1. Unleash your wild side!
Take a day to find out what our world is really made of! The Denver Zoo has 80 acres to view over 4,000 animals. The zoo is located in the heart of Denver right next to the Nature and Science Museum and City Park. Another amazing zoo in Colorado is the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, where the trails and exhibits actually take you up into the hills and alongside a mountain. This zoo has many hands-on activities for children, including opportunities to feed giraffes, chickens, and even a house full of birds.
2. Pitch a tent, sit back, and enjoy some silence.
Going camping is a fun and cost-effective way to get away from the city. You can find easily accessible campsites in almost any state and national parks that would be a great stay-cation for any family. However, if you would like to test your ruggedness, trek into any forests not within any areas of developed recreation areas (campgrounds, picnic areas, etc). Be sure to look up the rules for dispersed camping, and be sure to follow these rules to preserve our beautiful wild life. You can find these guidelines at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/fishlake/recreat...
3. Explore the rest of Colorado!
Although camping may be fun, everyone knows that sitting around the fire doesn't really happen until the sun goes down. So while you’re waiting for the cover of night to have classic camping fun, be sure to spend the sunshine on any of the beautiful hikes spread across Colorado. Hanging Lake is a very popular spot for hiking, and for a good reason. It is located just seven miles of Glenwood Springs with crystal clear turquoise water (although no swimming) and travertine layers created by limestone deposits from the Leadville formation (for all of you geology lovers). Another amazing hiking area is Roxborough Park Fountain Valley, consisting of stunning views of the red rocks, and even some climbable areas.
4. Get out your mit and catch a Rockies game.
Coors Field may be one of the most beautiful baseball fields that we have in the country (according to Coloradans). Due to their sub-par play during the 2015 season, our beloved Rockies have been eliminated from the MLB playoffs. As heartbreaking as this is for our team, it helps to know that now there is no chance of a boot and rally. This means that many people selling the tickets for these games will sell them a bit cheaper than usual. However, if you're not into buying tickets from strangers, rockpile tickets are first come first serve at four dollars a pop.
5. Take a factory tour.
Don’t we all wonder how the various products that we love are made? Colorado has a number of great factory tours, including brewery tours, and even a select candy factory tour. If you are over the esteemed age of 21, you may be interested in the Anheuser-Busch factory tour located in Fort Collins, or even the Coors factory tour in Golden. Both of these tours show you many of the necessary steps to create these legendary beers, and they both include a free beer-tasting at the end of the tour (visitors under 18 must be with parents, and get a free soda-tasting at the end of the Coors factory). A few other non-alcoholic tours in Colorado include the Celestial Seasonings tour in Boulder that includes tastings of their tea, or even the Hammonds Candies tour located in Denver.
6. Turn it up for Red Rocks.
As marvelous as the views are during the day at this renowned spot for all things music, the night is where the magic really happens. Concerts at the ever famous Red Rocks Ampitheater have a tendency to leave you in awe regardless of whether it’s a glorious clear rocky mountain night, or the snow storm concert of the century (for all of you who went to the Gramatik show this season). There are constantly performances of every genre you would love to listen to, from Reggae on the Rocks, to Alabama Shakes, and even Pretty Lights. Another great activity at this location is Film on the Rocks, where you can cozy up in your blankets from home and watch classics like "The Breakfast Club" (August 26), or "Guardians of the Galaxy" (August 31).
7. Cool off in the Eldorado Springs pool.
If you have ever drank out of a water bottle titled Eldorado Natural Spring Water and thought it was delicious, don’t drink the pool water.
The water that flows straight from the springs is turned either into your drinking water, or into their famous pool that has been open since 1905. This summer destination is open until Labor Day, and the cost is a mere ten dollars for adults who just want a day at the beach but live in Colorado. So pack up your floaties and dive into one of the freshest pools that you’ve ever felt.So whether your plans for ending the summer means relaxing the rest of your days away in a hammock by a babbling brook or rocking out to some good music with good friends, Colorado will always have what you need.
