Denver in late May
May 8th, 2008, 10:54 PM
#1
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Denver in late May
Hi,
We will be in Denver area for 5 days in late May-early June. For itinerary, I was thinking:
Day 1 - Arrive in Denver
Day 2 - Explore downtown Denver
Day 3 - Colorado Springs (Garden of Gods, Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak)
Day 4 - Rocky Mountain NP (Trail Ridge Road -- is this open in late May?)
Day 5 - Explore Boulder before leaving in late afternoon
We're interested in sightseeing and scenic drives, not real outdoor activities (older parents are coming with us). I was thinking we will stay in Denver for day 1-3 and then in Boulder for day 4-5; does this make sense?
Can anyone provide feedbacks on this itinerary? If anyone has suggestions for must-visit sites, let me know as well.
Thanks!
We will be in Denver area for 5 days in late May-early June. For itinerary, I was thinking:
Day 1 - Arrive in Denver
Day 2 - Explore downtown Denver
Day 3 - Colorado Springs (Garden of Gods, Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak)
Day 4 - Rocky Mountain NP (Trail Ridge Road -- is this open in late May?)
Day 5 - Explore Boulder before leaving in late afternoon
We're interested in sightseeing and scenic drives, not real outdoor activities (older parents are coming with us). I was thinking we will stay in Denver for day 1-3 and then in Boulder for day 4-5; does this make sense?
Can anyone provide feedbacks on this itinerary? If anyone has suggestions for must-visit sites, let me know as well.
Thanks!
May 9th, 2008, 05:24 AM
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If Trail Ridge is open (and with the amount of snow they have had this year, it may not be) you can drive on through the park and come down to I70 at Silverthorne and then back to Denver. But if you are staying in Boulder, that wouldn't work quite as well.
You might enjoy the Botanical Gardens in Denver, and the Art Museum is very nice.
If you are flying, don't shortchange your lead time to check in at the airport. I find security in Denver to be very time consuming at times.
You might enjoy the Botanical Gardens in Denver, and the Art Museum is very nice.
If you are flying, don't shortchange your lead time to check in at the airport. I find security in Denver to be very time consuming at times.
May 9th, 2008, 05:59 AM
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You certainly can do this itinerary, but you will be doing lots of driving, obviously. If it were me, I would not spend day 3 going to Colorado Springs. From Denver, it is a 1 to 1 1/2 hour drive on busy I-25, which, IMHO, is not that scenic. If you go, were you planning to take the cog to the top of Pike's Peak or to drive up? Here are the websites for the Pike's Peak Cog and the Pike's Peak Highway with lots of information about both- http://www.cograilway.com/default.asp and
http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/GeneralInformation.htm
If you decide not to go to Colorado Springs, on day 3 your could take a trip to Evergreen, Colorado--which is about a hour's drive west of Denver. It has a quaint little downtown, it has a lake and if you drive up Bear Creek Canyon to get there, the drive is quite scenic.
The Colorado Dept of Transportation works very hard to get Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day. However, you need to realize that the road is bordered by huge banks of snow at the higher altitudes in late May--so not too scenic. If you want to go to the park, I would suggest that you drive there from Boulder, up Boulder Canyon (Hwy 119) to Nederland, then take hwy 72 and hwy 7 to Estes Park--the gateway to RMNP. That drive is quite scenic and if there is still lots of snow in the Park you would get the scenery on the drive there.
Here are some other websites you might find helpful.
Boulder Co http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/
Rocky Mountain National Park
http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/
Evergreen, CO http://www.evergreenchamber.org/
Denver, CO
http://www.denver.org/
http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/GeneralInformation.htm
If you decide not to go to Colorado Springs, on day 3 your could take a trip to Evergreen, Colorado--which is about a hour's drive west of Denver. It has a quaint little downtown, it has a lake and if you drive up Bear Creek Canyon to get there, the drive is quite scenic.
The Colorado Dept of Transportation works very hard to get Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day. However, you need to realize that the road is bordered by huge banks of snow at the higher altitudes in late May--so not too scenic. If you want to go to the park, I would suggest that you drive there from Boulder, up Boulder Canyon (Hwy 119) to Nederland, then take hwy 72 and hwy 7 to Estes Park--the gateway to RMNP. That drive is quite scenic and if there is still lots of snow in the Park you would get the scenery on the drive there.
