Breckenridge- A cool must see community

Heading west on Interstate 70 about an hour and a half out of Denver just past the Loveland pass and the Eisenhower tunnel you come to Dillon and Frisco.  These are really interesting communities and for those so inclined, they have a huge outlet mall in Dillon just beside the interstate.  From here you can easily visit the popular summer and ski resort of Keystone just 10 miles away or travel south from the interstate about 15 miles to the really cool town of Breckenridge.  Breckenridge is a fabulous little community with great art galleries, little craft shops and lots of neat little boutiques.  If you want some spectacular views, you can take the cable car up the mountain

for free to the first level but that would give you some great views of the town and surrounding valley. The cable car can be accessed on the edge of downtown.  In the winter it's a real skiers delight but in the summer its a lot more user friendly.  In the summer there is usually loads of fun and interesting activities taking place from music festivals to outdoor handicraft markets.  I have been to Breckenridge several times in the summer and along with Estes Park is among my favorite Colorado towns.  Its very walkable and friendly.  On a recent stay last summer I used the Breck Inn.  A room with mountain view was about $90 including breakfast.  Check it out. 

Rocky Mountain National Park

This is as spectacular as it gets in the mountains.  About an hour northwest from Denver and you're at one of the main entrances to an incredible experience.  The drive through the park can take a few hours or you can spend days driving and stopping to take pictures. The park is split by the continental divide at its highest of just over 12,000 feet.  That part of the park is open only from late spring till October due to the heavy snow fall.  The continental divide is where all the water flowing from the eastern slops of the Rockies form the rivers flowing east and conversely, the runoff from the western slopes all form the rivers to the west flowing west. 




Vistas are so varied including mountain streams, waterfalls, moose, mountain meadows, year round snow at the highter elevations and rest stops along the way for unbelievable panoramas and pictures.  In driving through the park, I recommend coming in one way, like from Estes Park and exiting at Grand Lake on the western side of the Park.  You can do a drive from Denver and through the Park and return as a day trip.  Have a photo taken of yourself playing in the snow at one of the higher elevations in July.  At least once in your lifetime you need to be high up in the mountains and look around you and down into the valleys below to appreciate the "purple mountain majesty," you sang about as a child in American The Beautiful.
  

Estes Park

Leaving Boulder behind, you wind your way up highway 36 heading north west about 40 miles to Estes Park.  Now you're about 7200 feet above sea level.  In July its generally dry and quite pleasant during the days with cool evenings.  Estes Park is a picturesque small town (population 5200). 

 

Estes Park is quaint, and has loads of character and charm.  You are already in the mountains now.  On the western edge of town is the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.  The area is spectacular for scenery at all times of the year.  I have been to Estes Park twice and both times in the late summer.  It is walkable and has a great small town feel.  There is a mountain stream that bisects the town and a walking area with art galleries, restaurants and shops line the creek with outside seating.  The town has so much to offer and is worth a visit.  

 

https://www.google.com/hotels/?gl=US#search;l=Estes+Park,+Colorado;q=estes+park+lodging;d=2013-05-19;n=1;si=7041b950;av=r

Estes Park has many reasonably priced hotels and some cool western style saloons and restaurants.

 

 

Just outside the small downtown is The Stanley Hotel, built in 1909.

Begin with Boulder

About 25 miles northwest of Denver and at about the same elevation you'll find Boulder, Co.  This is a really cool artsy community with sort of a "hip" vibe located at the base of the mountains. 

The center of town has a pedestrian street running east and west called Pearl Street.  This mile long street now called the Pearl Street Mall is tree lined with sitting areas and hundreds of shops, restaurants, and boutiques.  At the Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery (www.boulderartsandcrafts.com) you can get feel of the local art including western, mountain, southwestern, Native |American and Mexican.   The U of Colorado is located less than a mile south of Pearl Street and a nice walk or drive.

