Denver, Colorado questions

We were just there this past August for a wedding. Denver itself is pretty boring and empty. We drove around one day to visit a firehouse museum (SIL is a NYC firefighter). Maybe cause of the heat, but we didn’t even see a dozen people on the streets. In NYC, the streets are busy even on the coldest/hottest days.
Anyway, we rented a car one day and took a very short walk around Rocky Mountain National Park. Timed reservation needed to enter with your car. It wasn’t crowded, but the park is very big.
We then spent an afternoon touring the Stanley Hotel of The Shining fame. You have to make a reservation. You also have to pay to park. They have the maze, very small, nothing like the movie, and a nice restaurant. If you like old hotels, it is beautiful. You can also just walk around inside, see the gift shop, and use the bathroom. They have a separate restaurant which was nice.
We had grandchildren with us so we also went to the aquarium and Hammond’s candy factory, but cause it was the summer, not much Candy being made.
We met a friend downtown Denver, near the train station, Friday evening for dinner. It was much more lively and young people were out and about. Maybe look into this area.
My sister and her family stayed a few extra days to see a game cause the Mets were playing. My BIL is on the same journey as you, lol. They enjoyed it.

PS, we stayed in Lakewood where my nephew lives. Nice place, close to Denver.

There is the silver mine and narrow gauge railroad in Georgetown.

Rocky Mountain National Park would be my suggestion too ... either thru the Estes Park entrance or around the other side at Grand Lake - both are pretty little mountain towns in their own right and are worth a couple of days. Stay over a night or two to escape the heat in the plains below.
A cautionary note about your day game at Coors Field: we've done it a couple of times and I can tell you that it can be hot (and I'm talking surface of the sun hot) in direct sunlight in August. Ensure that you get seats in the shade - you'll thank me later.
If you're looking for another option a day trip down here to Colorado Springs would be a good choice. The Garden of the Gods park is especially gorgeous. I can offer other suggestions to help fill up a day if you're interested.

I lived in Colorado for several years many years a go and one of my favorite places to take visitors was to just drive up into the mountains, stopping at places like Idaho Springs, Georgetown, and Central City. The scenery is incredible, and each town is interesting. Central City has the face on the barroom floor, Idaho Springs has Beau Jo’s Pizza, a must-have item, and Georgetown is just a lovely and charming town with gorgeous buildings sitting in the middle of the mountains.

Evergreen also a nice destination. It’s gotten more touristed over the years, but there’s a lot to see there, including a gorgeous lake, hiking, and many shops. If you drive up there via the highway, stop at the Genesee exit to see if any of the buffalo are out. Or, you could drive up via the canyon road, which is a much prettier drive. And has less traffic.

One more thing, Allan. Think carefully about what you want to do on Sunday afternoon. It’s probably not a good time to head up into the mountains, unless you want to deal with all the traffic. Sunday afternoon is when all the residents in Denver come back from their weekend foray in the mountains, and the roads will be heavily congested. But if you do decide to go, take the canyon road, like I suggested above. Not too many people know about it so it’s usually much less traveled.

Two of my adult children (34 & 38) and I were in Denver for a wedding in September. We visited the Molly Brown House (excellent tour and visit, great gift shop) as well as the History Colorado Center. We actually needed more time at the History Center than we had. I hadn't been as enthused before going but was really taken by several of the exhibitions we saw, and wished for more time. We're museum nerds.

The day before, on my own, I visited the Museum of Western Art---not because I'm drawn to what I envisioned as "western art" but because I thought Colorado would be the right place to see it, and it was within walking distance of our hotel. I really enjoyed it. My son went to Coors Field for a game that night.

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt because my son had points. It was conveniently located, although we used a car for the two museums because we were checked out and headed to Boulder for the next two nights.

It was the first visit for my daughter and I (outside the airport). I'd love to go back to both Denver and Boulder. I liked the quiet vibe of Denver but also enjoyed our quick Sunday morning visit to the Boulder Pearl district. It was bustling as the Boulderthon (half marathon) was just ending, unbeknownst to us.

