Visiting Denver Area - What Should I See? (Fort Collins, Arvada: hotel, houses)

[xpumasx]

My wife and I are planning a trip next week to Denver, Boulder & Fort Collins. Can anyone make some suggestions of places and things we should see while there. Thanks in advance!

[2bindenver]

what do you like to do and see?

[zenkonami]

I'm gonna toss my hat in the ring and tell you what *I* would go see. Caveat: I do not live in Colorado, but hope to real soon, and I am a little excited about the prospect =)

Fort Collins: Walk CSU, hit up as many brewhouses as possible (New Belgium, Odell, Fort Collins Brewery and others), Walk Old Town, Fort Collins Lincoln Center, and then head out of town one morning to Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, maybe followed by a pleasant picnic in Loveland in one of their parks near the numerous statues and sculptures.

Boulder: Hike the Flatirons, bike the trails, do some rock climbing (Eldorado Springs), walk the CU campus, visit the CU Natural History Museum, and shop Pearl Street.

Denver: Oh, where to start! I'd ride the RTD (just to ride it...I'm a fan of public transit), Union Station, 16th Street Mall, Daniels & Fisher Tower (it's just cool looking), Brown Hotel (I like buildings), hit up some brewpubs and restaurants (plenty of them), Civic Center (State Capitol and City and County Building), Art Museum, Library, catch a show at the Denver Performing Arts Complex (my girl is into theatre), go to an Avalanche game, Elitch Gardens, Confluence Park, REI (I like the outdoors), a walk around Highland maybe, Tattered Cover bookstore, Twist & Shout Records, and all that's just around downtown! Trying not to sound like an infomercial, here...

Anyway, thanks to this board I'm not interested to try out Beaujos' pizza, I'd do the Coors tour in Golden, walk their downtown and maybe check out the campus of the School of Mines, bike the numerous interconnected parks through Wheat Ridge, Arvada, etc..., on the other side of downtown there's Old South Pearl Street, Cherry Creek, City Park (including the Zoo and the Nature and Science Museum), having grown up an Air Force brat I'd love to check out the new developments going on further east with Stapleton and Lowry, I'd catch a Colorado Rapids match while over there (assuming it's the right day for a match)...there are numerous other personal things I'd do while there that probably wouldn't interest you as much =)

I'd certainly want to check out several of the neighborhoods and plenty of the architecture around the city...plenty of gorgeous churches, schools, and other buildings all over the city. I also wouldn't mind checking out some of the local fare and food in some of the strip malls down Federal or Colfax. Throw in a day trip up to Mount Evans and Summit County, maybe?

Anyway, sorry to come off all Chamber of Commerce on ya, but maybe something in there might perk your interest and give you something to Google. I'm sure other people on the board can chime in with some much more interesting (and less touristy) options once they know more what kind of stuff you like to do. They might even be able to check my enthusiasm about some places that SOUND more exciting or interesting than they actually are. =)

Hope that gives you something to work with, though.

[CapHillboy]

Originally Posted by zenkonami

I'm gonna toss my hat in the ring and tell you what *I* would go see. Caveat: I do not live in Colorado, but hope to real soon, and I am a little excited about the prospect =)

Zenkonami, thanks for bringing back to my mind why i love this town and state! None of the things you mention appeal to me not at all, but it just goes to show that there are multiple Denvers and all of us can be happy here and find things to do on our time off. In essence, I think that's why i love this town so much. Yeah, we're in the middle of fly-over country (some of my friends back home who haven't visited think i live in the very definition of fly-over country), but it's great to be reminded that there are gems in the town/state that appeal to different parts of the population.

You make me feel like the one of the blind men in the parable of the elephant. I thank you for that and hope that I take a lesson from you and at least try a few of the things you mention. Who knows? I might actually like them.

[motoracer51]

In Denver:

Both the Art and History museum.

[xpumasx]

Just came back from our trip - loved it loved it loved it. The thing I loved the most - the people. Everyone was please and thank you and had a big smile with everything they did. When we told locals that we were thinking about moving there, the response was the same, "come on - pack your bags - you'll love it here!".
We cannot wait to plan our move! Thanks for all of your suggestions.