 Continue west on Pearl and you'll quickly start climbing into the Rockies.  If hikeing is your thing, the Boulder Creek Path runs from the University west, winding its way right up to the hills west of town.  Where else can you start a hiking trek in a down town

and end up in the mountains?  Here is a link to all those fun arty festival activities in Bolder in the month of July from "Band on the Bricks" (Pearl St Mall) to an open air art show to beer tasting:

http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/things-to-do/events/?e_ViewBy=month&e_sDate=07-01-2013&e_sortBy=eventName

The Uof C is also home to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.  The festival runs from June through August and features popular works daily with ticket prices beginning at $10.  Here is the summer scheduel.
http://www.coloradoshakes.org/2013-season

Art on the Pearl St Mall. 
 Next week: Estes Park

Colorado mountain road trips

Colorado, the golden state has that moniker for a good reason.  I have spent several summer and winter ski vacations in the state and find it to be a real gem.  Whether pre or post Civitan convention, think about including a week long road trip in the Rockies.  Nothing is really that far.  For example, you are just 35 miles from the college community of Boulder to the north at the foot hills of some beautiful mountain trails and hip in town art galleries and the U of C.  Just 70 miles to the south is Colorado Springs and the Air Force Academy and the iconic "Pikes Peak."
In the next several weeks this blog will feature some possible day trips all shown on the map above.  Most points of interest I'll cover will be heading west along I-70 over the Loveland Pass where they had a tragic avalanche this past week.  The interstate at Loveland Pass is at the highest elevation in our national interstate system.  There was even snow on the sides of the road in July when I drove through the famous Eisenhower Tunnel following the 1996 convention in Denver.   Loveland Pass is near the continental divide.  I had to ask someone once what that really meant.  All the rivers to the west of the "divide" flow west and conversely east from the eastern slopes of the divide.  I'll include some towns you may have only thought of as ski resorts like Vail, Breckenridge and Aspen but they are just as much fun in the summer with very charming art, music and craft fairs.  We'll start the tour next week with Boulder.

Car rental can be done at the airport or in downtown Denver.  Returning a car can be done in either location generally without a drop off charge but check in advance with the auto rental provider.  If you rent a car on arrival you save the shuttle or taxi fare to town.  Parking at the Sheraton is not cheap but a parking lot less than two block away is only $11 per 24 Hrs.  At that rate you might be just as well off getting the car and having it to use while you are visiting and then turning it in at the airport when you leave, again saving the cost of getting to the airport.  The lot below can be contacted at: 303 893-1414. 

Denver in July is....GREAT

Denver in July...
What a great and very walkable downtown.  So much to do its impossible to do it justice in this blog format.  I've posted a downtown map showing the Denver downtown Sheraton Hotel. From the 16th Street Mall you can walk up to Lower Downtown (LoDo) or the other way to uptown and the state capital.  You might have to print the blog to be able to read the map or simply go online and check out the sites below and you'll have more to do than you have time. 

What I find great about the mile high city is the wonderful climate in July.  Its such a relief from the hot humid south.  Days and evenings are pleasant.  Using the free shuttle on 16St you have ready access to hundreds of shops, restaurants and attractions.  Check out just a few of the sites below and you'll agree.   Denver in July is great.


http://www.denver.org/what-to-do

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g33388-Activities-Denver_Colorado.html

http://travel.usnews.com/Denver_CO/Things_To_Do/

http://www.downtowndenver.com/Life/WhattoDo/tabid/103/Default.aspx

http://www.ytravelblog.com/what-to-do-in-denver-colorado/

Denver this July....will be fabulous

Its early April and in only 3 months we'll be gathering in Denver for the International Convention.  From opening ceremonies on the evening of July 3 to the closing on July 6, you'll have a wonderful time meeting other members, attending to the business of Civitan and enjoying the pleasant climes and environs of the "mile high" city in July.   The Sheraton Denver Downtown is located on the famous 16th Street Mall.  This is a wonderful walking street that runs right through the heart of the downtown from the state capitol uptown south west to the north west lower downtown know by locals as LoDo. 





Free Shuttle busses run every 2 minutes along the Mall stopping at every corner. This Sheraton is no stranger to many of the long time Civitan members.  In 1996 the same hotel under the name "Adam's Mark" hosted the international convention in Denver, also around the July 4th holiday.  However, the hotel has been completely renovated, and significantly expanded with additional property and now has all banquet and meeting space under one roof.  The hotel will host the business events and the Mall will provide a super arty and eclectic backdrop for entertainment, dining and shopping.
Next week... what to do in Denver.