Museum http://www.denverartmuseum.org/ , the local music scene in Denver is great if you like indie rock (check out www.nipp.com for concert listings), there' always the Rockies, and the hiking/biking/kyaking/innertubing is first rate. In terms of amusement parks, there's Water World http://www.waterworldcolorado.com/ and Six Flags Elitch Gardens (right next to the Pepsi Center and across the street from Mile High) http://www.sixflags.com/parks/elitchgardens/index.asp . Also, a lot of the ski areas are open for summer and have hiking/mountain biking/alpine slides/etc.

 

I can vouch for My Brother's Bar...very cool place. Also, there is a Beau Jo's at Colorado Blvd. and Yale Avenue. I personally would vote for Idaho Springs, though, since that's the original.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is running a Lewis & Clark exhibit at the moment that looks interesting. And the zoo is right across the parking lot. The Colorado History museum downtown is interesting, too.

If you like books, you must visit the Tattered Cover bookstore in Cherry Creek. Three levels of floor-to-ceiling books (my idea of heaven) and a nifty restaurant on the top floor.

For mountainous sightseeing that's not as big a time commitment as RMNP, you might try Georgetown, about an hour west of Denver on I-70. Cool shops and there is good food at the Happy Cooker restaurant.

 

16th Street mall is an interesting place with a lot of places to eat. Where are you staying Bigpapa42?

 

From the old River Ratz web site:

 

Fid when are you coming back out?

Disclaimer: I work part time for REI, so yes I am shilling for them. You could spend 3 hours in there easily! While the climbing wall is closed at the moment, there's 3 floors of outdoor gear, clothes, and lots of historical points. It is a must indeed, and if you want to pick up stuff, become a member. For a one-time $15 fee you'll start making your money back in dividends, get lots of coupons, et al.

My Brother's Bar is great, but closed on Sunday.

When you go to the Rockies game, go diagonally across the street to El Chapultepec (http://www.wcities.com/en/record/,34800/69/record.html). Looks basic on the outside, but legendary in jazz circles. Cheap beers and good food too. A bit south of the ballpark is the funky Mercury Cafe (http://www.mercurycafe.com/).

 

As I stated in a recent similar thread, come on up to Boulder! Denver has a better night life, but I think Boulder is more interesting overall. There's a better concentration of excellent eateries, awesome scenery and plenty of museums and drinking establishments (5 brewpubs within a couple blocks of each other). There's also the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the big pink castle on the hill on the south side of town. It's a public building with some nice, geeky exhibits and gorgeous hiking trails out the back door. Enjoy!

 

And don't forget to go to the Bus Stop while in Boulder.

 

The Bus Stop has some very nice college girls for your entertainment as you enjoy a cold Coors Light.

 

The real question is what the hell is there to do in Saskatewan?