Three Day Trip to Denver

Options with children—If traveling with children to Denver, there are many activities in the Denver Metro Area that your family will enjoy. Your trip may look something like one of these:

Option One—

• Day One: Pack a picnic lunch and head for the Denver Zoo. After resting a bit in the afternoon, your family might enjoy a walking tour of the Lower Downtown area of Denver followed by dinner.
• Day Two: Take your crew to the Denver Children’s Museum, which is jam-packed with fun activities for all ages. Later on, your family might enjoy the Butterfly Pavilions and Insect Center followed by a Broncos or Rockies game, depending upon the season.
• Day Three: No trip to Denver would be complete without a mountain excursion. You can rent a four-wheeler or join a guided mountain expedition for the day and see the best that Colorado wilderness has to offer. Your day might include hiking, mountain biking and/or horseback riding.

Option Two—

• Day One: Your family can spend the entire day enjoying Six Flags Elitch Gardens and Water World.
• Day Two: Become part of the cultured set on this day by attending the Denver Art Museum in the morning, participating in a tour of literary landmarks in the afternoon, and attending a show at the Buell theater in the evening.
• Day Three: Ocean Journey is this morning’s destination. Follow that up by a trip to the State Capitol where you can go to the step that is marked as being exactly one mile above sea level. In the evening, you might wish to enjoy dinner at Casa Bonita and observe the indoor waterfall and divers while you eat.

Option Three—

• Enjoy a three night stay at one of the nearby Dude Ranches. Your family can enjoy activities both together and apart, as the Ranch will have supervised programs for the children and entertainment for the whole family. Pricing packages vary; check websites for details.

Options without children—

Option One—
• Day One: Take Denver’s Beat Poetry driving tour during the day; enjoy one of Denver’s fine comedy clubs at night.
• Day Two: The Colorado History Museum might be something of interest to you during the day, while a walking tour of the Lower Downtown district followed by one of Denver’s fine restaurants and a club with live music might be just the thing for your second evening.
• Day Three: Enjoy a round or two of golf at one of Denver’s many fine public or private golf courses. During the evening, take in the theater at Denver’s vast Performing Arts Complex.

Option Two—

• Day One: If you are a history and government buff, then today is the day for you to tour the Colorado State Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion, and the United States Mint. Follow all that up with dinner at Denver’s Chop House & Brewery.
• Day Two: Today you might be interested in the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Denver Past and Present Walking Tour, and a performance by the Colorado Ballet.
• Day Three: Enjoy an excursion into the mountains for some hiking, mountain bike riding and/or horseback riding. You can tackle this with just yourself and a map (though if you are going into the mountains, it is wise to have a partner along) or you can take advantage of a guided mountain expedition.

Option Three—The tour option:

• Day One: Take the Historic Denver guided tour. On this you will see Denver, the Lower Downtown District, Larimer Square (the birthplace of Denver) and fine architecture from the 19th and 20th centuries. You will see Coors Field and Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium and tour the Colorado State Capitol and the home of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Afterwards, enjoy dinner at one of Denver’s many fine restaurants and attend a theatrical production at the Performing Arts Complex.
• Day Two: Today you will go back to the days of the Wild West. On the Mountain Gold Mining Country tour, you will be whisked back in time to the 1859 Pikes Peak or Bust Gold Rush and head west through Clear Creek Canyon to Central City and the Blackhawk mining district. Next you will head toward Idaho Springs, which was where the first major Colorado gold discovery took place. You will also visit the Phoenix Gold Mine where you will be treated to a tour by a real miner and have the opportunity to pan for gold yourself. After that you might appreciate a low-key evening of dining in the Lower Downtown District and some music from one of Denver’s fine jazz and blues bars.
• Day Three: Today you will experience what the mountains have to offer. You will take a guided mountain expedition, which will include hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. After that, enjoy an early dinner at the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, then hit a Broncos or Rockies game, depending upon the season.

Sources:
http://www.tripadvisor.com
http://www.shermanstravel.com
http://www.denver.org
http://www.denvergov.org
http://www.coloradoranch.com
http://www.cityguide.travel-guides.com