Here are some other websites you might find helpful.
Boulder Co http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/
Rocky Mountain National Park
http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/
Evergreen, CO http://www.evergreenchamber.org/
Denver, CO
http://www.denver.org/
May 9th, 2008, 07:38 AM
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I think your itinerary sounds good, especially travelling with older parents.
The Botanical Gardens and Art Museum that Gretchen suggested are good ideas, especially the Gardens. The Capitol Building is nice too. I'm not a huge fan of downtown Denver, even though I leave nearby - as a city, it just doesn't stack up to others, IMO. That said, you might see if you could take in a Rockies game, if you're baseball fans. Or head over to Golden for a tour of the Coors Brewery.
It's worth the drive to Colorado Springs for Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is nice and Seven Falls (I think that's what it's called) is also lovely. There's not much to see in Manitou Springs, but it's quaint and funky.
Using Boulder as your base for RMNP is a good idea and it's a good day trip - there are two routes up to the Park, one through Lyons and one through Nederland, so you can take two different (and scenicly varied) drives up and back. Even with the stacks on snow by the roadside, it's a lovely drive through the park - my parents always enjoyed it. If you head back down to Boulder through Boulder Canyon, stop at the Red Lion Inn for a wonderful Colorado dinner.
Spend your last day in Boulder, exploring Pearl Street Mall, perhaps visiting CU, Chatauqua Park (a great place for breakfast or lunch) and a drive up Flagstaff Mountain. I recommend you arrive at the airport no less that 1.5 hours before your flight. As Gretchen said, security and check-in can be unpredictable at times.
It's a beautiful time of year to be in Colorado!
The Botanical Gardens and Art Museum that Gretchen suggested are good ideas, especially the Gardens. The Capitol Building is nice too. I'm not a huge fan of downtown Denver, even though I leave nearby - as a city, it just doesn't stack up to others, IMO. That said, you might see if you could take in a Rockies game, if you're baseball fans. Or head over to Golden for a tour of the Coors Brewery.
It's worth the drive to Colorado Springs for Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is nice and Seven Falls (I think that's what it's called) is also lovely. There's not much to see in Manitou Springs, but it's quaint and funky.
Using Boulder as your base for RMNP is a good idea and it's a good day trip - there are two routes up to the Park, one through Lyons and one through Nederland, so you can take two different (and scenicly varied) drives up and back. Even with the stacks on snow by the roadside, it's a lovely drive through the park - my parents always enjoyed it. If you head back down to Boulder through Boulder Canyon, stop at the Red Lion Inn for a wonderful Colorado dinner.
Spend your last day in Boulder, exploring Pearl Street Mall, perhaps visiting CU, Chatauqua Park (a great place for breakfast or lunch) and a drive up Flagstaff Mountain. I recommend you arrive at the airport no less that 1.5 hours before your flight. As Gretchen said, security and check-in can be unpredictable at times.
It's a beautiful time of year to be in Colorado!
May 11th, 2008, 07:56 PM
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In my opinion, Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak are worth the drive to the Springs. Just realize that the drive to and from Denver isn't particularly scenic.
Also, plan to dress in layers. Denver could be quite warm, but mountain areas like RMNP and Pikes Peak could be more than chilly.
The cog train to Pikes Peak is a nice experience and much easier on the driver -- especially if you plan to drive to and from Denver in one day.
Also, plan to dress in layers. Denver could be quite warm, but mountain areas like RMNP and Pikes Peak could be more than chilly.
The cog train to Pikes Peak is a nice experience and much easier on the driver -- especially if you plan to drive to and from Denver in one day.
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May 22nd, 2008, 05:43 AM
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There is a loop railroad ride in Georgetown if that is of interest. It opens this weekend, as does Trail Ridge Road. Probably more to do around the Springs with Garden of the Gods, but if your date is the graduation time, then heed what was mentioned. If you will have already been to the mountains then the area around CO Springs is different.
May 27th, 2008, 08:38 AM
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I'd prefer Idaho Springs/Georgetown. The loop railroad, some cut shops in both towns, great pizza in Idaho Springs and the Indian Springs Hot Springs there too. Take the detour between the two towns and go up to Empire for lunch/breakfast at the Original Hard Rock Cafe - so NOT the chain!
