Just south of downtown Denver is one of the best city parks in the Colorado Rockies.  Head over to the junction of South Downing Street and East Louisiana Avenue where you’ll find Washington Park, 165 acres that are always hopping with the young and trendy as well as families, oldsters, vacationers, and just about anyone looking to enjoy one of the many sunny days in Denver.  With 54 flower gardens, Washington Park is wonderful to visit in the spring when the blooms are rich with color and fragrance, in summer when the trees are in full shade, or in autumn when the leaves turn into brilliant colors.  Over 170,000 plants are raised in the park’s greenhouses.  Flowers are planted according to carefully planned arrangements, with colors generally lasting until the heavy frosts begin.

A beautifully maintained historic area, Washington Park is where you’re sure to run into any outdoor game you’d like to join, whether its soccer, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, lawn bowling, or ultimate Frisbee.  Walk over to the restored boathouse on the north side of Smith Lake and take out a boat for some afternoon fishing.  Take the kids to the playground for all sorts of fun activities.  Or just simply stroll or jog the 2.5 mile path that runs throughout the park, taking in the sights, sounds, and deliciously fresh air.

There are many historic markers in Washington Park such as “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod,” the memorial to Eugene Field, the Denver poet.  Nearby you will see the small white-frame cottage that was Field’s from 1881-1883.  Visit the replica of the Mt. Vernon, Virginia garden of Martha Washington, where you will also find a bronze plaque that designates the site where her husband George took command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the year 1775.

After exploring the park, take yourself east to South Gaylord, a charming, historic neighborhood that lies within Washington, Mississippi, and Tennessee streets.  Shopping and dining are wonderful here as the stores and restaurants are fashioned with typical western charm.  Have a meal at The Washington Parke Grille or Riever’s where you can sample their delicious menus while enjoying some great people-watching from your sidewalk table.  For dessert, don’t miss the Bonnie Brae Ice Cream shop for one of the best treats in Denver.

Old Pearl Street, just west of Washington Park, is another great neighborhood for shopping and dining.  Lola’s is a great place to sample some really innovative Mexican dishes, or the Sushi Den where you can eat the freshest fish while taking in the ultra hip scene.  Then head over to Stella’s Coffee Haus and Such for a latte or cappuccino before letting loose with a night on the town.

Related posts:

• Boulder: The Top Five Parks There are over 50 beautiful parks in Boulder to spend...

When on your vacation with the family, look no further than just outside of Denver for some of the best places to enjoy a little bit of the old West, with its pioneer history, scenic drives, train travel, dinosaur bones, and amazing wildlife viewing.

Lookout Mountain

Right on the top of this mountain is the grave of famous wild man, Buffalo Bill.  Take a tour of Buffalo Bill’s Grave & Museum where you can learn about Buffalo Bill Cody’s life as one of the world’s greatest showmen.  Just about 15 minutes from the site you can see a grazing herd of buffalo, one of the last of their kind.
For more information on Buffalo Bill’s Grave & Museum, contact: 303-526-0744

The Colorado Railroad Museum

What could be more fun than enjoying a museum full of 50,000 historic artifacts and memorabilia commemorating the narrow gauge railroad tracks that once connected Colorado’s mining towns.  Here the train depot is an exact replica of an1880s style station, housing more than 50 steam engines, locomotives, and railroad cars.  Covering 12 acres, kids can have fun climbing into the trains or taking a ride through the grounds.
For more information, contact: 800-365-6263

The Butterfly Pavilion

As the nation’s first stand-alone insect zoo, this amazing exhibition site is where you can see not only some of the most astounding butterflies (1,200 at last count, representing more than 30 species from nine countries), but also spiders such as black widows, tarantulas, scorpions, centipedes, and giant African millipedes.  Not for the squeamish, you can even hold a tarantula in your hand!  A 16,000 foot pavilion that covers five acres, the area includes a recreated tropical rainforest.  The half-mile nature trail takes you to a cactus garden, and lovely butterfly garden where you can stand amongst the fluttering creatures as they take you in.
For more information, contact: 303-469-5441

Dinosaur Ridge

The ‘great Dinosaur rush’ was inspired by an 1877 schoolteacher who accidentally found the fossil of an enormous dinosaur right here in this National Landmark area.  Known as Dinosaur Ridge, the region became a magnet for scientists who traveled to Denver in search of fossils as evidence of prehistoric activity.  Take a trip to this amazing site to see over 300 dinosaur footprints as well as the interpretive displays at the Visitors Center.  Walk the mile-long path where signs indicate how the dinosaur bones look while still encased in rocky formations.
For more information, contact: 303-697-3466

No related posts.

There are many things to do for the whole family in Denver, so when planning your vacation, don’t forget to take along the kids!

The Children’s Museum of Denver
What better way to learn than through play!  Designed for toddlers through eight years old, this interactive environment is as inspiring as it is fun.  Story telling is offered in the afternoons every day, plants and animals are for exploration at the “Under My Feet and Over My Head” exhibit, and many other interesting and educational activities are promoted at this delightful hands-on museum.  Children can explore a life size fire truck while putting on their firefighter’s jacket and helmet as they learn about fire safety through the course of their play.

