Going to Colorado - what should I do/see?

[dizzyF30]

Taking the wife and 10 y/o son to Colorado for a week. Staying in Denver. Plan is to rent a car and explore Colorado. Looking for some suggestions for places do go, things to see, and places to eat.

So far we have:
1. Pike's Peak
2. Garden of Gods
3. Colorado Springs

Thanks.

[infinitekidM2C]

aspen is pretty neat if ur in the area

[Captain Blood]

The highway going through the mountains is neat, just avoid AT ALL COSTS during peak traffic times. I love the drive to Steamboat, and Telluride.

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by dizzyF30

Taking the wife and 10 y/o son to Colorado for a week. Staying in Denver. Plan is to rent a car and explore Colorado. Looking for some suggestions for places do go, things to see, and places to eat.

So far we have:
1. Pike's Peak
2. Garden of Gods
3. Colorado Springs

If you're going to be in C-Springs, check out the Air Force Academy campus. One of my best friends attended, and it's a beautiful spot. I think your son would especially think it was cool.

[JasonCSU]

I guess it depends on what you and the family are interested in. There are all sorts of things to do outdoors throughout the state. You mentioned staying in Denver, so I assume you are staying there for the whole trip and are venturing out on day trips?

Garden of the Gods is cool to see for the rock formations, and Pikes Peak is definitely worth a trip. For Pikes Peak, you can either drive to the summit or take the Cog Railway. If you drive it, don't be like the many incompetent drivers who ride their brakes on the drive back down. You don't want your brakes to overheat and fade, so remember to downshift and take advantage of engine braking.

A couple of other attractions near Pikes Peak are 7 Falls and Cave of the Winds. Other than those few tourist things, I'm not a big fan of Colorado Springs myself.


If you guys want to explore some of the outdoors near Denver, this website lists numerous day hikes around the area:

https://dayhikesneardenver.com/


Something of interest right in downtown Denver is the Denver Mint, and if you would like to see how money is minted, you can take a tour:

https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-to...he-denver-mint


The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has the Dead Sea Scrolls on exhibit right now:

http://www.dmns.org/


There are various other museums as well:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti..._Colorado.html


Another thought is to check out the event calendar for Red Rocks to see if there is a concert or show worth catching:

https://www.redrocksonline.com/


Lastly, if you like beer, there are breweries and tap rooms all over the place to check out:

https://www.coloradocraftbrews.com/colorado-breweries/

[TheWatchGuy]

Colorado springs has a lot to do, but its a little bit of a drive from denver. Pikes Peak will end up being an all day affair if you are driving from denver and going up/down in one day.

Museum, zoo, botanical gardens are family friendly in Denver.

coors brewery is in Golden, just outside of denver.

if youre heading up the mountains, Breckenridge has a lot to do in town.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

I'm an audiophile so Red Rocks Amphitheater was a must visit. Really pretty area too.

[The Wind Breezes]

marijuana and abandoned mines

[CarPoor]

If you’re set on the springs area Royal Gorge bridge and check out the super max prisons on the way . Manuel Noriega’s in one of them. Kidding about the prisons of course. There’s also a decent German family owned restaurant in the sprigs called Edelweiss if you’re into that. If you can make it north there a hike up to Blue Lake just above Ward at the continental divide or further north is Red Feather Lakes and Pudre Canon area. All quite beautiful.

[PoorLurker]

Denver Mint

I was a little older than your son when I went and still remember it decades later.

https://www.usmint.gov/about/mint-to...he-denver-mint


This is cool as well

http://www.celestialseasonings.com/visit-us/tea-tour
Tea Tour

[R3dliner]

Be prepared for high altitude sickness. Other than that CO is great in summer and winter.
If you want to be at the highest peak in NA breckenridge at 13k ft will give you a jaw dropping scenery.

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

Be prepared for high altitude sickness. Other than that CO is great in summer and winter.

Most of where he’s going to be is only around a mile or so above sea level. I’ve been to Denver and Colorado Springs on a number of occasions and never experienced high altitude sickness. Got a little short of breath while exerting myself, but that was it.

