ceb1222

I'm going to Denver this weekend to visit a family member... I checked things out and noticed that the drive up to Cheyenne is not that far... Is it a scenic drive? Fun things to do in Cheyenne?

I know there's more than enough to do in Denver and surrounding areas, but the thought of heading to Wyoming is appealing... I'm a roadtrip person!

Gretchen

I'd head for the mountains--closer, scenic, fun--if you want a road trip.

Pete1222

I used to live in Ft. Collins, which is 1 hour north of Denver and 1 hour south of Cheyenne.
It's not an inspirational drive but does have friendly, hard working, people. The backway from Ft. Collins to Laramie is much more scenic.
Fort Collins is a great town! Drive up the Pudre (sp?)canyon for some great scenery. Great hikes everywhere up there. Also a hike to Horsetooth Rock just outside of town is surprisingly fun. Enjoy...
pete

sylvia3

Yes, Poudre River Canyon, or over Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mt. Nat. Park would be better than an hour or two not so scenic drive down I25 in bad traffic--not to knock Cheyenne, but there's incredible scenery and things to do much closer.

Tess

It's an easy drive up I-25 to Cheyenne--not scenic, however. If you like western history, you'll love Cheyenne. If you would prefer hiking or outdoor activities, though, I'd follow Pete's suggestion for hiking outside of Ft. Collins. Poudre Canyon and Horsetooth Reservoir are both beautiful and have great hikes, both short and long. Ft. Collins is (depending on traffic) about 1/2 hour north of Denver, again, an easy drive. OR you could go to Boulder--about the same distance and very fun. Kind of the San Francisco of the Rocky Mountain area--very liberal town with college flavor thrown in. Pearl Street downtown is a good destination for a couple of hours.

Holler if you want more Cheyenne info--we live about 1 1/2 hours away from there and visit Cheyenne, Ft. Collins and Boulder all the time.

ceb1222

Thanks for the responses... So I think we're not going to head all the way to Cheyenne. I like the suggestion of Fort Collins, and it's in our plans to try the bike trail (?) from Denver to Boulder and then hang out in Boulder for a while. I'm sure there is probably great hiking all over the place; now I just need to narrow down where to go! I was also looking at heading south of Denver and checking out the Pikes Peak area.

If anyone has any more suggestions, they're very welcome.

Pete1222

Ceb,
A great hike in the Boulder area is up at the Flatirons. Just drive toward those great slabs of rock and park at the park! The trails will be readily visable----once you have trekked "up" enough you will also be rewarded with a splendid view of both: The city of Boulder & the entire front range.
BUT---before you begin your hike walk over to the park pravillon restraunt. Ask what time lunch is being served to. If you time your hike perfectly you will have a great lunch on a wonderful wrap around porch when you are done. You will not be disappointed...Also there is a great little hike up at the Boulder falls. Drive up the canyon until you see parking on the left. Cross the road for the trailhead. This is an easy 15 min. hike---but quite enjoyable.
Regards,
Pete

ceb1222

Pete-

Thanks for the tips... Unfortunately, I didn't get them until today and my weekend is over! But after this weekend, I'll definitely be going back.

We ended up wandering around the LoDo area and Cherry Creek in Denver on Saturday, then headed up to Red Rocks to try to see Willie Nelson in concert... No extra tix and he was sold out, so we headed to Boulder to walk around and get dinner. We ate at the Boulder Brewing Company (?)... Sunday we drove to Snowmass Village to catch Willie at the Jazz Festival, stopping near Glenwood Springs for a hike to Hanging Lake. And Monday we drove through Boulder and Estes Park to Rocky Mtn Natl Park and did a 6 mile hike there.

It was an incredible weekend, and I want to move to Colorado now!

I will try your suggestions next time - and there WILL be a next time!

Pete1222

Yes, it's a lovely state. We once went there for a week and stayed almost 5 years! Almost every weekend we would go exploring,,,,it was really grand!
Be well,
Pete

BetsyG

ceb - for next time, if you are interested in going south of Denver, Castlewood Canyon State Park is nice for hiking. Its east of Castle Rock.
Betsy