Top 10 Travel Attractions You'll Only Find in Denver, Colorado

I just love to travel to Denver, Colorado and as a matter of fact, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Estes Park, and Evergreen Colorado are also on my pick cities for visiting while in the Denver Metro area. I have been to all those Colorado towns and they are perfect pictures of nature and the outdoors at it's best. If you are planning to travel to the Democratic National Convention in Denver during August 2008, you will definitely want to check out these Denver fun spots.

I also went to college in Downtown Denver and my sister has lived in Denver for 30 years, so I travel to the Denver Metro area several times a year. My college days in Denver were pretty fun and my travel days to Denver now are a little more laid back. So, here are some of both ways to enjoy the Top 10 Travel Attractions You'll Only Find in Denver in my Denver entertainment review. I threw in a couple extra Denver travel attractions since they are close to the Denver area.

Elitch Gardens
Amusement Park, Water Park and Music Concert Hall
2000 Elitch Circle
DenverCO 80204
Park information 303-595-4386
Guest relations 303-595-4386
Park Hours click the link to see seasonal hours and prices

Elitch Gardens was one of the first concert halls that Benny Goodman played during the Big Band Era. This historic landmark park in Denver is rich with celebrity stories, pictures, and music. The Elitch Gardens' slogan from 1916-1920 was landscaped into the garden entry to Elitch Gardens. The slogan read: Not to See Elitch's is Not to See Denver. This would be my first stop when traveling to Denver, Colorado.

When I went to college at Metropolitan State College in downtown Denver, Elitch Gardens Amusement Park was on our party agenda every Friday or Saturday night. Not only does Elitch Gardens have the best roller coaster in the West called The Mind Eraser, but Elitch Gardens also has great music concert events. Elitch Gardens has their own lodging and a Water Park that is open during summer months. You can make arrangements with Elitch Gardens to host private events at the park as well.

Coors Brewery
Makers of Coors Beer
311 Tenth Street
Golden, CO 80401
866-812-2337
Tour Hours: Thurs-Mon 10am to 4pm; Sunday noon to 4pm
Admission: Free

This is definitely the second party stop on the Denver travel tour and it was in my college days, too. Touring the Coors Brewery is a must, not just because you get free beer at the end of the tour, it is because the Coors Brewery is the largest brewery in the world that is located on a single site and it is fascinating to see. Adolph Coors started the Coors Brewery in 1873 because of the mountain fresh spring water flowing off the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Today, the Coors Brewery can brew up to 22 million barrels of beer and package up to 16 million barrels of beer annually. Now it will take you a little longer to sing the Coors song than it does to sing 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall!

Central City and Black Hawk Casinos and Mining Museums
Located off I-70 in the Colorado Rocky Mountain Foothills
35 Miles West of Downtown Denver
Buses are available to Casinos from all Metro Denver Areas
Click on the town links above for information about bus schedules, prices and Denver Metro locations for pick up and drop off

Central City and Black Hawk, Colorado are not just the Casino Capitals of Denver, but they are also very historic gold mining cities with lots of other fun stuff to do. Central City struck The Gregory Load in 1859 and soon became The Richest Square Mile on Earth. Cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snow-shoeing, sledding, fishing, kayaking, hunting, camping, back packing, four-wheeling, photography and, of course, gold panning are among the many travel adventures you can do while visiting Central City and Black Hawk near Denver. Be sure to stop at the Salt Water Taffy store on Main Street in Central City. They make homemade Salt Water Taffy fresh throughout the day. It is the best I have ever eaten! If you visit the casinos, they do not allow smoking in the casino, however, they have smoking patios about every 20 feet and a casino attendant will watch your hot slot machine for you while you run grab a smoke.

Trail Ridge Road
Highest Road in the United States
Rocky Mountain National Park
Click on the Trial Ridge Road link to see various road maps, viewing sites and seasonal closings.
Located about one hour west of Denver

Driving across Trail Ridge Road has to go down as one of the coolest environmental tours I have ever done. We began the drive across Trail Ridge Road from the north end at Estes Park, Colorado. If you plan on driving the entire trail and stop at all the scenic photography points along the way, you need to plan for a full day of travel. There are more than eight miles of Trail Ridge Road that are above 11,000 feet with the Trail peaking at 12,183 feet so be sure to take plenty of water so you don't get altitude sickness. It is spectacular to see the terrain change and different wildlife once you get above 11,000 feet into the mountain tundra region. It is not unusual to see wild mountain goats, elk, bears, and big horned sheep at those altitudes.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Located in Red Rocks Park near Morrison, Colorado, 15 miles west of Denver
Visitor Center Hours of Operation:
May - September: 8am to 7pm
October - April: 9am to 4pm

Good gracious, I lost count how many times I have been to Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver. It is the best place to do some amateur and pro rock climbing and hiking, as well as view parasailing professionals gliding off the tops of the rocks. It's not as easy as it looks though. Several gliders have been killed in those Denver foothills around Red Rocks Amphitheatre, many from unexpected wind gusts.

