Colorado Explorer

By Linda DuVal

Spotlight: Fort Collins
Statewide Activities
Statewide Dining
Statewide Lodging
Statewide Shopping

Part of Horsetooth Reservoir.
© Marek Uliasz.

Fort Collins: a year-round getaway

Fort Collins may not be the first place that pops into your head when you think “weekend getaway.” But maybe it should be.

This Front Range college town, home to Colorado State University and about 130,000 people, is very accessible for many Colorado residents. It’s close to the mountains without the tricky mountain driving, and has lots of good shopping and dining as well as great outdoors adventures.

In winter, there’s snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating on City Park Pond, snowmobiling, sledding and ice fishing around nine-mile-long Horsetooth Reservoir. You can ice skate indoors or go for a swim at the city’s EPIC arena.

Tour the local breweries: Budweiser with its stable of gorgeous Clydesdales, or New Belgium which has become famous for its “green” practices. Head into Old Town, the original downtown area, for brew pubs and other nightlife. At CooperSmith’s Pub, you can get green chile beer — among other local delights like Not Brown Ale and Horsetooth Stout.

Long-time favorite dining spots in town include Bisetti’s and Canino’s for great Italian food, Rio’s for Mexican fare and dozens of other ethnic restaurants. Locals also like Jay’s Bistro and Fish for special occasions. There’s also a Beau Jo’s (for Colorado-style pizza) and the original Egg & I eatery for breakfast or lunch.

Fun shops downtown include such charmers as Mountain Wood Furniture, with hand-made home furnishings, The Right Card (it has much more than cards), Tula (an upscale women’s clothing store) and assorted import shops with goods from Santa Fe to Kathmandu.

While there, stop by the Bike Library. You can borrow one for the day and pedal your way around town. There’s plenty of free or inexpensive parking downtown, so leave your car and do some walking or biking instead. Or take a scenic ride up Poudre Canyon, not far from town. Fort Collins often has sunny, 60-degree days in the middle of winter, so cycling is possible in all seasons.

The Fort Collins Museum is a little gem, with cabins dating back to 1859, 1864 and 1882, as well as a 1905 schoolhouse. Its Discovery Center also has some very cool interactive exhibits.

Lodging ranges from the 1923 historic Armstrong Hotel downtown to elegant, contemporary Cambria Suites on Harmony Road — and plenty of other options in between.

For more information, see www.visitftcollins.com or call 800-274-3678.

Statewide activities

Ever heard of synthetic ice? Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s new Adventure Park has a skating rink made from “Super-Glide.” The synthetic surface was previously part of a display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The park also has bungee trampolines and a climbing wall. 800-600-2803.

Take a break from winter at the tropical Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, where you can watch thousands of butterflies flit from flower to flower — and possibly land on you. You can also get close to arthropods (spiders, beetles) and aquatic life (sea stars and urchins). 303-469-5441.

Kids get their own winter celebration with the first-ever Keystone Kidtopia Festival, Feb. 19-21 at Keystone ski resort. They can climb around “the ultimate snow fort” at the top of Dercum Mountain, do arts and crafts, go Disco Tubing and ski down the mountain in a Glowstick Parade. Most events are free. 970-496-4FUN.

So the swallows come back to Capistrano. Big deal. Every year, bald eagles come back to Lake Pueblo State Park! Go see for yourself on Feb. 6, when the park celebrates its annual Eagle Day Festival. Activities will include eagle hikes, seminars and live rescued birds from the Pueblo Raptor Center. Bring your binoculars! www.eagleday.org, 719-561-5300.

Ready for a sleigh ride? Head to Redstone for Winter Fest, Feb. 6-7. Expect this quaint village to blossom with ice sculptures, and feel free to join in the snowshoe races or ski-joring (a sled dog pulling a skier). If you’re lucky, you’ll also get a tour of historic Redstone Castle. 970-963-9656.

If you’re having a special celebration, consider renting your own ski resort! You can now rent Echo Mountain ski area, west of Denver, for $75 per person (based on 100 guests) for a whole day or evening and have the place to yourself. Now how cool is that? 303-325-7347.

Statewide dining

Colorado has at least two fine winter events for foodies.

The Broadmoor hotel and resort in Colorado Springs hosts its annual “Salute to Escoffier,” Jan. 29-31. Honoring the world-famous French chef, it’s three days of unabashed indulgence. Among other treats is the Grand Buffet, with hundreds of appetizers, cold and hot entrees, a stunning dessert buffet and fine wines. www.broadmoor.com, 800-634-7711.

Also Jan. 28-30, immerse yourself in the annual Bon Appetit Beaver Creek Master Chef Classic. Famous chefs (including Iron Chef’s Cat Cora and PBS’ Ming Tsai) and local chefs offer classes, competitions, wine tastings and a Grand Tasting event during the weekend. 970-845-5974.

Statewide lodging

Winter is a great time to visit Glenwood Springs. If you do, check out the two new Bell Tower suites at the historic Hotel Colorado. Each has its own dining room, living room and access to the bell towers. Great attention is paid to historic detail in the architecture and furnishings. 800-544-3998 or 970-945-6511.

The Little Nell in Aspen celebrated its 20th anniversary by remodeling its guest rooms. It reopened in December to unveil a fresh new look by designer Holly Hunt. The $18 million renovation follows one done on the upscale hotel’s public rooms a couple of years ago. 888-843-6355.

Statewide shopping

Not only can you buy original local art, but you also can see painters, sculptors and jewelers at work at the Twisted Brick Studios in Palisade. So far, this new venue is open only Fridays, during local festivals, or by appointment. 970-464-4653.

Normally, locals don’t shop at tourist gift stores. You might make an exception at the Garden of the Gods Trading Post in Colorado Springs. We’re talking high-end stuff, including Mesa Verde pottery, fine Native American jewelry and Western art — and clothing you’d actually wear in public. 719-685-9045.

Linda DuVal is a freelance writer and former travel editor in Colorado Springs.

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