Going on vacation to Denver Colorado..Any suggestions??

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I never been to Denver to do any sight seeing. I only been to the airport. Nice airport btw. Any suggestions? I like boat tours but I can't find any in Denver nor anywhere near.

Last edited by luvsterriers on 10 Nov 2010, 8:11 am, edited 2 times in total.

I can't really help you out with that, but I think it would be a neat location for a holiday.

Being from Canon City, CO I would suggest catching a ball game, seeing the state capital, the United States Mint, Denver Zoo, 16th Street Mall (if you don't mind being bugged by hookers and bums occasionally), and if you really want a great aesthetically pleasing view, go down the road an hour and a half to Canon City and see the Royal Gorge. Absolutely beautiful. Being in the army and in Washington State I miss it a lot and will suggest to anyone that they go there. Later.

I'm from Laramie, WY, so I'm not that far from Denver. Although I can tell you right away that the best aspects of Denver are not in Denver itself but in the mountains to the west... you know, the ones you saw on your approach to Denver International? It's true that the area of the Rocky Mountains closest to Denver is a giant tourist trap second probably only to Yellowstone, but it's still great scenery. Plus if you're thinking about going within a month or so the ski areas should be opening up. You cannot, and I repeat, CANNOT beat Rocky Mountain alpine skiing/snowboarding.

That said, I've never had that much experience with Denver proper. The last time I was there was in September when I was attending the Nan Desu Kan anime convention at the Denver Tech Center (area with a bunch of high-end hotels like Hilton Gardens, Marriot, etc. that's close to the main part of Denver).

I could ask my cousin about what's to do in Denver. She lives in Boulder which is close by, and she always hangs out in the city area so she should know about it. True she's only 15 but she grew up in Sapporo, Japan so she's no stranger to big cities.

Thanks for the suggestions. Is this where you are talking about??

http://www.royalgorgebridge.com/

I hate heights.

BTW I'm an ex army brat. Dad retired long time ago. HOOAH! So what army base are you at? Are you at Fort Lewis WA??

My parents and I are staying near the Colorado Convention Center, at a Hyatt Regency. Is that a ok area? Loud? Quiet?

Thanks:) I did go visit the Canadian Rockies 2 years ago and it was so beautiful! I'm flying from Northern VA so I didn't see any mountains near Denver airport on google maps. The only mountains are in Estes Park Co which is the Rocky Mountains National Park. I definitely want to go there. My parents and I are going in Sep 2011. Dad has a conference there and I asked him if I can go. It's close to Seattle too and it's a perfect time to also visit some of mom's family there.

I do like to go on sight seeing boat cruises but didn't see one for Denver or anywhere near by. I have gone on the Spirit of Washington DC one and also another sight seeing cruise in Portland Oregon. My parents and I usually do one annual family trip. We are done for this year, since we went to upstate NY. So next year is Denver/Seattle. Then 2012 will be Vermont for dad's college reunion.

If I were to go to Denver, CO I would want to ride the roller coasters at Lakeside Park and Six Flags. But if you aren't into amusement parks, I am sure there are plenty of things to do.

I may be out of college but I LOVE amusement parks. But no roller coasters for me. I hate heights and fast rides. Oh and don't even get me on that swinging ship thing. I don't know what it's called, but it just rocks back and forth. I hate bumper cars too. I love water rides though.

