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The Best Family-Friendly Activities in Fort Collins (with a few bonus ideas)
The tourism organization Visit Fort Collins does a wonderful job of sharing information about the vibe in this city and the new activities that are constantly being added. Their most recent video, The Best Family-Friendly Activities in Fort Collins, highlights a few of my family’s favorites, including:
- The Farm at Lee Martinez Park
- Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
- The Exchange (see my blog post about The Exchange here)
- Old Town Putt
Here are just a few more that I would have included:
- My gym, Genesis North: They offer great kids programming (and daycare), and just started up a kids’ version of CrossFit!
- Twin Silo Park: Fort Collins has countless beautiful parks and natural spaces, but this is a particular favorite of my tiny human.
- Horsetooth Reservoir: I am so happy that my kiddo likes to hike and kayak. It feels like we spend half our summer on the reservoir!
What are your favorite family-friendly spots in Fort Collins?
Steamboat Springs’ bumper cars on ice
Is anyone else hunting for new ways to entertain their kids throughout the winter? My tiny human can only build so many snow forts and watch so many Pixar movies before he’s bored to tears. (Unless I hand him my iPhone, but don’t get me started…)
This article has me dreaming of a weekend trip to beautiful Steamboat Springs, where apparently they now offer bumper cars on their ice rink!
You can watch a video on the experience here. You can even ride them in the dark!
Or maybe I’ll make a mint by bringing the idea to Fort Collins. Steamboat Springs is the only place that offers bumper cars on ice… for now!
P.S. When’s the last time you visited Steamboat Springs? Steamboat is a gorgeous ski (and bumper car) resort town 3 hours from Denver and Fort Collins, 4 hours from Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs: feeding the wolves, climbing the mountain, and more
My mind is on Colorado Springs lately as I look forward to visiting my family there over Thanksgiving! Here are a few interesting Springs-related articles and activities that caught my attention recently:
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Manitou Incline challenges fitness junkies — I’ve written about Manitou Incline before, but this UCHealth post dives deeper into the Incline’s “2,744 steps straight up Mount Manitou and a gain of nearly 2,000 feet of elevation in less than one mile.” The Incline also has its own website, where I learned you can buy Manitou Incline 2020 wall calendars!
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The United States Olympic & Paralympic Museum opens in Colorado Springs in early 2020! Take a look at how construction is coming along. You can already visit the neighboring Training Center to learn how athletes prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but this new museum will be a fascinating addition to Colorado Spring’s history and tourism.
- On Thanksgiving, you may or may not find me feeding wolves! The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center (technically in Divide, CO, a manageable drive from the Springs) hosts many fun activities to engage with their animals and raise funds for the Center, including a “Turkey Toss” on Thanksgiving morning. Closer to Christmas you can have breakfast burritos with the wolves (I’m not making this up) and all throughout the year you can take full moon hikes around the Center.
Can you see why I love Colorado Springs? Drop me a line if you’re buying or selling in my old stomping grounds — or just eager to visit this entertaining city!
Halloween event round-up
Image courtesy of Visit Fort Collins
It’s difficult to believe it’s only 10 days to Halloween! Have you made your plans yet? If not, here are a few events in the Fort Collins area that have piqued my interest:
- Oct 25-27, Treatsylvania: “Children ages ten years and under receive treat bags to use for trick-or-treating at the storefronts… Participants also enjoy a pumpkin patch, hayride, a “not-so-spooky” barn, refreshments, and cookies.
- Oct 25-26: Holiday Twin Drive-In’s Spook-a-thon: “Side 1: Monster House, Jurassic Park, The Thing; Side 2: Ghostbusters (1984), Beetlejuice, Scream“
- Oct 26, Bow Wowvania: “Bow Wowvania is a dog-friendly trick-or-treat event at The Farm. Hundreds of dogs and dog owners will take a stroll down Trick-or-Treat Street dressed in costume and eager for treats.”
- Through Oct 27, Harvest Farm’s Fall Festival: Includes corn mazes, wagon rides, bonfires, pig races (?!), homemade kettle corn and more!
- Oct 31 (morning), Tiny Tot Halloween: “It’s time once again for the tiny ghouls and goblins of Fort Collins to invade Old Town for a safe and family-friendly trick-or-treating experience!” (Although my tot is not so tiny anymore!)
This last one’s more of a fall celebration than a Halloween event, but I simply had to include it — it looks too fun!
- Nov 7, Flourish Holiday Wreath Workshop: “Lucy [from Wild Posies] will provide professional instruction on building your own Thanksgiving wreath with fresh greenery and holiday accents.”
Rist Canyon Mountain Festival
Save the date! Rist Canyon Mountain Festival takes place on September 7, 2019. In their words:
“Rist Canyon Mountain Festival is the annual fundraiser for the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department. This one-day event features live entertainment, silent auction, book & plant sales, kid’s activities, free admission, free parking, free ice cream and so much more!”
Be honest: when’s the last time you had a chance to soak a firefighter in a dunk tank? And for a good cause, of course — the RCVFD operates 100% by donations and funds raised at their annual festival.
Visit the festival’s Facebook page for photos from last year’s event. Who can say no to goats, games and helicopters?
Greeley’s Friday Fest
Festival season is well underway! Have you planned out all the bands you’ll check out and all the street meats you’ll sample?
Be sure that Friday Fest is on your list. Every year, downtown Greeley offers up their summer-long lineup of free music and fun. Bring the kids along and enjoy face painting, chalk art, street performances and more.
During Friday Fest, the city also offers “Go-Cup service” — purchase an adult beverage at any of Greeley’s restaurants and you are welcome to take that drink with you to the Fest’s outdoor concerts and activities. (Mom and dad deserve a fun night out, too…)
Don’t forget that a move can be about more than a house. It can also be about wanting more night life, a more family-friendly city or more summer fun. What are your new neighborhood must-haves?
