TRIP LOVELAND/DENVER CO

Denver Chicago

 

DO-IT-YOURSELF
Within a drive of an hour or so from Loveland are some spectacular places to visit on your own. A very partial list includes:

D BAR desserts 1475 East 17th Avenue Denver, CO 80218-1656 (303) 861-4710 map

Indian Peaks Wilderness and Brainard Lake (west of Boulder). Pristine hanging lakes, cascades, and waterfalls. Well maintained trails and wildflowers galore.

Mt. Evans (near Idaho Springs). Highest paved road in US. 14,264 feet. Get atop a "fourteener" and see the Rockies from above. Alpine tundra flowers and wildlife.
Georgetown Cog Railway (I-70 west of Denver). An engineering feat and Colorado mining history.

Central City (peak-to-peak highway). Historic mining area, now with casinos and a famous opera house (Central City Opera).

Denver (40 miles south on I25). Art museums, Elitch Gardens and Waterworld (amusement parks), shopping, theaters, etc.

Colorado Springs (120 miles south on I25). USA Olympic training facility, AirForce academy, Pikes Peak cog railway and hill-climb road, Seven Falls (waterfall park), Garden of the Gods (red sandstone formations), etc.
Colorado Springs Images: Parallel View | Cross View

Arkansas River Valley, Buena Vista, Dinosaur National Park Utah, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Aspen - Maroon Bells, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado National Monument ... .

Loveland restaurants,-- Rachel Ray Denver -- Giada's Denver -- Bobby Flay Denver -- Denver Restaurants -- Nordy BBQ --

4th Street Chop House -- Hobnob restaurant -- Inglenook -- Serious Texas BBQ

Boyd Lake State Park 3720 North County Road 11-C Loveland, CO 80538 Phone: 970-669-1739
Directions: Exit I-25 headed west (at US 34 near Loveland. Turn north on Madison Avenue, then turn right on 37th Avenue. 37th Avenue turns into County Road 11-C. Follow the signs to Boyd Lake State Park. You will see the Visitor Center on the right side of the road (after the curve) and the Entrance Gate a little further north of there.

The most modern water sports facility in northern Colorado, Boyd Lake State Park boasts over 1,700 surface-acres of water for boating, fishing, sailing and more. A sandy beach and seasonably warm water make Boyd Lake a favorite among windsurfers, water-skiers and swimmers. This family-oriented park is the perfect place for visitors of all ages.

Attraction Amenities
Cost of Admission: $8/ vehicle daily or $70 for annual pass - inquire about senior discount

Hours: 5:00am-10:00pm unless actively fishing or camping. Please call 970-669-1739 for Visitor Center hours

Attraction Activities: Camping, Fishing, Natural Wildlife Viewing, Swimming Attraction Facility Amenities: Concessions, Food/Beverage Service, Maps Available, Pets on Leash, Restrooms

Attraction Price: $ Payment Methods: Cash, credit card Attraction Discounts: Senior Citizen Discount

Recreation Amenities Recreation Type: State Park, Water Recreation Rentals: Boat, Canoe, Jet Ski, Paddleboat

http://attractions.uptake.com/national_state_parks/colorado/loveland/boyd_lake_state_park_19190741.html

Estes Park scenic drive
http://www.estesparkcvb.com/media_kit.cfm/action/press_detail/press_id/4
http://www.estesparkcvb.com/activity_information.cfm?mode=cat_overview&listing_cat_id=1525
http://www.estesparkcvb.com/index.cfm

 

Visitors to the Front Range in Colorado have an attractive recreational option just an hour or so away. Whatever the route, a breathtaking geological masterpiece awaits those who choose a day trip to Estes Park.

On the road from Loveland up the Big Thompson Canyon (U.S. Highway 34), "The Narrows" is a winding steep-sided gorge created by the river's long erosion. Towering on either side of the road are rock formations which, over time, have been tip-tilted nearly 90 degrees by the movement of the earth. Twenty miles from Loveland, you emerge from the canyon into an expansive high mountain valley, 7,522 feet above sea level, surrounded by snowcapped peaks ranging from 8,500 to more than 14,000 feet high. This is Estes Park and the jumping off spot for visits to Rocky Mountain National Park.

From Lyons (accessible either from Longmont or Boulder), U.S. Highway 36 takes you up into the mountains and, in half an hour, you crest the hill above Estes Park and look down into a charming mountain village.

Once you arrive in Estes Park, there is a wide variety of recreational choices for visitors of all ages: camping, horseback riding, festivals, shopping, cultural events, dining, water sports, hiking, wildlife watching, golfing, bicycling and numerous winter sports.

For example, every Sunday afternoon (November through April) at 2 p.m. there's a concert at the historic Stanley Hotel. In the summer, the Estes Park Music Festival presents a series of concerts with world-class conductors and guest artists. From May through the Christmas holidays, there are art and museum shows and events every weekend.

Between Memorial Day and mid-October (depending on the weather), Trail Ridge Road takes visitors across the Continental Divide on the world's highest continuous paved highway to Grand Lake, a village with wooden boardwalks on the banks of the pristine Grand Lake. Plan enough time to stop and enjoy the many breathtaking vistas along the way.

It's possible to see wildlife at nearly any point once you start up the canyon. The elusive big horn sheep can be sighted in The Narrows; elk and deer are plentiful on the streets and golf courses of Estes Park, especially in cooler months; marmots, Abert squirrels, coyote and birds of many kinds are common; black bears and mountain lions have been spotted here, though rarely.

If you can pull yourself away from the beauty of the area, a different route home presents yet another aspect of the Rocky Mountains. Leave Estes Park via Devils Gulch Road, down the canyon through Glen Haven and rejoin U. S. Highway 34 at Drake to Loveland. An alternate loop takes visitors south on Colorado Highway 7, through Allenspark to Lyons, where Colorado Highway 66 returns you to Interstate 25 or you may rejoin U. S. Highway 36 to Boulder.

http://www.coloradocherrycompany.com/BigThompson.htm
Colorado Cherry Company Loveland Store 1024 W. HWY 34Loveland, CO 80537 Lyons Store12311 N. St. Vrain Dr.Lyons, CO 80540
OPEN Lyons Store:Everyday 7:00 am - 6:00 pm
Loveland Store:Nov. - Dec. Mon-Fri 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat & Sun 9:00am - 5:00pm
May - October 7 days a week 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

http://www.guidebookamerica.com/gb/co/loveland/index.htm

http://www.visitloveland.org/

http://www.coloradoscenicdrives.com/poudrerivercanyon.php

50 hot ideas
http://www.colorado.com/Articles.aspx?aid=42377

Embassy Suites guide
http://www.embassysuitesloveland.com/Content/UploadedFiles/Documents/Embassy%20Suites%20Loveland%20Activity%20Guide.pdf