yes that is the bridge i was talking about. I grew up eight miles away from it. Walked across it and took the incline to the bottom every weekend as a small child. It is very costly to go there now though.
Yes, I am at what used to be called Fort Lewis (now Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Pisses me off that they combined the bases. The army is an okay career and all, but it looks like I might be chaptered for one of two different things (AS being one). The midpoint of the bridge is 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. When it was being built they had no significant injuries, accidents and no deaths (and that was in 1932). It is an amazing view, and I hate heights. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the west have hidden in their valleys some of the most breathtaking trails and scenery you can ever hope to see. You could also check out the areas around Dillon, Crested Butte, Gunnison, Cripple Creek, Florissant, Fairplay, and Telluride (look up how Telluride got its name...a funny story there). If it is still open in the summers, I suggest checking out Alvarado Campground near Wetmore (It has one of many trail access points for the famous Rainbow Trail). If you are into "Old West" history and things I suggest the Rosita Cemetery and things like that. There is also the Colorado Territorial Prison Museum in my home town of Canon City (we are known as prison capital USA due to over a dozen prisons in the local area). Canon City and the site of the former tourist attraction Buckskin Joe's, the Royal Gorge, and the surrounding areas are used a lot in movies. If you like ghost stories and things and you are in Canon City area, I suggest that you check out Temple Canyon. It is the site of a massive natural ampitheater where a great native american battle took place and is supposedly haunted. If you like you could also check out the Chalk Cliffs and the Mount Princeton hot springs. The collegiate peaks (harvard princeton and yale all at over 14,000 ft) are a great thing to check out. Of course everyone goes to Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak, and Seven falls in the summer, but the cost is well worth it. Monarch, Crested Butte, Arapaho Basin, and Grand Mesa Ski areas are great for winter fun (so is Golden--site of winter x games--, and Leadville--where Kevin Costner and other stars go to for film festivals from time to time). Leadville also has the story of Baby Doe Tabor and the Opera house and mines. The Maroon Bells are also mountains you will want to check out. There is also Bishop's Castle as well. Colorado also has the history of a huge grizzly in the 1800's called Old Mose. That Grizzly killed one of my ancestors. His hide is no longer kept in my home town where he was brought to be butchered (over 1,000 pounds when killed fresh out of hibernation), it is kept in some storage building at a California College. There is also the sordid story of the mentally handicapped Joe Arridy and his execution at the Prison in my home town (this is back in the thirties or forties if I remember right). He was the son of poor Syrian Immigrants. He was sent to a home in Pueblo, but soon after left. He was caught in Wyoming hopping trains after a man Named Frank Aguilar had raped and murdered one girl and left her younger sister for dead. Joe was labled "feeble-minded" but fully capable of the murders and was implicated along with Aguilar. Everyone knew Joe didn't do it and originally Frank said that, but changed his story in an attempt at a plea deal that never came. While on death row all of the prisoners were kind to Joe. Warden Roy Best (who is touted as a good man, but in reality was less than he seemed if you believe everyone back home) bought Joe a little toy train for christmas one year. The day he was interviewed before his execution and the day he was executed Joe sat happily playing with his trains and toys in his cell. When asked if he knew what it meant to go to the gas chamber he said, "That's where they take you to kill you." The interviewer asked Joe a question and Joe said, "I don't want to go back to the home. The other kids beat me. I want to stay here with Warden Best all the time. I can't get in trouble here." A local Catholic priest escorted Joe to the gas chamber and spoke with Joe. He asked Joe what he wanted to do when he got to heaven and Joe said, "I want to raise chickens. I want to play the harp like you said (or something along those lines)." Then, tearfully, the father took Joe's hands in his and two or three words at a time (Joe couldn't remember or understand more than that due to his disability) he said the Lord's Prayer with him. Joe was then striped to his underwear and T-shirt. His trademark grin only momentarily left his face when they put the blindfold on him, but returned soon after. Then with a heavy heart Warden Best and the priest eft and closed the door on Joe, sealing his fate. You can find that out and much more if you visit the prison museum. I can't remember where in Colorado, but there is also the remains of a huge WWII skitrooper training site as well. There is more to see and do there than you think. If you need any more information about Colorado in general, I am a wealth of information. Denver has an interesting past of its own. Just read up about Mattie Silks (one of the dueling Madams from the 1800's). I hope that I didn't confuse you and that this information helps. Sorry if I rambled, but I love history and I love Colorado, so it really set me going. Later.

Thanks for this information. It greatly helps. So McChord and Fort Lewis are together?? That's strange, because McChord is an Air Force base.

dude colorado is freaking gorgeous! i want to live there. Infact, i've seriously been thinking about moving to the land of the mountains

I want to visit all 50 states.