Address:  2121 Children’s Museum Drive, Denver, CO 80211
Hours:  Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm.  Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm

The Butterfly Pavilion
This is the first stand-alone insect zoo in the United States, comprising 16,000 square feet of land that covers five acres and includes a recreated tropical forest.  With over 1,200 butterflies that represent more than 50 species from nine different countries, the Butterfly Pavilion is a must for a family visit.  Stop at the Insect Center where the brave can hold tarantulas while learning about black window spiders, scorpions, and giant African millipedes.  Take a walk down the half-mile nature trail to enjoy the wondrous cactus garden.

Address:  6252 W 1-4th Avenue, Westminster, CO 80020
Hours:  Winter – 9am – 5 pm; Summer – 9 am – 6 pm

Denver Parks
There are many parks and green spaces throughout the Denver Metro Area, many of which have play structures and plenty of space for children to participate in local outdoor activities.  At Washington Park there are basketball and tennis courts, bike and boat rentals, paved walking paths, and great play structures for monkeying around.  City Park is also a great area to enjoy the outdoors, with its shade trees and lovely lawns for picnicking.  The City Park is home of the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Nature and Science, providing plenty of alternatives for kids of all ages.

The Denver Zoo
Ride on the Pioneer Train to get a feel for the width and breadth of this wonderful zoo as you chug along tracks and through enclosures.  Take a spin on the Endangered Species Carousel, or simply walk around to see the 700 species and almost 4,000 animals who make this area their home.  From lions to tarantulas, there is something here for everyone.

Address:  2300 Steele Street, Denver, CO 80205
Hours:  October 1 – March 31, 10 am – 5 pm; April 1 – September 30, 9 am – 6 pm

Wings Over the Rockies
Located in the second hanger on Lowry Air Force Base, this museum is filled with everything air-borne, from propeller-driven barnstormers to state-of-the-art aircraft.  Here you will find many planes that were used by the Air National Guard as training craft, including a B-1 bomber, one of only two left in the U.S.  The museum contains a thorough exhibit covering the history of the Colorado Air National Guard, complete with all the memorabilia.  Overhead you will see a replica of the first airplane to fly, the Wright Flyer.  In addition you can see a still operative F-14 Tomcat and a space capsule used by NASA during the Apollo project.  Children can enjoy the feel of getting behind a control stick where they feel like real pilots as they climb into many of the planes, including the famed X-Wing.

Address:  7711 East Academy Boulevard, Denver, CO 80230
Hours:  Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm; Sunday, noon – 5 pm.  Cockpit Demo Day, the second Saturday of each month, 10 am – 2 pm

No related posts.

Way back in the late 1800s, Denver, Colorado’s high society was a burgeoning scene in what otherwise was the very wild west. A loud and bawdy woman named Molly Brown had made a lot of money with her husband James Brown (J.J. to his friends) from the Little Johnny Silver Mine in Leadville, Colorado. Anxious to be accepted by the society ladies, Molly tried to enter their protective world, but was rejected over and over again because of her excessive ways. Often shunned in public, Molly was not to be deterred. She and J.J. bought a large house that combined Romanesque, neo-renaissance, and Queen Anne styles. The outside of the house was made with lava stone and trimmed with red sandstone and wood, creating a strong statement as one of the finest abodes on Capitol Hill, an area that was home to many of Denver’s wealthiest families.

Off Molly would go to Europe where she would send back antiques to fill the house. While on her extravagant vacations, she attracted the attention of some of Europe’s most influential people, including royalty, who found her feisty ways exciting and fun. But her popularity in Europe never translated to her life in Denver, and so she spent very little time in her home there. In 1902 she rented the house to Governor James Orman and then kept it rented as she finally preferred to stay at the Brown Palace Hotel when she was back in Colorado.

Known as the “unsinkable” Molly Brown after surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Molly Brown’s legacy still stands as a testimony to Denver’s historical past. Visit the Molly Brown House to see her collected treasures in the restored home that boasts photos of her famous parties, original furniture, her array of bear rungs and coyote heads, along with exquisite collectibles that speak of this feisty woman’s thirst for life.

Address: 1340 Pennsylvania St., Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 303-832-4092
Directions: On US 40 between Broadway and Ogden Streets, Capitol Hill
Admissions: $7.00 adults, $6.00 students & seniors over 64, $4.00 children 6 – 12
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am, Sunday 12, last tour 3:30 pm. 45 minute tours every half hour
Not accessible for the handicapped.

No related posts.

Right in the heart of downtown Denver, you will find one of Colorado’s most famed firehouses, Station Number One. Built in 1909, this historic fire station was the largest firehouse built in the area at the time, with its two stories, its horse stables, a hayloft, and a large downstairs work area.

Walking around the museum, you can investigate the original equipment used, looking at the antiquated controls while donning a firefighter’s helmet to make you feel like you are right back in those early times. The original woodwork is still in place, along with the fire poles and other related artifacts including the large array of photos that are on display.

Serving the business district of the budding city of Denver, Station Number One was one of the most important elements in this Wild West town where fire could destroy property within minutes. With their man powered hose carts, Station Number One was originally a hook and ladder fire station where volunteer firefighters filled buckets with water and delivered them hand over hand to staunch a fire. From there, Station Number One incorporated motorized fire trucks, the forebears of what is in use today. You can see it all at this fascinating museum that chronicles the life of Station Number One and its firefighting heroes.

Address: 1326 Tremont Place, Denver, Colorado 80204
Phone: 303-892-1436
Directions: Intersection of 13th St. and Tremont Place, just one block from the US Mint on W. Colfax.
Admission: $6 adults, $5 seniors & students, $4 children 12 and under
Hours: Mon – Sat, 10 am – 4pm

No related posts.