Denver and CO trip - week w/14yr old daughter suggestions wanted

[vanis13]

Denver and CO trip - week w/14yr old daughter suggestions wanted

Title says it all.

She wants to see a band this weekend and next weekend (I’ll be the old guy in the crowd. might have to get me a Hawaiian shirt) so we’ll take the week in between to do whatever. Looking for suggestions for what that whatever will be nice.

Also, she requested hotels the night before the concerts so she could prep so price favorable suggestions for places near the convention center would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Andrew
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[Wildthings]

On the way up you could stop at at a Earthship home village, there is one along RT 522, IIRC. You could also take in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs can be fun as well. Lots and lots of other things to do in Colorado. Can't help you with hotels though.

[crukab]

Check out Boulder, the down town "walking Mall" is a happening place, live music & such.
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Tom

My Pops:
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[Ahwahnee]

I still remember my first ride to the top of Pikes Peak.

But then I was just a kid from the flat Midwest who had never seen a mountain before.

[joetiger]

I have a 13 yr old daughter who doesn't like to do much except go to Hot Topic, so I know how it is...I do make her hike and camp though, and once she gets out there she's great.

Denver and Colorado, that's a pretty large area. Is there anywhere specific you're looking to go outside of Denver?

Is one of the concerts at Red Rocks? Always a good time no matter who you're seeing, and even if there's not a concert, it's a cool place to visit. It's a State Park open to the public when bands aren't playing. Lookout Mountain is cool for a giant view of the city as well.

In Denver, Elitch's amusement park downtown and/or Coors Field for a Rockies game if she's interested.

The Convention Center is right downtown, so there are hotels everywhere (although most of them are either Marriot, Westin mega-hotels or boutique-style hotels like the Rennaisance, Teatro, and Magnolia, so they might be pricey.)

Manitou Springs is a cool town, lots of funky shops, decent restaurants, and a spectacular vintage arcade if you're down around Colorado Springs. You could also hit Garden of the Gods down there and/or do the aforementioned drive to the top of Pikes Peak.

You could spend a few hours checking out Golden, CO then head up to the Peak-to-Peak highway and either drop down into Boulder or head up to Estes Park right outside of Rocky Mtn National Park. It's a beautiful drive and there are trailheads galore if you want to hike.

I'll give it some more thought and let others chime in. What are the dates of your trip?
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
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"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

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[vanis13]

[joetiger]

June 4th and 5th is the Capitol Hill People's Fair at Civic Center Park...It's a giant, free festival with food, bands, rides, etc. It makes for great (if not occasionally scary) people watching.

http://www.peoplesfair.com/

Breck/Summit County is always a cool place to check out, and again, you have Golden, Boulder, Lyons, Estes, and RMNP all pretty close.
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present

www.josephtrussell.com

[AZ Landshaper]

There's a sweet water park in te Denver area. Was there a few years back. Whole family had a sweet time. No age limits on the enjoy ability of that place.
It's Poss this place is outrageously expensive. Denver is an expensive place to entertain outside the natural beauty. Thank god there is an abundance of that.
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Previously
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and a 67 bug.

[DenverB]

garden of the gods on your way up for sure.
Pikes Peak, but do the railway. don't jeapordize your van by taking up the peak. no reason to ruin your trip.
Denver itself is pretty rad for overall sight seeing, etc. Great Museum of Modern Art and natural history museum. colorado history museum is pretty bland, though.
touristy stuff on 16th street mall...
you'll be a cool dad if you took her shopping along broadway in the baker hood though. hipster central too.
If she's being a PITA, you could always drag her over to our shop and you and I could talk vanagons for hours. lol
Red rocks itself is pretty rad, get their early so you can hike around in the venue before they close it around 230 for the show.
hike the boulder flatirons, putz around the Pearl Street Mall in boulder for sure.
Head up to nederland to show her real live hippies in action
shoot over to rocky mountain national park and head out the west side to lake granby (great camping near there), the frasier valley/winter park and then up and over berthoud pass back to 70 and back to Denver.

there's lots of cheaper hotels in golden, just use hotels.com and find a good deal - no more than 15 minutes max from the venue.

hope that helps!!
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[DenverB]

missed the part about you being open to heading west a bit.

Breck has a cool little downtown. Much better town in summer than in winter, IMO. Leadville is even cooler though, more authentic and a cool little mining museum up there.

I'd also suggest taking 285 out of Denver for an overnight and head over to Buena Vista/Salida. River rafting, small-town vibe, lots of hiking, hot springs, beauty, etc.

Even if Breck is your destination, take the 285 route that leads you to Alma on 9 out of Fairplay. Pretty drive and you don't have to deal with the craziness of 70 in a vanagon. People here drive like complete fools, and I hate being in a car doing 60-65 with people plowing behind me at 90.
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'77 Transporter/camper (Bussy - Reef Blue/Pastel White)
'67 bug (Santos - VW Blue)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia (Pink Flamingo - Pastel White/Pink)
'88 Vanagon GL Westfalia (Frankie Says - Wolfram Gray)
'02 Eurovan Weekender (Green Apple)
'95-'03 Eurovan full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'84 -'91 Vanagon full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'72 Porsche 914 (Greta - RIP)

www.RockyMountainCampervans.com

[DeadSetMonkey]

Google these:

Voodoo Donughnuts
Snooze Restaurant
Moxie Bread Company
My Brother's Bar
13th Step of the Denver Capitol Building
Trail Ridge Road
MLS Rapids Soccer
Casa Bonita
Red Rocks Amphitheater (maybe there is a movie or concert there you'd like to see)
Denver Art Museum

Just some ideas.
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'90 Syncro Westy 2.5Subi Turbo, BFGs 215/75/15 Rheins

[DenverB]

Casa Bonita, yes! but not for the food... there's a great taco shop around the corner on Wads at 13th if that's what you're looking for. If you hit up CB, we're right around the corner - come say hey!
_________________
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'77 Transporter/camper (Bussy - Reef Blue/Pastel White)
'67 bug (Santos - VW Blue)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia (Pink Flamingo - Pastel White/Pink)
'88 Vanagon GL Westfalia (Frankie Says - Wolfram Gray)
'02 Eurovan Weekender (Green Apple)
'95-'03 Eurovan full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'84 -'91 Vanagon full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'72 Porsche 914 (Greta - RIP)

www.RockyMountainCampervans.com

[Wolfram]

Stay at the Clear Creek park in Golden. It's a real gem of a place in a cute town, and run by the City.
Walk to 3 brew pubs (OK may not suit the daughter). We will be there in a few weeks for our umpteenth stay.
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88 Westy, '07 EJ25 Vanaru.
Either van-less on Waiheke Island in New Zealand where we spend the Southern summer, or Wolfram is in Seattle/Olympia in storage.

[Wolfram]

Go to Red Rocks even if there isn't anything on. The Sunday morning crowd there is a hoot, plus numerous short trails to wend around.
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88 Westy, '07 EJ25 Vanaru.
Either van-less on Waiheke Island in New Zealand where we spend the Southern summer, or Wolfram is in Seattle/Olympia in storage.