I do love to go to haunted places.
I am not much into ski lift, air lifts, bungee jumping, etc anything related to heights. So no suspension bridges to see scenery. I went to Multnomah Falls near Portland Oregon and refused to walk across that bridge. WAY too high for me. So I just enjoyed the waterfalls from the ground while my parents walked the bridge. The Cap Bridge in Vancouver scared me!

I like to stay at historic hotels even though they may make weird noises and may be haunted. The one I stayed at in Cooperstown NY IS haunted. But the food was so good! I miss it. But when my parents and I go to Denver next fall, we won't stay at a historic hotel but at a Hyatt near the Convention Center.

There are still so many places I want to visit. I like to travel within the US.

Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Poconos
Grandfather Mountain


I love to see mountains basically. I like to get a hotel overlooking a lake or mountains and I think the Hyatt Regency in Denver has a grew view of the Rockies.

I definitely like to collect anything West Highland Terrier related. I like to collect fridge magnets and t shirts. Also if possible like to get that state's own maple syrup or candies/chocolates. I can share the candies/chocolates with family or co workers.

I like to visit old homes of past presidents.

I can't stand art museums. BORING!

To the post about the bases:

Yes, they combined them because they were literally on top of each other, and because of obama's budget cuts. They did it to several other bases as well. It really sucks for traffic in the morning and evening's

I wanna live in carbondale colorado!

I do agree that visiting Yellowstone is a rite of passage for any American citizen, but it's also a major tourist trap. Trust me, you'll be riding down the road and all of the sudden you'll run into what the rangers call "[animal name] jams", which are basically traffic jams that appear whenever an animal of any sort, be it wolf, elk, bison, bear or even the common antelope, comes within close proximity to the road. Everyone of the "tourons" (more Yellowstone ranger slang, think "tourist + moron") has to stop and take pictures, even of the antelope which are a dime a dozen in Wyoming (my dad filled his two antelope hunting tags in a single day). Trust me, there are better places to visit if you're going to visit Wyoming.

If you're into history, why not visit some of the historical sites? The Territorial Prison here in Laramie is a great historical site. They say the legendary Butch Cassidy was once an inmate there. If you plan on visiting, the best time would be the two months preceding Halloween, when they do the ghost tours of Laramie. My friend Amanda was working as a tour guide so my whole group of friends went. They start with a horror theatre that actually has some true, documented stories in Wyoming history. Then they take you on a hayride to downtown Laramie, where they have actors re-enact some of the famous people and events in the town's history. (This was the epic part, they actually had a shootout with real, working, blank-firing replicas of the guns and rifles of the period in the middle of downtown! It was right outside the Front Street Tavern in the middle of happy hour, and watching some of the barflies' reactions was priceless!) Then they round the evening up with a tour inside the prison itself. They've got at least one documented ghost. I'm not usually known for a sixth sense, but I did feel an unnatural chill in the area where this particular spirit is said to haunt while I was on the tour.

Keep it in mind if you ever decide to come to Wyoming. Laramie is about three hours due north of Denver, and the city of Fort Collins is about halfway in between. (Note Fort Collins has an awesome downtown shopping area, and it's also home to CSU as well as the national atomic clock that keeps track of the nation's official time. If you have a self-synchronizing watch or clock, chances are that the synchonization signal comes from here.)

Just be careful on Hwy 287 which goes up from Fort Collins to Laramie. This road is tricky at the best of times, when you're not factoring in nighttime or our frequent inclement weather. One of the football players for the University of Wyoming in Laramie actually got killed in a car wreck on this road (R.I.P. Ruben Narcisse), and one of my professors told me that his wife has wrecked on that road at least three different times. Take it slow and be on the alert.

PS: If you're wondering where I know all the park ranger slang from, my uncle worked at Yellowstone 30 years ago at the visitor center, and he knew a lot of the rangers there. We recently went on a trip this summer with him, it was hilarious to hear some of his stories.