Fort Fun, Colorado

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

However, I think that Nico's reputation is often better than the reality. While it has all the markings of a fancy restuarant (low ligthing, expensive menu, tuxedoed waiters), it is not the greatest place to eat or feel romantic in.

Located in a basement (or catacomb) of Old Town, the atmosphere reminds me of a seventies lounge. Leather seems to be in abundance and I swear there is some red velvet around somewhere. The lighting is, of course, low and the seating area is small, but comfortable. The waiters are really friendly and helpful. They are attentive and requests are completed quickly.

While the romanticism of Nico's may be overrated, the food is actually quite good. There is a normal offering of Italian and French cuisine. The steak Diane is quite good. There are also some good local favorites. Rainbow trout is prepared very well and an excellent choice. If it is in season, the elk with a bernaisse sauce is really good. The servings are plentiful and the presentation is well done. There are also some excellent desserts, like the baked Alaskan and cheesecake variety.

Nico's is a good place to eat if you are willing to spend some money. However, don't expect the package or presentation you might receive from an expensive restuarant back east.

The restuarant is actually a house with a nice patio for the the summer months. This place gets crowded quickly and the wait is long on a Sunday. However, of you get there around eight you will find a seat. It is also crowded, seats jammed wherever they may fit into the tiny home. The decor is a mix of items, nothing really matching or a pair of anything to the same. But the chaos comes together quite nicely.

The food comes in heaps and it always good. The French toast is excellent and the syrup that comes with it has a nice cinnamon taste. The farmer's omelette is huge and the potatoes in it really fill a person up. The egg's benidict are also excellent. The biscuits are famous for there taste and bigness, as are the beignets. No one goes home hungry or unstatisfied from this cafe. It is great place to eat before a day of hiking.

The burgers are all good and often voted the best in Fort Collins. They also have some really good sandwiches. I like the Monte Cristo: French toast with ham and cheese and raspberry jam for dipping. The ranch chicken sandwich is also very good. The fries are thick and some of the best I have ever had. The portions are also very big. The decor is typical American restuarant: a mix of sport memorablia and other items.

There is brewery in the back so there are always fresh drafts available. The CB & Potts brew is the only one on tap actually.

There is a four dollar fee for parking and entering the park. The hike is uphill most of the time. The trail is rocky at points but never that difficult. It is more strenous then maybe some people are willing to believe. Four hours round-trip for the average hiker. It is a scramble, however, once you reach the rock itself. There are also a few rock climbing lines on the rock that require pro if you like to do that sort of thing. It is an outstanding view from the rock. The lake leads way to the city and then the great nothingness that is the plains. In the summer, late afternoon showers come in and there can be some bad lightening, so it is good to hike in the mornings.

There are plenty of other trails also available in the park. The spring offers a nice variety of blooming flowers on most of the trails. This is a nice mountain park only 20 minutes away from Fort Collins.