If you are a music concert fan like I am, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is by far the ultimate concert venue on earth! The concert theatre seating is stadium style set on a hillside in between two giant red rocks jutting up from the ground. These natural rock walls form a perfect acoustical effect from the stage beneath the seating. As you watch your favorite entertainer from the seating at Red Rocks, you will also be amazed at the incredible view of the Denver Metro area night lights and the almost heavenly touch of being so close to the brilliant stars in the Denver sky.

Seeing a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre is truly breathtaking. I saw Chicago, The Allman Brothers Band, the Doobie Brothers, and more of those great 70s bands at Red Rocks Amphitheater during my college days. Buddy Guy, Jethro Tull, Willie Nelson, Nine Inch Nails, and The Allman Brothers Band are just a few of the 2008 Fall concerts scheduled for Red Rocks Amphitheater. Go ahead party animal - make it an all day travel event like I used to do! Do some rock climbing and then some partying! They also have plays and other cultural arts and entertainment events at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Denver Stapleton Central Park
Just east of Quebec on Martin Luther King Blvd., in the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver

O.K., if the serious rock climbing, parasailing, and music concerts at night are a bit much for your Denver travel adventures, consider a stroll through Denver's Stapleton Central Park District. Central Park is pet and kid friendly and has miles of beautiful walking trails including some gorgeous flower gardens, wading ponds, and ornamental water fountains. If you like strolling through flower gardens, consider a walk in the Alamo Placita or Cheesman Parks in the Central Denver Park District. For more information about things to do at Denver Stapleton Central Park, check out this Associated Content article by Patty Oh: Denver's Stapleton Central Park is Open!

Lodo Hot Spot Downtown Denver: Sing Sing Dueling Piano Bar and Pizza
1735 19^th Street
Denver, CO
303 291-0880
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday opens at 7pm; Friday-Saturday opens at 6pm
Cover: $7 per person

The piano players at Sing Sing are some of the best I have seen across the country. They know songs from the 1950's and 1960's through today's popular tunes. My recommendation is to go prepared with a list of your favorite songs that you want to belt out. It won't matter if you want to sing country, rock 'n roll, patriotic, Irish, or any other genre of music - they can play it all! During my several visits to Sing Sing, I have never seen a request from an audience member that the piano players did not know. It is truly amazing how versatile and talented the musicians are. I don't know where they get all their talent for improv comedy, but they are experts in that area as well.

Denver Downtown Aquarium
700 Water Street
Denver, CO 80211
303-561-4450
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10am to 9pm; Friday-Saturday 10am-9:30pm
Adults: $13.75
Seniors (65+) $12.75
Kids 3-11 $ 8.25
Kids Under 2 FREE

The cool thing about the Denver Downtown Aquarium is it's not just fish swimming around in tanks. The Denver Downtown Aquarium is actually separated into nine different Adventure Exhibits including wildlife of and natural habitats for various regions of the world. You will see amazing exhibits for rainforests, coral lagoons, deserts, wharfs, beaches, seas, shipwrecks, north American continent, and sunken temples.

Before and after dinner, you can visit the upscale Dive Lounge. Dinner at the Denver Downtown Aquarium is a real fishy experience as you are seated at tables surrounding a 150,000 gallon aquarium where the world of undersea fish swim right up to your table while you eat. So awesome!

Casa Bonita
Theme-Based Mexican Restaurant with Cliff Diving Shows
6715 West Colfax in the suburb of Lakewood
Denver, CO
(303) 232-5115
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-9:30pm; Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm
Cost: $10.95 Buffet

The Casa Bonita Mexican Food Restaurant seats 1,100 visitors, but what makes Casa Bonita a Denver favorite is the 52,000 square foot building with magical paths through a tropical wonderland that keeps you going back. While you journey through the colorful jungle, you can watch cliff divers jump daringly in front of a 30-foot waterfall into a 14-foot deep pool located below the dining tables. Shows with flame jugglers, gorilla trainers, shoot-em-ups with Black Bart the bad guy and the sheriff, entertain the entire family while eating at tables spread across mountains of Acapulco-like scenery. Some favorites of my daughter's while visiting Casa Bonita were the clowns that gave out balloons made into hats and animals, the face painters, the old-time photograph studio, and the cartoon animals that wandered through the tropical villages to shake her hand.

