Denver- Give me no Bull! (Loveland, Frisco: ski resorts, apartment, house)

[SheridanL]

Hmmm. No place to go???Hmmm.

Festivals......Renaissance Festival in Larkspur. Taste of Colorado in Denver.
B&B's....tons in Colorado!!
Museums....Art museum, ..Museum of Natural History.
Places of interest...The mountains, the mountains, the mountains!! The sand dunes..the Royal Gorge, breweries, Celestial Seasonings...Ouray with the Yankee Canyon (if you are brave) where most Colorado postcard pics are taken, etc..

A days drive....The wilderness of Colorado....Wyoming....Kansas....New Mexico....Arizona....Utah...Oklahoma....Nebraska.. . Nevada ,the MOUNTAINS!!!

You decide.

[thedfly]

I truly don't think you can compare the two regions for daytrips...

OK, so there aren't any mountains in Chicago, but they also have the Renaissance festival in Bristol and The Taste of Chicago (with an even better Summerfest in Milwaukee running at the same time). You will also find the Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, The Art Institute, The Planetarium, etc. all within the boundaries of Chicago. Sand Dunes in Indiana and Michigan, a short 1-1.5 hrs away. Breweries, etc too. Every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day you'll find dozens of festivals within a short drive.

What I'm trying to point out is that the opportunity for much more discovery (and not of the Mountain kind) are abound within a day-trip drive of Chicago if you like to explore, shop, try a new restaurant, see a new city/town.

House on the Rock, Spring Green WI...Wisconsin Dells, Boating at any number of a zillion lakes, Amana Colonies, lots of quaint towns to discover in MI, WI, IN, IA, MN, etc....

I guess it really depends on what your interests are...whereas I can see that many people are happy to get away from it all and go hike/camp in the mountains. I just feel it's a bit more limiting when you're looking for a quick trip for the weekend and want to see a few places, try something new and be able to be back at home Sunday night or even the same day.

[suzco]

Originally Posted by thedfly

I truly don't think you can compare the two regions for daytrips...

OK, so there aren't any mountains in Chicago, but they also have the Renaissance festival in Bristol and The Taste of Chicago (with an even better Summerfest in Milwaukee running at the same time). You will also find the Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, The Art Institute, The Planetarium, etc. all within the boundaries of Chicago. Sand Dunes in Indiana and Michigan, a short 1-1.5 hrs away. Breweries, etc too. Every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day you'll find dozens of festivals within a short drive.

What I'm trying to point out is that the opportunity for much more discovery (and not of the Mountain kind) are abound within a day-trip drive of Chicago if you like to explore, shop, try a new restaurant, see a new city/town.

House on the Rock, Spring Green WI...Wisconsin Dells, Boating at any number of a zillion lakes, Amana Colonies, lots of quaint towns to discover in MI, WI, IN, IA, MN, etc....

I guess it really depends on what your interests are...whereas I can see that many people are happy to get away from it all and go hike/camp in the mountains. I just feel it's a bit more limiting when you're looking for a quick trip for the weekend and want to see a few places, try something new and be able to be back at home Sunday night or even the same day.

If it's important to you that you visit towns, rather than mountains within a day trip, (some towns and cities are located in mountains):
Georgetown; Idaho Springs; Ft. Collins; Glenwood Springs; Steamboat Springs; Frisco; Breckenridge; Durango; Colorado Springs; Trinidad; Alamosa; Alma; Como; Winter Park; Boulder; Grand Junction; Cripple Creek; Central City; Lyons; Vail. Go to the testicle festival in Montana; Frontier Days in Cheyenne; Olathe Corn Festival; Pueblo Chile Festival. See the grand ancient architecture of the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde. Go to the hot springs at Hot Sulphur Springs, or Princeton or Cottonwood Hot Springs. Visit Crestone. Go to Moab.

[Mike78613]

IKEA is not that great all. One time moved furniture and if it moves again consider it dust.

We have one in Austin / Round Rock and careless about it. Such entry level furniture

Don't let IKEA stop you from moving to Denver. lol

[suzco]

Originally Posted by thedfly

I truly don't think you can compare the two regions for daytrips...

OK, so there aren't any mountains in Chicago, but they also have the Renaissance festival in Bristol and The Taste of Chicago (with an even better Summerfest in Milwaukee running at the same time). . .
What I'm trying to point out is that the opportunity for much more discovery (and not of the Mountain kind) are abound within a day-trip drive of Chicago if you like to explore, shop, try a new restaurant, see a new city/town.
. . .

