Fort Fun, Colorado

Fort Collins is very good as a base camp for a variety of outdoor activities. The Horsetooth region offers some good rock climbing and hiking. Poudre Canyon is a great place to camp, have a picnic or do some day hiking. In the city of Fort Collins, there is plenty of good restuarants and bars to enjoy after a day of outdoor activities. There is one history museum and also a contemporary art museum. The Lincoln Center also offers cultural events, like concerts and plays, on a nightly basis.

Quick Tips:

Having a car is necessary to get anywhere outside of Fort Collins. There is those tricky little speed cameras also in this community. Watch out for the recreational vehicle pulled to the side of the road with a camera pointed at a speeder, ready to send a ticket in the mail.

Best Way To Get Around:

TransFort, the bus system, can get you anywhere inside of Fort Collins. They run every thrity minutes from each stop. However, most of the lines stop after 7 PM so if you are out for the night, you could get stranded. Some lines do run late in the night though, so check that the line you are using does so. Taxis are also available if you call. Walking is nice, as there are plenty of sidewalks. Bike riding is also an excellent way to get around. There is always a bike lane and Fort Collins offers miles of good cemented bike trails throughout the city. They are scenic and cut across traffic. However, a car is the best option to get out of the city and to the outdoors.

Nico's Catacombs is always voted the best romantic dining experience in Fort Collins. It is the place every resident thinks of when they want to mark a special occasion by eating at a "fancy" restuarant.

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.

This is one of the best breakfasts I have ever experienced. This cafe offers a wide variety of creole style breakfasts that will fill a person completely.

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.

CB & Potts is a great place for good American food. It can be busy on weekend nights so be early or willing to wait. It also boasts the tallest bar in Colorado. A ladder leads up to second story where alcohol is kept. The bar may be a gimmick, but the Long Island Ice Teas are for real. And on Tuesdays they are 2 dollars. I recommend the raspberry one.

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.

Horsetooth Rock sits over Fort Collins and is visible from anywhere in the city. The gap-toothed rock is aptly named. This trail leads up to the rock and gives great views of the city and flat stretch of plains that seems to go forever. Also great views of the Rockies to the west.

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.

This place used to be a bank in Old Town, but now it is a bar. I like this place because of the fireplace that lights up during the winter. On a nice cold January night, I love to come to this bar and relax by the fire. The decor is soft and the place reminds me more of a coffehouse than a bar. It is so inviting that you almost feel like you could study here (although by the end of the night the words may become blurry). The music is not too loud also. There is a nice open area in the back with a pool table. There are also a wide variety of games available to play, like cards and trivial pursuit. A selection of standard American foods (burgers, fries, etc.) are available to order as well. A few beers on tap. Mostly the good local stuff like Fat Tire and some Odell's. Plenty of bottled beer and mixed drinks also available. The only downside is that this bar doesn't have all the great drink specials that other bars in Old Town often have. But the relaxed and welcoming factor outweigh any money costs.

This club is located in a huge warehouse style building near Old Town. Right across from the Fat Tire Brewery. On Friday nights, there is a great cover charge special. For seven dollars it is all you can drink. The inside decor is goth-themed, or maybe an attempt at mimicking the movie The Matrix. There are two levels. The first level contains the dance floor and two different bars and place where you can do a luge shot (the shot slides down a huge piece of ice into your mouth). On the second level is a VIP section and a "normal" people section with another bar. The music depends on the night, but mostly a mix of techno, rap, top 40 hits, etc. It is the biggest dance club in Fort Collins and a good place to hang-out. Plus the Friday night deal is hard to beat.