Our family is going to be visiting Denver in mid-August this summer. Can anyone from the area give some advice as to cool things to see, interesting, quirky restaurants to enjoy, and tourist traps to stay away from? We're thinking we'd like to tour the Denver Mint. We have also kicked around the idea of seeing the Rockies play. Is the "Rock Pile" area an interesting, family-type place to see the game? We were wondering if it is like the bleacher seats at Wrigley Field in Chicago...full of inebriated individuals one wouldn't want one's children around. Please feel free to send me a private message off list with any advice. Thanks in advance! Carol
If you go to Denver, I definitely recommend the mint. I took the kids there and they really enjoyed it. They even gave us newly minted quarters. Also there is the Denver Museum of Natural Science, Coors, Field, and the Denver Zoo. Denver is a nice city and the State of Colorado is beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful time.
Elitch Gardens, zoo, Museum of Natural History. If you get down to Springs you have to see the Garden of the Gods. Here is the link to the Garden of the Gods, just beautiful! If you are into seeing God's beautiful creations the links below will give your eyes a wonderful treat. http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm?&Flash=1 Also there is Canon City, Co Royal Gorge. You can take a train ride through the Royal Gorge and also go on the huge suspension bridge. Breathtaking! They have helicopter rides and you can check out the Sangre De Cristos (mtn. range) in the helicopter. All these are a blast! If you feel really adventurous you can do some river rafting. Here is the link: http://www.canoncitycolorado.com/activitiesattractions.aspx If you really like Colorado you can drive 2 hours south of Canon City and check out the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and while you are there you can check out the Alligator Farm. Here is a link: http://www.canoncitycolorado.com/activitiesattractions.aspx Gator Farm Link: http://www.gatorfarm.com/
If you are able to go, try and drive up to Pike Peak! Wow! It is amazing. My in-laws live in Colorado Springs and there is a lot of history and beautiful places to see. One of my favorites is Focus On The Family. They are in the Springs.
Colorado is one of my favorite vacation destinations. I've been there so many times I could probably be a tour guide. Problem is I never spent any time in Denver - only drove through it many times. If you are able to go to Colorado Springs or any other surrounding area I have a ton of things for you to do. Drive up Pike's Peak or take the Cog Railway. Visit Garden of the Gods, Seven Falls and Cave of the Winds. Mueller State Park is awesome. If you go in the other direction I recommend Estes Park or Grand Lake both are gateways into Rocky Mountain National Park.
Katie - everything but the alligator farm. I didn't do any helicopter rides either! I am scared! I've pretty much been all over. I really love the San Juans the best. We may go to Ouray and Silverton next fall for dh's 40th bday. Mesa Verde NP is awesome as is the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I'm jealous! Carol can I come too?!?!
Have you been to Crestone to the Sangre De Cristos? They are breathtaking! The Sangres are right along where the Sand Dunes are. The drive on Hwy 114 to Gunnison is awesome. Have you been to Lake City?
Lake City? If I am thinking correctly it is near Ouray and in that case yes I have been. I have been to the Sanges and the Sand Dunes but not in years. My most recent trip to CO we spent several days in CO Springs and we did Cave of the Winds, Pikes Peak cograil, Santa's Workshop, Ghost Town, the zoo and my favorite Seven Falls. We spent a couple of days in the Royal Gorge area doing the bridge and Buckskin Joe's park. I wanted to go gambling in Criple Creek but didn't get to. Then we drove to Estes Park via Loveland. We toured the Stanely Hotel and just kind of hung out for a couple of days. We had a cabin there. Then we drove through RMNP, through Grand Lake and all the ski resorts like Keystone, Winter Park and Vail. We then went through Gunnison to Ouray and Silverton and then Durango where we went to the Mesa Verde NP. I have never taken the train ride from Durango but it is on my list of things to do. I am hoping we get to go next fall. If dh and I go alone we plan to go to Ouray and Silverton and do a jeep tour and check out the hot springs pools. One hotel there has private hot springs. If we take the kids we will more than likely go to Colorado Springs just because there is so much to do there.
Which hot springs pools are you wanting to visit? I saw them, never went in them. http://www.oldcowtown.net/ This is a link to an old cow town that is supposed to open next year. A friend sent me the link. Have you driven down Hwy 50 through the canyon by Canon City? That is a breathtaking drive and you can see mtn. sheep once in awhile too. I am not sure if Lake City is by Ouray. If I recall correctly we went through Gunnison to get there.
I checked the map and Lake City is close to Ouray. There is actually a pass from Ouray to Lake City but you have to take a 4 wheel drive to get there that way. I have driven by and stayed in Canon City but it was quite some time ago. I think the name of the hotel that has the springs is Box Canyon Lodge but I' m not positive. I know there is also a public one but I have no idea what it is called.
http://www.joyfuljourneyhotsprings.com/ You should recognize the mtns. in the link as they are the Sangre De Cristos, the Sand Dunes are a tad to the right of the screen, which would be south. These are the hot springs I thought you were talking about. There is a Jeep trail going over the Sangres from the San Luis Valley to the other side.
