Bikes, Art & Beer / COME TO LIFE @David Kalsbeek SIDETRIPS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: RED FEATHER LAKES, FLICKR/DAVID KALSBEEK; HORSETOOTH RESERVOIR, RICHARD HARO; OLD TOWN FORT COLLINS, O’HARA PHOTOGRAPHY. 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. Windsor is a growing community between Loveland, Fort Collins and Greeley and a peaceful place to explore the plains at the Frank State Wildlife Area along a portion of the Poudre River Trail. For local flavors, check out Chimney Park Restaurant, Chapmans Produce fruit and veggie store, and Hearth Restaurant and Pub. 3 two restaurants as well as a small retail store, wine cellar, tasting room, teaching kitch-en and rooftop bar. Jessup Farm Artisan Village (1) also boasts locally crafted goods from coffee, bread and barrel-aged beer to watches, photography and clothing, along with a few places to grab a bite. These offerings are a couple of the reasons the city was recently named a Certified Colorado Creative District. Stop by the Fort Collins Muse-um of Discovery , focusing on the history of science and the science of history. From here, hop on the Poudre Bike Trail and point your handlebars east. Odell Brewing and New Belgium are cherished breweries within very short pedaling distance of each other. Most of the city’s breweries offer free tours and tastings — pick up a tasting journal from the Downtown Visitor Center to guide you through Colorado’s Craft Beer Capital. 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 , Colorado’s only nationally designated Wild and Scenic River. Check out Avuncular Bob’s Beerhouse , which charms patrons with rotating draft brews and fresh bites made with local ingredients. Check out The Fox and the Crow , a spot that sells artisanal cheese and meats from farms in Colorado and all over the world; or quench your thirst at Red Truck Beer Co. , the newest addition to Fort Collin’s brewery district. Ideas for sweet treats abound: Nuance Chocolate makes small-batch choc-olates from beans that are roasted and ground on site; Revolution Artisan Pops uses local ingredients to create its frozen treats; and The Churn in The Exchange — a new food, entertainment and retail space — has creamy goodness from the makers of Denver’s beloved Little Man Ice Cream. See what band is playing at the Aggie Theatre or, on select 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 Amphitheatre ; see a concert at Washing-ton’s , a recently renovated venue housed in a historic 1903 building; or check the schedule at the new Elizabeth Hotel , which pays tribute to the city’s deep-rooted music scene with everything from jam sessions to live jazz at the rooftop bar. For those seeking starry skies, Red Mountain Open Space , Horsetooth Mountain Open Space and Soapstone Prairie and Coyote Ridge natural areas are just a few stellar places to spot far-away gal-axies. The Northern Colorado Astronomical Society and Stargazer Observatory also host public stargazing events throughout the year. 2 If you’re craving beaches more than beer, visit Horse-tooth Reservoir (3) . Red-stone COLORADO.COM / 153
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2019: Page 153
