Biggest Little Beer Town / COME TO LIFE GOLDEN: THE WORLD’S BIGGEST LITTLE BEER TOWN & MUCH MORE AFTERNOON COLORADO Golden is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty just 12 miles from Denver. Lookout Mountain looms above town and its summit offers panoramic views in every direction and a launching point for paragliders in the summertime. Be sure to visit COLORADO.com/ FieldGuide for even more itiner aries! South Table Mountain and its twin North Table Mountain (1) are landmark mesas rising above town. South Table Mountain is renowned for Castle Rock, an outcropping that offers com-manding views of the surrounding area. With 20 miles of trails flanked by greenery and mountain vistas, White Ranch Park is another scenic spot to stretch your legs. Or if rock climbing is your forte, Earth Treks Golden Climbing Center has 28,500 square feet of climbing on walls up to 45 feet tall. You’ll need a reward for your efforts, and no visit would be complete without stopping into Golden’s highest-profile attraction: Coors Brewery . Explore a room of giant copper kettles, then stop in the packaging room, where thousands of cans and bottles whirl by. After the tour, those 21 and over can try free samples of beer. Then get a taste for the craft side of brewing. Since many breweries in town — including Golden City , Mountain Toad , Cannonball Creek and New Terrain — don’t serve food, you can bring your own snacks in or order from the food trucks parked directly outside. Leashed dogs are allowed on the patios, and it’s a rare day when there aren’t several happy pups enjoying the Colorado sun at these outdoor beer gardens. For those with a bigger appetite, the new Sassafras American Eat-ery serves comforting dishes like fried-green-tomato Benedict and muffaletta po’boys; and Barrels & Bottles has 27 beers (many brewed in Golden) and 24 wines on tap and a light, farm-fresh menu. Other new additions to the dining scene include Trailhead Taphouse , Xicamiti La Taquería Bistro and Miners Saloon . EVENING Make plans to see at concert at (or just hike around) the 9,525-seat Red Rocks Amphitheatre (2) , just 10 minutes from Golden in Morrison . The venue, the only completely natural amphitheater on the planet, was listed on the nation’s top bucket list for outdoor concerts by Rolling Stone Magazine . Downtown Golden is the perfect spot for a pre-and post-concert bite and beverage. 1 MORNING FROM TOP: NORTH TABLE MOUNTAIN, ETHAN WELTY; RED ROCKS PARK AND AMPHITHEATRE. It was at Lookout Mountain that the famous frontier scout and showman, Buffalo Bill Cody, was buried in 1917. Today, the Buffalo Bill Museum near the gravesite brings his incredible story back to life. The drive to the grave site on top of the mountain begins in historic downtown Golden on the Lariat Loop Scenic Byway . The Colorado Railroad Museum has a half-mile circle track — sort of a giant’s toy train set — on which they run steam locomotives and the famous Galloping Goose, a 1928 Pierce-Arrow limousine put on train wheels with a bus welded to the back. And the Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum is the first and only in the nation dedi-cated to mountaineering history. See the clothes worn by the first American to summit Mount Everest, then study the routes up the world’s highest peak on a 12-by-12-foot model. Bike or hike along the paved Clear Creek Trail , which follows the creek from the mountains through Golden for 20 miles to Denver ; or float down it on a tube or kayak through an ingenious manmade whitewater course with rapids and gentle falls. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Denver (page 195), Golden (page 198), Lakewood (page 200), Morrison (page 202) 2 QUICK TIP The Golden Bike Library offers a unique and affordable way to get around town Thursday through Sunday April to October. Visitors can check out a bike for two hours for free or, just $10 a day . COLORADO.COM / 181
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