With 878 acres of open space along the South Platte River, the park offers children and adults the opportunity to experience activities such as hiking, mountain biking and canoeing, as well as the chance to see over 300 species of wildlife. Fishing is also popular in the park’s five lakes and the 2.5-mile stretch of the South Platte River that…
It’s hard to envision when looking at the Front Range of foothills, but millions of years ago those mountains were at the bottom of an inland sea, an area that is now rich with dinosaur fossils and other prehistoric features. Many species of dinosaurs and other wildlife used the corridor to travel north and south across the continent. Visitors can…
The adjective “enchanting” has never come to mind in describing Nederland, Colorado, a laid-back, quirky, former mining supply town 18 miles west of Boulder. But the Carousel of Happiness, which had its grand opening May 29, 2010, changes all that. The old-fashioned merry-go-round, complete with sounds from a calliope, delights children and dredges up nostalgia among their grandparents’ generation who…
Calming waves of hot mineral water envelop the body. Relaxed eyes gaze at mountains and forest. Nothing but sky hangs overhead. Simmering in an outdoor pool of earth-heated water may be the hottest way to enjoy Colorado’s wet side. The state offers at least 47 natural hot springs ranging from therapeutic resorts to wilderness soaking holes. Some feature mega-size pools,…
Set against the rising foothills of the Rockies, Cañon City enjoys a temperate climate, some of the most dramatic scenery in Colorado and numerous tourist attractions that will keep visitors busy. And it’s all 115 miles southwest of Denver. Dinosaurs walked here, and the proof is in the footprints, replicated for visitors to view at the Dinosaur Depot downtown. In…
Colorado is known for the snow, and to live here and not ski or snowboard must be a sin. But we exist. Outsiders, living on the fringe of Colorado society, who frown at the first snow and don’t know the difference between powder and corn. A day spent tumbling downhill in soggy clothes just doesn’t seem worth the high price…
Organic. Sustainable. Local. These buzzwords have taken on a new emphasis in southwestern Colorado. With a $50,000 grant in hand, the local tourism folks set out to establish a whole new genre for travelers – agri-tourism. Families looking to educate their children about the real world could find no better venue than the Great Sage Plain region of Colorado, the…
There’s an old Zen tale of a man who, while running from a tiger, grabbed onto a vine and went over a cliff. While hanging, he looked over and saw a strawberry hanging on the vine. He plucked and ate it. It was the sweetest strawberry he’d ever tasted. Lucky for me, I’m able to get that same experience here…
Kids who are interested in science will love the Mesa Lab at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NCAR. Perched in the foothills just south of downtown Boulder, NCAR offers equal parts world-class research laboratory, science exhibit and art gallery, all wrapped up in an outstanding natural setting. Mesa Lab was built in the early 1960s to house the…
Looking for dinner and a movie… with children? Then head to the Cinema Grill in Aurora, Colorado. An evening of being led to a table in the far back corner of a restaurant as a hostess warily eyes my pint-sized crew, knowing that a single cracker in those cute little hands has the potential to scatter crumbs farther than the…
