2016-12-22 03:29:49
Breweries are as much a part of Fort Collins as the surrounding prairies, mountains and canyons. With near-constant blue skies, relatively flat terrain and more than 280 miles of bike trails and lanes, bikes and beer are natural companions here. In fact, Fort Collins produces 70 percent of all craft beer in Colorado, so whether you ride a cruiser, fixie or just a plain old bike, hop on, grab your ID and get pedaling! OLD TOWN FORT COLLINS, O’HARA PHOTOGRAPHY MORNING Pick up your method of transportation for the day at the Fort Collins Bike Share (bikefortcollins.org). Then, kick-start your morning in Historic Old Town (1) (the inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street) and ride up to The Bean Cycle, where you can sip a steamin’ cup of ethically sourced coffee and peruse books at Wolverine Farm Publishing in the same building. Other places to investigate Fort Collins’ exploding craft-coffee arena include Harbinger Coffee, The Coffee Registry and Everyday Joe’s. Spend the morning exploring Old Town’s bookstores, galleries and shops. Historic homes like the Victorian-style Avery House (2) (come for tea on the lawn in the summer!) And the adobe Museo de las Tres Colonias tell stories of gold seekers, immigrants and sugar beets. Or get an art fix at The Downtown Artery, an eclectic arts space with a cafe, performance venue and retail store selling items produced by the painters, musicians and other artists in residence. HISTORIC AVERY HOUSE, MILES/ANDREA BUROLLA AFTERNOON Stop by the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, focusing on the history of science and the science of history, blending science, history and culture into an interactive museum. From here, hop on the Poudre Bike Trail and point your handlebars east. Odell Brewing (3) and New Belgium are cherished Colorado breweries that happen to be within very short pedaling distance of each other. Most of the city’s breweries offer free tours and tastings. If you’re craving beaches more than beer, visit Horsetooth Reservoir. Red-stone cliffs flank the 6.5-mile lake, a favorite of hikers, bikers and rock-climbers. Or hop in a raft to ride the Class III and IV rapids down the Cache la Poudre (4), Colorado’s only nationally designated Wild and Scenic River. Thanks to 41 protected natural areas, the Fort is also a haven for birders, with the Fort Collins Audubon Society offering free field trips throughout the year as well as the Nature Conservancy’s guided birding hikes in the Phantom Canyon Preserve. ODELL BREWING CO EVENING Stop by Fort Collins Brewery & Tavern, whose farm-to-fork menu offers local fare. For new brews, check out McClellan’s Brewing Co. For cask ales brewed in traditional Celtic style by the Scottish-born head brewer, and Three Four Beer Co., a one-of-a-kind brewpub with 49 tap handles, including several offerings brewed onsite in the three-barrel brew house. CACHE LA POUDRE RIVER NEAR FORT COLLINS, MILES/MATT INDEN See what band is playing at the Aggie Theater or, on Thursday summer evenings, head to New Belgium for the Bike-In Cinema Series — riders spread out on blankets beneath the stars to sip beer and watch a movie. You can also catch a riverside concert at Mishawaka Amphitheater. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Bellvue (page 197), Fort Collins (page 203), Red Feather Lakes WINTER FUN Winter sends Fort Collins’ active residents into neighboring Roosevelt National Forest for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing and even snowy horseback rides. RED FEATHER LAKES, FLICKR/KIMON BERLIN SIDETRIPS Located northwest of Fort Collins, the rustic mountain village of Red Feather Lakes is far from hectic city life and popular with campers and boaters. Surrounded by the 612,000-acre Roosevelt National Forest, the area is a year-round outdoor playground that offers beautiful scenery, diverse wildlife, hiking trails and cozy mountain retreats. QUICK TIP Jessup Farm Artisan Village boasts locally crafted goods from coffee to bread, T-shirts, watches, photography, barrel-aged beer and more, along with a few places to grab a bite. The village is just one of the reasons the city has been recently named a Certified Colorado Creative District.
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