2 Days in Denver. Suggestions?
Oct 29, 2015, 5:18 am
#1
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2 Days in Denver. Suggestions?
Hi All,
I found a sweet deal with Frontier and will be in Denver for 2 days. I planned on going to Aspen for a day trip and get some snow (I'm from Costa Rica, so none of that here).
I'll have a nice car rented so I really want to do some driving and see some places, I'm talking scenic. I'm really not into seeing downtown,museums,attractions but more of seeing interesting stuff on the road etc. Any aviation museums are a plus (I'm a pilot).
I'm open to suggestions, hit me up!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
I found a sweet deal with Frontier and will be in Denver for 2 days. I planned on going to Aspen for a day trip and get some snow (I'm from Costa Rica, so none of that here).
I'll have a nice car rented so I really want to do some driving and see some places, I'm talking scenic. I'm really not into seeing downtown,museums,attractions but more of seeing interesting stuff on the road etc. Any aviation museums are a plus (I'm a pilot).
I'm open to suggestions, hit me up!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Oct 29, 2015, 2:19 pm
#2
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Wings Over the Rockies is at Lowry - a small museum, easy to clear in 90 minutes, I would think.
http://wingsmuseum.org/
A day trip to Aspen is iffy depending on the specific day and weather conditions. You might consider overnighting in Aspen.
http://wingsmuseum.org/
A day trip to Aspen is iffy depending on the specific day and weather conditions. You might consider overnighting in Aspen.
Oct 30, 2015, 11:11 pm
#3
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day trip to Aspen is long....Aspen is about 3.5 hrs from Denver. Vail or Breckenridge are closer.
Oct 31, 2015, 7:02 am
#4
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Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs would be about 90 minutes from DEN in non-rush hour traffic.
The chapel at the Air Force Academy is pretty stunning. 75 minutes from DEN in non-rush hour traffic.
The chapel at the Air Force Academy is pretty stunning. 75 minutes from DEN in non-rush hour traffic.
Nov 1, 2015, 9:40 am
#5
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It definitely depends on what time of the year you are coming out here. Going anywhere up into the mtns will be extremely iffy if snow is possible, especially if you have never driven in snow before.
Here are my recommendations:
- Wings over the Rockies about 5 miles east of downtown. 60-90 mins is enough to see it all.
- Estes Park and Rocky Mtn National Park about 75 miles NW from Denver
- Skip Aspen and go to Vail or Breckenridge instead (only if the mtn roads are clear).
- Garden of the Gods and AF Academy chapel are worth the drive to Colorado Springs
- Red Rocks about 30 mins west of downtown.
Here are my recommendations:
- Wings over the Rockies about 5 miles east of downtown. 60-90 mins is enough to see it all.
- Estes Park and Rocky Mtn National Park about 75 miles NW from Denver
- Skip Aspen and go to Vail or Breckenridge instead (only if the mtn roads are clear).
- Garden of the Gods and AF Academy chapel are worth the drive to Colorado Springs
- Red Rocks about 30 mins west of downtown.
Nov 2, 2015, 1:30 pm
#6
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All good advice so far.
When do you plan on being here? Weekdays, weekends?
If you're not used to driving in the mountains when it's snowing... Don't.
Aside from that, I70 is going to be a zoo and you don't want to spend a big part of your two days stuck by the tunnels or somewhere else along I70.
When do you plan on being here? Weekdays, weekends?
If you're not used to driving in the mountains when it's snowing... Don't.
Aside from that, I70 is going to be a zoo and you don't want to spend a big part of your two days stuck by the tunnels or somewhere else along I70.
Nov 2, 2015, 4:15 pm
#7
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I'm too wondering what to do in DEN too. So don't think it's worth taking the risk driving to Glenwood Springs in Feb for 1 night then drive back to DEN to get a flight out in the late evening to ORD. Advice appreciated or I should explore Austin instead?
Nov 9, 2015, 12:04 pm
#10
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Redwood839 and Thongy,
Pull up a map of I-70 in Colorado. Two key choke points to be aware of: one just west of Denver from about Morrison to Idaho Springs and the second is the Eisenhower Tunnel, east of Frisco/Silverthorne. Traffic is particularly bad westbound on Friday and eastbound on Sunday. These choke points can be problematic due to heavy traffic alone. Throw in some wintery weather and there are lot more problem areas, particularly on passes (such as the one west of Frisco). And parts of I-70 can be closed for a while due to weather. So on a short visit to Colorado, considering the risks of sitting/moving slowly on I-70 for hours, I would advise not to plan to go too far west.
If you really want to ski or be around a ski resort, look into Winter Park. You still have to go through the first choke point I mentioned and then through a pass north of I-70, but you avoid the Eisenhower Tunnel. Eldora is the closest ski area to Denver/Boulder, but people who seem to know do not think of it as highly as other ski areas accessed via I-70.
To the excellent suggestions above, the Denver Museum of Science and Nature is a first rate museum of its type. Also, the road across Rocky Mt Natl Park will almost certainly be closed at the top, but you may still be able to drive up it a ways and then park and walk a bit further. I have done that from the East side.
TRRed
Pull up a map of I-70 in Colorado. Two key choke points to be aware of: one just west of Denver from about Morrison to Idaho Springs and the second is the Eisenhower Tunnel, east of Frisco/Silverthorne. Traffic is particularly bad westbound on Friday and eastbound on Sunday. These choke points can be problematic due to heavy traffic alone. Throw in some wintery weather and there are lot more problem areas, particularly on passes (such as the one west of Frisco). And parts of I-70 can be closed for a while due to weather. So on a short visit to Colorado, considering the risks of sitting/moving slowly on I-70 for hours, I would advise not to plan to go too far west.
If you really want to ski or be around a ski resort, look into Winter Park. You still have to go through the first choke point I mentioned and then through a pass north of I-70, but you avoid the Eisenhower Tunnel. Eldora is the closest ski area to Denver/Boulder, but people who seem to know do not think of it as highly as other ski areas accessed via I-70.
To the excellent suggestions above, the Denver Museum of Science and Nature is a first rate museum of its type. Also, the road across Rocky Mt Natl Park will almost certainly be closed at the top, but you may still be able to drive up it a ways and then park and walk a bit further. I have done that from the East side.
TRRed
Nov 10, 2015, 6:59 pm
#11
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If you really want to ski or be around a ski resort, look into Winter Park. You still have to go through the first choke point I mentioned and then through a pass north of I-70, but you avoid the Eisenhower Tunnel. Eldora is the closest ski area to Denver/Boulder, but people who seem to know do not think of it as highly as other ski areas accessed via I-70.TRRed