COME TO LIFE / Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley @City of Greeley 4 5 6 10-foot-tall LOVE sculpture where loved ones can lock their love for one another. Buy a lock at the visitors center (the permanent location for the sculpture) and write your name on the lock. Step outside and lock your love on the grid. Whether you keep the key as a souvenir or throw it away to lock your love for an eternity is up to you! Hikers should seek out The Keyhole rock formation at the Devil’s Backbone Open Space , one of the area’s most impressive and visible geologic landmarks. Boaters, fishers, paddleboarders and other water lovers will find plenty to do in the area with Car-ter Lake , a picturesque lake set in the foothills with mountainous views, as well as Lake Loveland , Boyd Lake State Park , Lou Hagler Reservoir and others. For those who’ve worked up an appetite: Door 222 Food & Drink pairs delicious tapas with local draft beers. Or head to Taste Local for scratch-made all-day breakfast (we like Marino’s blueberry flapjacks and The Devil’s Backbone panini). Another option is Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch ’s (5) dinner horseback rides (or anytime rides), which come with a trek to beautiful Eagle Ridge. Round out the eve-ning with a visit to Wicked Tequila Room to choose from 40 luxury brands of tequila and mezcal. For dessert: Sweet Heart Winery has opened in west Loveland — the perfect stop for a sip if you’re making the 35-minute drive between Loveland and Rocky Mountain National Park . The wine tasting room is open to the public seven days a week. DAY 3 Like any good college town, Greeley has a colorful selection of coffee shops, serving residents and University of Northern Colorado students. Hit the streets where, as part of Historic Preservation Commission walking tours and History Brown Bag events, you’ll learn about the city’s neighborhoods, historic sites and architecture. The town’s culinary offerings are growing every year. Check out Tower 56 Distilling, Lonesome Buck Brewing and Luna’s Taco’s & Tequilla to taste things the in-crowd is tasting. Stop by the Colorado Model Railroad Museum (4) , which features more than 600 rail-road-related artifacts ranging from a Virginia and Truckee Railroad switch key to a full-size Colorado and Southern wooden caboose available for examining both inside and out. Throughout your visit, you’ll find more than 50 pieces of public art (7) sprinkled around Greeley, as well as lovely parks that fea-ture lakes, small streams, bridges, waterfalls and islands. Home-stead Park and Open Space has walking paths, a playground and public art. Every summer Friday brings live music on the Ninth Street Plaza for Friday Fest , with street performers, fire spinners, face painting, balloon artistry, sidewalk chalk and more. STAY & PLAY OPTIONS Bellvue , Fort Collins (page 198), Greeley (page 200), Johnstown (page 201), Loveland (page 201), Platteville (page 203), Red Feather Lakes , Windsor 7 154 / 1-800-COLORADO CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GREELEY CREATIVE DISTRICT; SYLVAN DALE GUEST RANCH; COLORADO MODEL RAILROAD MUSEUM, FLICKR/CITY OF GREELEY; BENSON SCULPTURE GARDEN, CITY OF LOVELAND. Or take a swing along the Poudre River Trail , with beautiful views, easy hiking trails and access to the Cache la Poudre River, catch-and-release fishing and wildlife viewing. The Poudre Learning Center has a fishing club, summer science camps, chuckwagon dinners, stargazing nights, bike trails and more.
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 154
