Denver and Beyond for 6 Days -- What to do?
 

I'm traveling with my parents and son to Colorado in August. We're planning to fly In to Denver.

Potential ideas include visiting Pike's Peak, AF Academy, and one-day of guided fly fishing. We are also considering visiting Cheyenne for an overnight stop.

Any ideas for what to see in Denver, even if it's only for a day at the beginning or end of the trip?

What areas in Denver and/or Colorado Springs are centrally located, and preferably walkable, for our hotels?

Is it worth the drive to Cheyenne? Is there anything good to see on the way there? Or maybe instead of going there?

I have a relatively blank slate and appreciate all ideas.

Thanks!

How old is your son?

My son is 17. He's into fishing and history. He would enjoy a museum about life in the frontier days. Anything like that around?

Rocky Mt. National Park.

If you go to Cheyenne, there are two good museums that will give your son that old west history. The Wyoming State Museum in downtown and right next to the state capitol building and then the museum at Frontier days park as well. If you could go there anytime the last 10 days of July, you could go to Frontier Days, a huge rodeo with great parades.

On the way up I 25 to Cheyenne, right on the Colorado border is the Terry Bison ranch. You can see big herds of bison right from the highway if you don't want to go to the actual ranch.

West of Cheyenne in Laramie is the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Good exhibits about frontier justice.

Very different area from the mountains and cities of Colorado but interesting in its own right.

Rocky Mountain National Park is the place to go, and there is so much else to do and see in Colorado that you have no need to go to Wyoming: http://www.colorado.com

HTtY

In Denver there's the History Colorado Center. I have not been there since it was in its old location but they had a lot of western history & assume many of the exhibits are the same, if not better. I think this is your best bet for your son. The Museum of Science & Nature has a very good American Indian exhibit, in addition to other great exhibits. When my college aged son was home at Thanksgiving, I asked him what he wanted to do & that was it. They have IMAX & we always hit the mummy exhibit. Been many times over the last 20 plus years.

I personally would stick to Colorado, RMNP, Summit county(Breckenridge, Dillion) or Grand County. I would pass on Colorado Springs unless you have compelling reasons to go. Gretchen, a frequent poster here knows a lot about fishing, perhaps she will respond. I'm sorry I can't help you on that but there are guides to fishing in Colorado, you might find on Amazon.

Another "more than enough to stay in Colorado".
For fly fishing there are outfitters in Silverthorne that will guide you in that area. Believe it or not, some of the biggest trout I've ever seen were in the tail waters of the Dillon Dam behind the Silverthorne outlet shops!! And caught on the tiniest "shrimp" in the fly box. There is also trophy trout water in the Blue River just north of Silverthorne.
Another area to fly fish is Deckers which is not too far south of Denver but is VERY isolated and rural--not much else to do.
Another possibility is to go on to Aspen and he could fish the Roaring Fork in that area. There is no shortage of guide services!!
I also would pass on CO Springs.
The Denver Art Museum has a wonderful native American collection--and probably other history things for him.
And RMNP is magnificent--not to be missed.

Here is a groupon discount offer you might be interested in. I bought this one time, but wasn't able to do it unfortunately. But their offerings seem VERY good and their guide descriptions look good.
http://www.groupon.com/deals/5280-angler-6

There is a small museum to Buffalo Bill up on Lookout Mountain where his grave is. The site gives wonderful views over Denver and the surrounding area.

Thanks for the replies and great ideas so far. They all sound promising! I think I agree about skipping WYO. sounds like there is plenty of "Western" feel in CO.

Could we do Pike's Peak in a day trip from Denver?

Any ideas for the best area to stay in Denver?

Yes, you can do the Pike's Peak trip from Denver. For places to stay, I'd look at hotels.com or similar.
If you want to save money you can probably stay down around the Denver Tech Center, have a kitchenette for cheap during the week--or maybe it is the weekends. But that area is very accessible to either leaving Denver by car or to downtown Denver via the light rail and not driving.

Unless you have a specific reason to do Pike's Peak, my recommendation would be to substitute Mt. Evans, just west of Denver. IMO, the drive to the top is more scenic and it is a shorter drive for you.

On the same day, you could stop in Georgetown, a few miles further west. It is one of the old mining towns and is quite scenic with many old well-restored Victorian homes and a small, frontier style downtown.

Oh, what a GREAT idea.

If you can get a good deal downtown Denver, you would be closer to museums. But Denver has a very good lift rail so the Tech center

Oops, posted too soon. Denver has a good light rail so the tech center would be ok. I think there is a Drury Inn on Dry Creek that is close to a station. Ask them If you look into that.
Personally, I would spend a few days in Denver & a few in Breckenridge. I assume you will get a car? If you stay downtown you can get a car just for the mountain part.

One other thought, a couple of sporting goods stores here may have fishing trips, Bass Pro Shops & cabelas, maybe REI.

In the Denver Tech Center area there are light rail stations all along I25 (Denver folk will say "duh"!).
And there are myriad hotels because of the business clientele for the Tech Center.
It is on the south side of Denver, easy to get to I470 to go west to the mountains.
And there is a shopping area on steroids at Park Meadows!! It is not an isolated area--our kids live near there.
A downtown hotel will only allow you a limited area of walking around, and the need to park the car. I can't identify a hotel within walking distance of the museums. But there are some lovely downtown hotels.
And one more, I don't consider the 16th Street Mall a real destination for much, Just my opinion, in case it comes up for a hotel.

One more thing--there is parking at the light rail stations so a car is a good thing. You wouldn't just have to be so near.

Another vote for Mt. Evans.

HTtY