Hiking Near Denver a Family Fun Activity

I've been very excited about all the hiking trails in the Denver area—maybe a little too excited to wait for warmer weather. As a family we decided to hike Meadowlark Plymouth Creek Loop (Directions below). We started out our hike by having a picnic at the base of the trail (so we didn't have to pack all the food). They have covered picnic tables and restrooms.

There was a chill in the air, but once we got moving it wasn't bad. The trail was a little muddy in spots in the beginning, but nothing to stop us from moving on. As we got higher the trail would be covered in ice and snow when shaded. If we had had any idea how much worse it would get, we would've turned around. Towards the end of the trail it got so icy and steep that many of us just sat on our bums and slid down the trail. It was just too hard to stay standing on the ice. The views were spectacular, but what a relief when we could see the parking lot ahead. We were all very tired.

A hike we had expected to take our family a couple hours max had taken well over three hours because of the ice and snow. Luckily we were well prepared with food and water. We had just recently bought a water pack and I don't know how we got along without it before. It was so nice not having to carry a water bottle or take the pack off and open it every time someone wanted a drink.

I was concerned my kids would now dread going on future hikes, but they loved it! It turned into a hike to remember. I will definitely go back once the snow and ice is gone. It is a heavily used trail year round. We passed many people who had poles and special shoes to handle the ice.

Deer & Denver

As a family we look forward to exploring the many places you can go hiking near Denver. We recently purchased a book called 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Denver and Boulder: Including Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Rocky Mountain National Park. There are pictures, maps, and great descriptions of each trail. I can't wait to try them all out!

Here are the directions(copied from 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles):

From Denver, take C 470 south 6.7 miles to Kipling Parkway; exit south. Go right on west Ute Avenue, and turn right again on Deer Creek Canyon Road. Follow Deer Creek Canyon Road west 2.7 miles to Grizzly Road. Turn left on Grizzly Road, and follow it 0.4 miles to the park entrance (Deer Creek Open Space Park) on the right.

Good Times

My friend was shocked when I told him that I had never eaten at Good Times before. We remedied the situation by going there immediately. It is an old fashioned style burger joint where you order at a window and then eat outside. My friend informed me that I had to try the "wild fries" and dipping sauce along with my meal. I was not disapointed. The fries and sauce were worth the hype. We each ordered burgers, fries, and a "spoonbender"—which is a thick shake. I ordered mine with a chocolate topping and bits of bacon in it. I would have never thought to put bacon in a shake, but it was actually pretty good.

I have since learned that Good Times is a Colorado original and currently also has locations in Wyoming, North Dakota and Idaho.

Check out their menu and fun interactive website.

Guest post by Kevin Harris

Free Days in Denver

I fell in love with the Denver area the moment I learned about all the Free Days provided by SCFD (Scientific & Cultural Facilities District). There is so much I want to introduce my kids to and so much I've never done.

Since moving here we have visited for free the following:

• Children's Museum
• Denver Zoo
• Denver Art Museum
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Denver Museum of Nature and Science
• Colorado Railroad Museum

 Free Days still left in February:
Botanic Garden-February 21st
Denver Museum of Nature and Science-February 27th
Denver Zoo-February 19th

Check out scfd.org to see all the Free Days. They also have a great bookmark you can download and print to keep track of  the Free Days of the most popular places.

You can read about our visits to Colorado Railroad Museum, Denver Zoo Part 1 and Part 2, and The Children's Museum.

What fun free things have you found to do?

Colorado Railroad Museum

Free fun at the Colorado Railroad Museum. We enjoyed the first SCFD Free day of the year, January 8, 2011. Admission will also be free on March 12, 2011, and November 12, 2011.

I was surprised by how much fun we had walking around the train yard looking at the large variety of trains. We were also able to climb into many of the trains. The kids loved pretending they were driving the train and ringing the bells.

They had an awesome miniature train display inside and outside they had a garden railway. Only members of  DGRS can operate the trains in the garden railway, but the public is free to watch. The detail was amazing! I also noticed they had a great area for bringing a picnic and look forward to bringing one next time.

To get all the latest information check out their website www.coloradorailroadmuseum.org

Colorado Railroad Museum 

is located at:

17155 W. 44th Avenue

Golden, CO 80403

Denver Theatre Tickets—Very Cheap!

I love going to the theatre, but the cost keeps me from going. That will no longer be a problem, thanks to SCFD (Citizens of metro Denver's Scientific and Cultural District) fund. Ten tickets to each of the Denver Center Theatre Company Performances will be available every Tuesday at 10am for only $10 each to every performance in the coming week.

You can stop by their box office or call 303.547.3410 (a $3 service fee will be included in all phone orders) and use code SCFD to purchase up to four $10 tickets each Tuesday.



To see what is playing go to Denver Center Theatre Company

I'll see you at the theatre!

Where to Eat in Denver?

Cincetti's

If you are looking for a place to eat in Denver that will please everyone, then I recommend Cincetti's. Cincetti's is an Italian Buffet style restaurant with a wonderful array of delicious food and a great atmosphere. From zuppa to pizza, rotisserie chicken to Penne al Rose —Cincetti's has over 80 Italian dishes at fourteen different specialty cooking stations. Top it off with Chocolate Souffle, Tiramisu, or any number of other desserts (including 16 flavors of ice cream). There are only two Cincetti's in the nation, so if you are visiting Denver, this is an experience not to be missed!

You can view Cincetti's entire menu online. Just reading it is an enjoyable experience.

Weather in Denver Colorado

The weather in Denver Colorado is generally mild, but can be unpredictable with the Rocky Mountains to the west and the High Plains to the east. There are four distinct seasons of Denver weather: The summers generally bring highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s with frequent afternoon showers which cool things back down. The Rocky Mountains due west, while receiving lots of snow themselves, often act as a shield keeping the winters fairly mild in town. Winter snow storms do occur but usually melt before nightfall. March is Denver's snowiest month. November comes in second.

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