Denver peeps

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buck

Hi Denver folk,

I will be flying into Denver Saturday July 8th and departing Mid-Day Monday July 10th.

My night is full on the 8th, but I will be getting there around 10 am that day. On Sunday July 9th I would like to go on some kind of day hike within maybe a half hour to hour drive of Denver at most.

What areas do you recommend for the hike, and what kind of cool stuff can I do in the city on that Saturday during the day?

I just need to be at The Oriental Theater by 7pm on Saturday.

First off, do you mean June instead of July for all this? July 8th is a Monday.

Aside from that, can you give me an idea of how "big" of a hike you're looking to do in terms of how much time you're looking to spend and how strenuous you're looking for? Hikes can pretty much range from a walk in a field to climbing a 14er around here.

Also, how much time do you have on Saturday, and are you renting a car?

[Buck]

Originally Posted by DaFace

First off, do you mean June instead of July for all this? July 8th is a Monday.

Aside from that, can you give me an idea of how "big" of a hike you're looking to do in terms of how much time you're looking to spend and how strenuous you're looking for? Hikes can pretty much range from a walk in a field to climbing a 14er around here.

Also, how much time do you have on Saturday, and are you renting a car?

Yes, good catch.

June 8th - June 10th.

As for the hike, I broke my ankle in January, so nothing that has anything I have to climb down more than 2 or 3 feet, I tried a hike like that already out here and reinjured my ankle.

3 or 4 hours would be a nice time. I'll be with my girlfriend who hikes a lot.

On Saturday I'll get into Denver at 10 am and have to be somewhere by about 6:30, and I'll have to check into a hotel somewhere in that time frame too. Probably will rent a car.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Buck

Yes, good catch.

June 8th - June 10th.

As for the hike, I broke my ankle in January, so nothing that has anything I have to climb down more than 2 or 3 feet, I tried a hike like that already out here and reinjured my ankle.

3 or 4 hours would be a nice time. I'll be with my girlfriend who hikes a lot.

On Saturday I'll get into Denver at 10 am and have to be somewhere by about 6:30, and I'll have to check into a hotel somewhere in that time frame too. Probably will rent a car.

Given that you can't go very far during the day on Saturday, you'll probably want to stick with some of the main cultural attractions. The art museum, zoo, or science museum can all be fun, and there's always Elitch's amusement park. If your girlfriend is more into shopping/dining/people watching, the 16th Street Mall is always popular and can help you burn a few hours.

Those are all more central, and the Oriental Theater is more northwest, so all of those will be a bit of a drive. If you're into old amusement parks, Lakeside is literally right next to the Oriental Theater, so that's something you could do and be right there. That's definitely more of the "historical" kind of amusement park than "modern and fun," so don't go there expecting it to be the best roller coaster you've ever been on.

Regarding nightlife, I'd try to get to LoDo (lower downtown) if you can. There are a ton of little bars and restaurants down there, and the place doesn't shut down until well after I ever care to go to sleep. If you want something a little quieter, there are a variety of places scattered through the Highlands area (just across I-25 from downtown) that are all more quiet hipster kinds of places.

As for hiking on Sunday, there are a million little places you could go. If you want to stick within an hour's driving distance, you're going to be looking at either Jefferson County Open Space or Boulder County Parks and Open Space for trails. As mentioned earlier, Mt. Falcon is a cool set of trails that have views both toward the mountains and over the city, so check some of those out. (There's also a historic ruin up there for what was once supposed to be a "summer White House" if you're into that kind of stuff.) Golden Gate Canyon has some nice trails as well. I also like a lot of the trails in the Betasso Reserve up Boulder Canyon. All three of those areas have some moderate trails that shouldn't cause you too many issues.

I'll keep thinking about trails and let you know if I come up with any specific recommendations. In the meantime, feel free to ask if you look into a particular area and want the perspective of someone who knows the area.