A cautionary note about your day game at Coors Field: we've done it a
couple of times and I can tell you that it can be hot (and I'm talking
surface of the sun hot) in direct sunlight in August. Ensure that you
get seats in the shade

Good tip. I'm reading that higher up on the 3rd base side is best for afternoon games.

Denver itself is pretty boring and empty.

I don't really know the city but the downtown area is one of the more active US downtown areas. Most US downtowns have not recovered from covid. And Denver like the vast majority of American cities is overwhelmingly single family homes, which doesn't lend itself to NYC activity levels.

Red Rocks, practically walking distance from Lakewood, is nice, and it would be fun to see a concert there.

Driving the high alpine road is probably the most remarkable RMNP thing to do, although scads of people walk around Bear Lake.

Allan,
You're right - the last couple of rows in sections 134-141 are partly under the overhang and so will get shade early.
Better (IMO) to consider seating either side of the press box (221-241) which are completely shaded and are only a step or two from an air conditioned concourse just behind if things get too warm.

My favorite museum in Denver is the Forney Museum of Transportation. S Broadway is good for antique shopping.

Allan, I saw your trip review of Carcassonne so I looked up your post history to find the rest of your trip report (days 1- 7). Unfortunately for me, I can’t find it.

However, since I live in Colorado, I can answer this question.

Denver is not at its best right now. It’s dirty and gritty and just plain ugly. The baseball stadium area is quite nice however. From that part of town it is easy to drive to Estes Park via Boulder to Nederland and then to Estes Park along the Peak to Peak Hwy. Estes Park will be crowded but it’s lovely if you enjoy hiking. You can come back through hippy town Lyons to I-25 south and do a nice scenic loop (I-25 not so scenic).

You can also look into white water rafting or Manitoba Springs/Garden of the Gods down I-25 south. If you don’t mind driving, research Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Snowmass, or Beaver Creek for a couple of nights. Traffic on I-70 is always bad, possibly not on a Sunday night leaving Denver.

N, thanks for the info about trips near Denver. Here's a link to part 1 of my RS tour trip report. If you scroll through to the last comment you'll see links to the other parts. It was 1-5. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/rs-loire-valley-to-the-south-of-france-part-1

We enjoyed the drive up to Pike’s Peak.

Thank you Allan. I am glad you enjoyed the Dordogne region.I hope to do a similar tour. N.

Thanks to all of your tips. Sadly, due to recent events we've made the decision to avoid the US this year and spend as little of our money as possible on American products. Canadian patriotism has never been as intense as the Americans take it, but lately it has been an emotional connection across the country gaining in intensity. We want to be a part of that and make our voices heard, from buying Canadian made products, to symbolic moves such as sitting during the American national anthem at the beginning of games featuring US based teams.

All fine sentiments, Allan, but don't forget that almost 70 million of us voted for Harris. And unfortunately 150 million didn't vote at all. So, the current President does not represent the viewpoint of all of the American people.

I expect your most recent comment, and my reply, will be gone tomorrow. BUT - it's hard for an American to boycott America.

Thank you.

I’ve posted this sentiment many times, but the real trick in current times is to stay the course and not let the Orange one into your brain and change your behavior, what you think about and talk about. He loves your anger I am afraid. It’s proof he’s doing the best job ever.

Those who are considering not visiting the US as a statement opposing the current administration could also consider visiting areas that voted heavily for the opposition. The city of Atlanta has lots of great things to see and do, and the area was criticized as being “terrible” and “dangerous” because many people there don’t support him. I suspect many other urban areas fit that description too.

How Many People Didn’t Vote?
Close to 90 million.
According to data from the University of Florida Election Lab, approximately 245 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election.
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-11-15/how-many-people-didnt-vote-in-the-2024-election

Still a large number but not the 150 million mentioned earlier.

And Portland has been declared to be nothing but riots. But the Roses won't be in bloom till Spring so you might wait. And then the Rose Festival in June.

Allan, understood and respected..........."voting" with one's feet and pocket.

Allan,
D'accord. I also vote with my pocketbook and my feet. There are so many places to see that I don't feel I am missing out if I choose to skip some places, and there are enough alternatives where I live that I can refuse to patronize some stores and eateries.