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by JamesWWIII

Most of where he’s going to be is only around a mile or so above sea level. I’ve been to Denver and Colorado Springs on a number of occasions and never experienced high altitude sickness. Got a little short of breath while exerting myself, but that was it.

Everyone's body adapts differently, so just because your body faired well doesn't mean others will. Anything above 5k ft starts effecting the body. You forgot to mention pikes peak is high altitude.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

This is cool as well

http://www.celestialseasonings.com/visit-us/tea-tour
Tea Tour

Haha, I used to work there and didn't think about the tour. The peppermint room is great if you ever need to clear your sinuses.

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

Everyone's body adapts differently, so just because your body faired well doesn't mean others will. Anything above 5k ft starts effecting the body. You forgot to mention pikes peak is high altitude.

“Most of where he’s going to be”

And yes, everyone’s physiology is different. It’s still unusual in my experience for people visiting Denver to have altitude sickness. But here are some tips to help avoid having a rough trip to the Rockies:

https://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/2...tips-colorado/

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by JamesWWIII

“Most of where he’s going to be”

And yes, everyone’s physiology is different. It’s still unusual in my experience for people visiting Denver to have altitude sickness. But here are some tips to help avoid having a rough trip to the Rockies:

https://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/2...tips-colorado/

It's not unusual so lets not give people false hope. I snowboard in the west every year and I still get altitude sickness all the time.
This past January in Denver, I stopped getting headaches finally after taking some preemptive meds.

[JamesWWIII]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

It's not unusual so lets not give people false hope.

Did you bother to glance at the article I linked?

Dr. Ben Honigman, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said 25 to 30 percent of visitors heading to the mountains get acute mountain sickness. The risk is lower for trips to Denver, where only 8 to 10 percent visitors get the ailment.

So only about 1 in 10 visitors to mile-high destinations like Denver suffer from altitude sickness, while the number only rises to around 3 in 10 at higher Colorado elevations.

Sounds like you are the unusual one, so let’s not give people false concerns.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Haha, I used to work there and didn't think about the tour. The peppermint room is great if you ever need to clear your sinuses.

like 20 years later, the peppermint room is all I really remember. They opened the door, I walked in and my dad said it looked like I hit a brick wall by my reaction.

[TheWatchGuy]

Originally Posted by JamesWWIII

Did you bother to glance at the article I linked?



So only about 1 in 10 visitors to mile-high destinations like Denver suffer from altitude sickness, while the number only rises to around 3 in 10 at higher Colorado elevations.

Sounds like you are the unusual one, so let’s not give people false concerns.

just take it slow and lots of water if you start to get the sickness.

3 in 10 seems like a higher number than it actually is as well. of the 15 or so years living in colorado, with 100s, if not 1000s of out of state visitors from friends/families/coworkers/etc, only my Uncle has had issues with it.

shortness of breath and a minor headache? sure, lots of people get that, but not full blown altitude sickness.

[CarPoor]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

just take it slow and lots of water if you start to get the sickness.

3 in 10 seems like a higher number than it actually is as well. of the 15 or so years living in colorado, with 100s, if not 1000s of out of state visitors from friends/families/coworkers/etc, only my Uncle has had issues with it.

shortness of breath and a minor headache? sure, lots of people get that, but not full blown altitude sickness.

On par with what I’ve seen here and been here most of my life. Now, when it comes to holding their liquor out of staters consistently fall behind.

[dizzyF30]

Good stuff guys.
I'm pretty sure we're going to do everything suggested in the thread. I'm also somewhat of a photography nerd so I'm looking forward to some landscape opportunities.
What about restaurants? Any "must go" food places?

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by dizzyF30

Good stuff guys.
I'm pretty sure we're going to do everything suggested in the thread. I'm also somewhat of a photography nerd so I'm looking forward to some landscape opportunities.
What about restaurants? Any "must go" food places?

There is many a restaurant to choose from. What types of food to you like? If you like Mexican, I would suggest La Loma in downtown Denver.

http://lalomamexican.com/