Welcome to Broncos Country
Denver: Home of the NFL Denver Broncos - winner of two Super Bowl Championships

If you are traveling a long way from home and you are missing your favorite NFL football team fan fare, you can always visit the Denver Broncos facilities to help with your sports withdrawal symptoms. Hey, I got Troy Aikman's autograph during the Dallas Cowboys training camp in Austin, Texas. I also wanted John Elway's autograph but graduated college before he became famous - dang it! Here is the Denver Broncos scoop:

Stadium:
Invesco Field at Mile High tours
Located just outside of Downtown Denver off I-25
76,125-seat stadium
Tours are available Tuesday through Saturday in June, July and August and Thursday through Saturday the rest of the year. Tours begin every hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You should make reservations since some tours are not scheduled during these times. Tours begin at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum, located on the west side of INVESCO Field at Mile High nearest Gate 1. Contact the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame museum for reservations and more information about tours: 720-258-3888

Denver Broncos Training Camp: click here for schedules and what NOT to bring.
Dove Valley Headquarters
13655 Broncos Parkway
Englewood, CO 80112
Located just three miles east of I-25 on Arapahoe
on the corner of Potomac and Broncos Parkway
July 25 - August 12

Denver Art Museum
100 W 14th Ave Pkwy
Denver, CO 80204
Located in the Downtown Denver area: The Denver Art Museum is part of the Civic Center Cultural Complex on 13th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock Streets.
720-865-5000
Cost: Adults $10; Kids $3; Kids Under 6 FREE
Hours:
Tues-Thurs and Sat 10am-5pm
Fri 10am-10pm
Sun noon-5pm

If you are traveling to Denver with your family, while the Dad and the sons go to visit the Denver Broncos facilities, the Mom and the daughters might want to visit the Denver Art Museum. For that matter, the whole family should at least drive by the Denver Art Museum just to look at how cool the architecture is of the building! I admit - the whole family should visit the really interesting discovery learning areas and the Learn & Play galleries to discover the exciting world of art. Check out the picture of the Denver Art Museum that accompanies this article.

Pikes Peak Cog Railway
Located near Colorado Springs, Colorado
About 2 Hours South of Denver
515 Ruxton Ave
Manitou Springs, Colorado 80829
(719) 685-5401
Click here for various Cog Rail Train Schedules
Click here for various rates: 2008 Rates

If you are visiting the Denver area on your vacation or business travel plans and you have an extra day to site see, it is definitely worth taking the Pike's Peak Cog Railway to the top of Pike's Peak near Colorado Springs. It is about a two-hour drive from Denver and the Pike's Peak Cog Railway trip takes about three hours up the mountain, about an hour at the summit of Pike's Peak, and about three hours back down Pike's Peak.

Be sure to take an ice chest with a picnic lunch, lots and lots of water and other drinks. You are allowed to take the ice chest and refreshments on the train. You need to drink a lot of water on the way to the top of Pike's Peak so you don't get dizzy and faint from the altitude. That happened to me on my second trip to the top of Pike's Peak. I was fine after the medics gave me a lot of water to drink at the top.

I have taken the cog train up to Pike's Peak twice and both times were equally as fascinating. The cog train is able to take you through narrow, steep sections of the side of Pike's Peak that cannot be seen by road travel. You are able to see mountain wildlife and natural habitats of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from atop the peak that inspired the song America the Beautiful.

Yes - three things I learned along the Pike's Peak Cog Railway:

1. Pike's Peak is NOT the highest peak in Colorado, as many believe. Pike's Peak is 14,110 feet and the highest peak, Mt. Elbert is 14,433.

2. In the summer of 1893, Katharine Lee Bates from Wellesley College was teaching a summer English seminar in Colorado. She and friends went to the top of Pike's Peak but some got altitude sickness so they all had to quickly descend the mountain. Bates wrote America the Beautiful on her way down Pike's Peak.

3. In general, the temperature at the top of Pike's Peak is about 30 degrees lower than it is in Manitou Springs.

U.S. Air Force Academy
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Just off I-25
The Visitors' Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The Academy is open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

While you travel back to Denver from Pike's Peak, you may want to buzz by the Untied States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It is a site to see! In fact, it is one of the top 5 tourist attractions in Colorado. My daughter attended the U.S. Air Force Academy so I was able to visit the center several times. We saw President Bill Clinton speak at the graduation ceremony for the U.S. Air Force Academy when he was President of the United States. The Stealth Bombers and other notable Air Force planes did a low low fly over just as President Clinton was getting ready to announce the official ending of the graduation ceremony. It scared the heck out of everyone sitting in the Air Force Academy stadium because the Stealth bombers came over from behind us and we thought we were being attacked or something! Nevertheless, the whole U.S. Air Force Academy tour experience is worth the trip!

I really hope you enjoy your travel to Denver, Colorado. Drop by and visit me after your trip and let me know how you liked these Top 10 Travel Attractions You'll Only Find in Denver, Colorado! Have a safe trip.