Things to do in & around Denver

The Coffee Shop
1

The wife and I are going to be spending a week in & around Denver in late June, and are looking for recommendations on things to do (non-tri related). We’re thinking of going over to Boulder, but other than that we don’t have any solid plans. Can anyone recommend some things to do / see / places to eat?

2

Red Rocks Ampitheatre is always nice, just west of Denver off of I-70 at the Morrison exit. There are some good hiking trails there as well. It will be hot
in late June as well (but it’s a dry heat) so hope you have a car and maybe head up I-70 and get some elevation. Mt Evans is a 45 minute drive away…

As far as dining, downtown is loaded with restaurants, can’t go wrong there.

3

Hey - I’m gonna be in Denver late August (but only for 3 days) I’ll be staying in the City Centre, can anyone recommend some good bike shops (road or Tri) to check out please?

Also, some good shopping areas / malls.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions offered.

4

Hey - I’m gonna be in Denver late August (but only for 3 days) I’ll be staying in the City Centre, can anyone recommend some good bike shops (road or Tri) to check out please?

Also, some good shopping areas / malls.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions offered.

City Centre… Don’t know of such a place in Denver… Vegas maybe?

5

ahhh, OK.

City Centre = Downtown maybe?..not in the Suburbs.

6

ahhh, OK.

City Centre = Downtown maybe?..not in the Suburbs.

There is Wheat Ridge Cyclery, just 10 minutes west of downton by car (Google it) would be a good place to start…

As far as downtown shopping, along the 16th st mall there is the Tabor Center, there are the Pavillion shops with a Niketown outlet.
Actually the whole 16th st mall is shopping, so…throw down some cash!

7

Thank you Sir.

I appreciate your help.

8

Things to do in Denver (when you’re not dead):

  1. 16th Street Mall
  2. Coors Brewery tour
  3. Rockies game
  4. Denver Museum of Nature & Science
  5. Denver Zoo
  6. Washington Park
  7. LoDo (Lower Downtown) - nightlife/club/bar scene

Boulder:

  1. Pearl Street Mall
  2. Lots of hiking and biking trails
  3. Boulder Reservoir (there’s a good-sized “beach” if you want to relax/swim)
  4. Great dining

Colorado Springs (1 hr south of Denver):

  1. Garden of the Gods
  2. U.S. Olympic Training Center

Estes Park (~1.5 hours northwest of Denver)

  1. Summer resort town stuff
  2. Festivals (check out their website to see what might be going on the week you’re here)
  3. Rocky Mountain National Park
9

Things to do in Denver (when you’re not dead):

  1. 16th Street Mall
  2. Coors Brewery tour
  3. Rockies game
  4. Denver Museum of Nature & Science
  5. Denver Zoo
  6. Washington Park
  7. LoDo (Lower Downtown) - nightlife/club/bar scene

Colorado Springs (1 hr south of Denver):

  1. Garden of the Gods
  2. U.S. Olympic Training Center

Estes Park (~1.5 hours northwest of Denver)

  1. Summer resort town stuff
  2. Festivals (check out their website to see what might be going on the week you’re here)
  3. Rocky Mountain National Park

As a CSU grad I cannot have anyone going anywhere near boulder! But that list is almost exactly what I would say.

If you like beer, the head an hour north to Fort Collins and you can see/taste the following:
-New Belgium Brewing Co
-O’Dells
-Fort Collins Brewing Co
-CB & Potts Brewing Co
-Coopersmiths Brewing
-Budweiser

10

Great Divide Brewing has a tasting room right downtown. I now prefer Odell’s but GD is still great, and conveniently located.

Boulder Tea house for Sunday Brunch - fantastic building they moved from Tibet and rebuilt. Great Scones

Stranahans (sp?) is a micro-distillery of Whiskey and I hear their tasting room is outstanding, but haven’t been there.

Great strip of restaurants east of downtown on 17’th Ave. Less kiddy/nightclubby than Lodo: Olivea, Stuebens, 17th Ave Grill (Watercourse is there too if you’re good with vegetarian). Still pretty close to downtown are Duo (best in Denver IMHO) and Rootdown. Also decent is Racines. Slightly crazy tequilla bar with good Mexican food and some Colfax character is Mezcal. Great brew-pub is Vine street (but cash only).

Red Rocks is worth a visit, as is Mount Evans - if the road is open. Much better to ride up ME but worth a drive - only muskeg in the lower 48.

11

I love Fort Collins. I applied for a job at AE a few years ago, but didn’t get it.

12

Here are some more ideas.

Denver:

  • REI Flagship store (1 hour)
  • Rockies game (you can get cheap seats and it is a blast, right down town)
  • 16th St Mall (2 hours)

Boulder

Golden

  • Walk around town (2 hours)
  • Buffalo Bills Grave (1 hour)
  • Hike around Red Rocks (2 hours), see music museum, then see Dinosaur Ridge (1 hour easy hike) (you don’t need a guide) http://www.dinoridge.org/directions.html

A drive to the top of Mount Evans would be a nice 3/4 day trip (leave Denver at say 8 am as there are traffic and dangerous thunderstorms in the afternoon). Eat Pizza at BeauJo’s in Idaho Springs on the way back.

You could also take another day trip to Breckenridge. There are some fun places to walk around and eat up there. Take the Eisenhower tunnel on the way there and Swan Mountain Road to Loveland Pass on the way home.

13

I’m a big fan of Stranahans.

14

Golden

  • Walk around town (2 hours)
  • Buffalo Bills Grave (1 hour)
  • Hike around Red Rocks (2 hours), see music museum, then see Dinosaur Ridge (1 hour easy hike) (you don’t need a guide) http://www.dinoridge.org/directions.html

As others mentioned, Coors Brewery is also in Golden. Can walk along Clear Creek on a trail as well. There is a Geology Museum at the world famous Colorado School of Mines, but there are only a small percentage of the population that would enjoy that…sorry if you are one of them.