I guess it really depends on what your interests are...whereas I can see that many people are happy to get away from it all and go hike/camp in the mountains. I just feel it's a bit more limiting when you're looking for a quick trip for the weekend and want to see a few places, try something new and be able to be back at home Sunday night or even the same day.

Here's a link to Colorado festivals:

Colorado Festivals

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by thedfly

I truly don't think you can compare the two regions for daytrips...

OK, so there aren't any mountains in Chicago, but they also have the Renaissance festival in Bristol and The Taste of Chicago (with an even better Summerfest in Milwaukee running at the same time). You will also find the Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, The Art Institute, The Planetarium, etc. all within the boundaries of Chicago. Sand Dunes in Indiana and Michigan, a short 1-1.5 hrs away. Breweries, etc too. Every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day you'll find dozens of festivals within a short drive.

What I'm trying to point out is that the opportunity for much more discovery (and not of the Mountain kind) are abound within a day-trip drive of Chicago if you like to explore, shop, try a new restaurant, see a new city/town.

House on the Rock, Spring Green WI...Wisconsin Dells, Boating at any number of a zillion lakes, Amana Colonies, lots of quaint towns to discover in MI, WI, IN, IA, MN, etc....

I guess it really depends on what your interests are...whereas I can see that many people are happy to get away from it all and go hike/camp in the mountains. I just feel it's a bit more limiting when you're looking for a quick trip for the weekend and want to see a few places, try something new and be able to be back at home Sunday night or even the same day.

The stuff in the bold paragraph I would say is the equivalent to the mtns, though the resort towns are not "quaint". But "quaint" is kind of condescending, IMO. You could drive out on the eastern plains for that, I guess. For a day trip, there is Colorado Springs, which has different festivals, restaurants, and attractions. Yes, it's isolated, compared to Chicago, but there's no lack of things to do.

[blacksmith76]

If you are already concerned with Denver being in the middle of nowhere, you may not like it here. But, I am from the east coast, too and consider Minneapolis to be in the middle of a worse nowhere, so who knows. This isn't Fairbanks, AK, like the other guy said, but trust me if you are from the east coast, it can feel a bit isolated here. Since you don't like the looks of the city, it's hard to know if skiing, nature, and better weather will be enough to keep you here. Seems like if your first choice is San Diego, moving to one of the coasts might make more sense. Denver is pretty much the exact opposite of coastal cities like San Diego.

[Sleddog905]

I'm from the Northeast and have no problems with Denver being "isolated". Denver has just about everything I need in a city, and it's all accessible. I love that I can drive around the city, and don't have to take a train down. I suppose is you're the type to frequent the many cities of the Northeast, then Denver may be hard to deal with. But there is so much to do and see out here that I never feel the longing to travel to another city or state just to get out. I love this area of the country because of how easily you can get to so many national parks, that was a big selling point for me.

[kristenfromdenver]

I lived near Chicago for most of my youth, and let me tell you, the words "road trip" never crossed my lips or those of my friends while I was there. I guess I don't like corn fields that much. I love the beauty around here. Driving is so interesting and beautiful here, but you do have to prefer natural beauty to appreciate it. In fact, my friends and I are planning our annual trip to Lake Powell this summer - what a gorgeous drive and totally different experience! It could feel isolated unless you're into national parks and there are lots of them around here. Most of my friends from the midwest living here feel the same way.

[condorito]

Thanks! I have been thinking about your city lately but I dont understand one thing, What is the deal with this city not having IKEA or Trader Joe's? Of course, my life doesn't revolve around stores and all this nonsense but I have got to make my boss(wife) happy, ya know?. Are these stores ever coming to your city or what is the deal? Like I said, I like to go skiing and when I skied CO last time, it was crowded, I did not like the phony types either, I was ready to pick a couple fights with some unfriendly phony/redneck type, I mean, he was a phony piece of scum trying to be somebody, for that reason, I did not get to enjoy my day because of these losahs, I was in Frisco and I did Copper Mountain but everything turned out to be too damn expensive. $7 bucks for a bologna sandwich, are you out of your mind? Listen, I would not mind going to a smaller no baloney mountain if that is what it takes. I hear some good things about Eldora. Any ski places in the area without all the glitz or should I say, the bull****? Once again, I hope you don't mind my questions but I have been considering your city, tell me what you got for us.