We've begun planning our trip to Denver Sept 23rd-27th. As of now the only must-do we have planned are a Red Sox/Rockies game (24th or 25th) and a visit with family in Greeley (about an hour from Denver from what I can tell).
We live on the Atlantic Ocean and have never been to Colorado so we're looking for must sees in Denver and the surrounding area. We live in Newport, RI and are use to driving the hour & 1/2 to get to a game in Boston so if there are other areas we should stay besides downtown Denver we're open to suggestions, we will have a car. We enjoy scenic drives and hikes that aren't too strenous.
Ideas & suggestions welcome & appreciated.
Denver in late September
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Of course, any good guidebook will cover the must see items. And must see often means different things to different people. The downtown area works especially if there for a ball game because you can walk to the ballpark. With the free 16th street mall bus you can walk to all of the downtown highlights.
Greeley is an hour or so depending on traffic. How much time would you have for a trip into the mountains? There are a couple of loop drives you could do if you have a half day or more. End of Sept is a good times as you will be catching the fall color change in the high country at that time of year. And maybe a bit of snow so bring jackets if you want to go into the mountains.
Go west from Greeley to Rocky Mountain National Park (stay overnight if you want in Estes Park). Sept is a good time to see the Elk. Most of the time at that time of year, there are several on the golf course near the Estes Park Tourist Office.
On the way up to RMNP on hwy 34, keep an eye out for Bighorn Sheep, especially just after the turn at Drake.
In Denver, if you want to tour the mint, make reservations online in advance.
There are two things that I miss the most about Colorado in the fall. The first is the golden Aspens, and the second is the peaches from the Western Slope. I'm not sure if you can buy Colorado Elberta's from the Western Slope anywhere near the Denver area, and you would definitely have to drive up to the mountains to see the aspens. Bigtyke's suggestion is a good one based on your visit to Greeley, but I (personally) would not stay anywhere near Greeley if I could help it. Believe me, you have never tasted a real peach until you have a Western Slope peach. If you do get the chance to buy some, look for the brown and ugly ones, not the perfectly formed, perfectly colored, genetically modified ones they sell elsewhere.
If you visit Rocky Mountain National Park, you'll more than likely see the elk during the rut, which means you'll be able to see the huge bull elks bugling as they woo the ladies. It's spectacular to see these herds during the rut.
The drive across the park from east to west side on Trail Ridge Road is incredibly scenic, but depending on weather it can be closed.
As stated above, you'll also be treated to the golden aspens in the fall.
http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/about-rocky-mountain-national-park.htm
Estes Park is the town just outside RMNP and offers plenty of loddging, restaurants, etc.
This is what we've come up with so far. Got the best deal on a flight into Denver...arrive on Monday morning Sept 23rd at 11:30. plan on renting a car & driving to Colorado Springs staying there overnight. Will use Monday and the better part of Tuesday to see Garden of the Gods, Cave of the Winds, Seven Falls & Pikes Peak. Late Tues afternoon we'll drive back to Denver, check into hotel and attend baseball game at Coors Field. Wednesday morning we'll head up to Estes Park for two days. Still need to do some research on this area but would like to stop in Boulder and plan on spending time in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. Family now live in Windsor so Friday morning we'll head to their house to visit before we heading to Denver airport for 5:30 flight home. Does this sound reasonable? We are flexible on where & what were doing other than the baseball game. Suggestions on decent, inexpensive places to stay would be helpful. Also good local places to eat. Thanks