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Old 07-09-2011, 12:02 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,297 posts, read 120,729,686 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brittanyindc View Post
Thanks Katiana. Does the water warm up in the summer to a "swimable" temperature? It looks like there are some lakes within driving distance of Denver that folks use for water sports, is this accurate?
Q#1. In the metro area, it depends on what your definition of "swimmable temp" is. In the mountains, no, never.

Q#2. Yes, boating and fishing mostly.
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Old 07-09-2011, 12:54 PM
 
Location: Arlington, VA
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I would consider a swimmable temp in the 70s...
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Old 07-09-2011, 01:21 PM
 
625 posts, read 1,389,777 times
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I miss the beach most every weekend - I'm not a "beachgoer" in the sense of sun tanning and hanging out with crowds of silly people, but I grew up with and love boating, paddling, surfing, views of water and walking or cycling by the water. I'd be happy with a nice "lake" that is not a bathtub-ringed reservoir or a "river" that is not a creek! Also do miss good seafood. Hoping to move to the Pacific NW in the next couple of years. So its more the beaches I've visited on the West Coast, than Florida, that I miss.

There are beaches in the Denver area (Cherry Creek Reservoir, Chapman reservoir, Boulder Reservoir, Union Reservoir, Carter Lake, etc.). They're not the same visually, although in answer to your question I used to swim at Boulder Res and at Lake Loveland and the water is swimmable. There is one natural lake (Grand Lake) worth mentioning within a 2 1/2 hr drive of Denver and the world's highest marina (or something like that) is at Lake Dillon 1 1/2 hours from Denver. These are mountain lakes and as Katiana says are not swimmable, but are quite scenic boating destinations. That said, I don't find myself going on the water very often - unless I get up to these nice lakes, the pull just isn't there as the scenery and water area just don't compare to being on a real lake or ocean - but I know some people who do.

This is just me, of course. Reading the comments here of people I can't possibly understand has been eye-opening and made me realize I will never fit in in dry Colorado! I take solace that most of humanity lives near a coast, lake or major river so there must be something good about them!

On the other hand, if you're from Florida, the summer will be more bearable, and the mountains and snow may be a nice experience?

Last edited by docwatson; 07-09-2011 at 01:41 PM..
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Old 07-10-2011, 11:42 PM
 
Location: Arvada, CO
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The cold water of Cherry Creek Reservoir feels great on a hot day.
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Old 07-11-2011, 10:04 AM
 
Location: Reunion, CO
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Having lived in Wisconsin and Florida, I do miss the water very much. I don't really care about beaches specifically though. It is kinda nice not having sand get everywhere.
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Old 07-12-2011, 03:32 AM
 
Location: in the southwest
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I lived in northern California and then Long Island, New York as a youngster, then moved to Colorado when I was 14. (I've now been in north Florida for about 5 and a half years, and it is good to be back with mother ocean again.)

Some people just like the water. I am a swimmer who comes from a family of swimmers. I always, always missed the beach while we lived in Colorado, but my dad worked for the airlines so we took a lot of beach vacations.

Later on as an adult in Denver, we did the same.

Mountain lakes are simply going to be too darn cold, but I occasionally went to Cherry Creek Reservoir.

Also: In Denver there are public pools that people can go to, as well as private pools (which cost plenty of $ and often have waiting lists, but we did join one and remained in it for many years.)
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Old 07-12-2011, 02:20 PM
 
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Yes but it's worth it for the great variety of natural beauty.
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Old 07-12-2011, 02:37 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Autodidact View Post
Yes but it's worth it for the great variety of natural beauty.
Agreed. I'll go further. The combination of natural beauty, reasonable opportunity to make a living, and comparatively affordable home prices is simply unmatched by any other state. I'm biased, living here, but I believe it to be true.

I recently visited a very good lifelong friend who reached an age and career/family stage in life that led him to buy a house within walking distance of a lovely beach in California in 2006. It has since dropped in value by 300-400K. I sat with him on the beautiful beach, not feeling a drop of envy. About the same time, I bought a great home in a great CO school district 2x the square footage of my "beach" friend, and within walking distance of similar natural beauty. I paid quite a bit less than what he's LOST in value to date. So do I miss the beach? Sort of, a little bit, in a way, but not really, all things considered.
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Old 07-12-2011, 02:58 PM
 
Location: Colorado Plateau
1,201 posts, read 4,045,472 times
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I grew up on the coast of Massachsetts (near Gloucester) and moved out west in my early 20s. The ocean is fine but I don't miss it much. I've made a successful transition to being a desert dweller. I love the high deserts and canyon country of western Colorado. The less humidity the better. Rain and running water in a stream or wash is an exciting event.
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Old 07-12-2011, 10:30 PM
 
625 posts, read 1,389,777 times
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Quote:
The combination of natural beauty, reasonable opportunity to make a living, and comparatively affordable home prices is simply unmatched by any other state.
I really have to disagree - this is one I hear all the time in Colorado, as if we need to say it to ourselves to make it true. Now, please don't get me wrong, I'm not critiquing Colorado - its a very nice state, safe, good schools, good climate (aside from the lack of water), mountain scenery, and a beautiful Front Range (if we can prevent it from being paved over!) that is nice and green compared to our surrounding states. I agree the economy has been good to Colorado thru the 90s and up to the 2000s. I enjoyed living in the Fort, Boulder has plenty of beauty, and now moving to Denver ... well, its not my cup of tea compared to beautiful cities like Portland, Seattle, etc. If one loves the sun, and doesn't miss the water, and want mild winters, sure its nice. But "simply unmatched by any other state"?? This year I've had a chance to travel again, to many of the places I've been before and some new places, and can assure you there are many places in this country worth living in, that offer natural beauty, a decent economy, and reasonably priced homes. Perhaps I have just been traveling to the "good" places, I admit! For me, the Pacific Northwest, the northeast from Pennsylvania to New England, the mighty Great Lakes, the mountains and barrier Islands of North Carolina, etc. all have great beauty.
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