Coors Brewery Tour Ten miles west of downtown Denver on I-70 is the town of Golden, home of the Coors brewery. If you’re interested in beer and don’t mind free samples, it’s worth two hours of your time. Eighty percent of the people who take this tour are 20-something guys. If you’re outside this demographic, you need to be in a certain frame of mind to enjoy it fully. For help getting there, I have two words for you—free beer! Click here for directions and a peek inside this tour.
Frisco and Breckenridge (Exits 201 and 203). You may not have heard of Frisco, Colorado before; to get to Breck, which is ten miles south on Route 9, you have to pass through it. It has the same kind of history as Breckenridge—founded as a gold mining town, then left to re-identify itself as a resort destination economically when the mines closed. It’s the most tourist-friendly town in Summit County. I’m always looking for beautiful places to stop for a half hour or so and stretch my legs when I’m driving long distances. There’s an ideal trail for this about 200 yards off Exit 201. It’s very easy to find. Head east away from the highway to a parking lot on your right. There are portable toilets here and picnic tables, with a wide stream running beside the trail.
You enter the trail midway between its start and stop, ten or more miles away in either direction; if you need a long hike, this trail will accommodate you. I’d suggest turning left, toward Frisco. The scenery is spectacular along here, as the trail goes along the base of some of the mountains you’ve just been impressed by in the car.
This trail was built over the old lines for the Denver, South Park & Pacific railroad; I’ve learned that old railroad beds make some of the most beautiful trails in Colorado. It’s a very flat trail in either direction, ideal for stretching your legs, walking the dog or letting your children burn off some extra energy. The easiest thing to do is walk as far down the trail as time or your body allows, then turn around, head back to your car and get back on the road.
If you’re feeling ambitious and want to see a Colorado mountain town up close, walk down this trail a mile or two. Every 500 yards or so are entrances to the trail on your left from Frisco neighborhoods. You can turn off the trail on any of these and walk into Frisco. When you hit Main Street, turn left. Main Street will take you right back to your car. Frisco’s Main Street has a number of restaurants, museums and fun places to shop. It’s charming. The one place I’d recommend for shopping has the unflattering name of Junk-Tique. This is a collection of antique stalls and Colorado collectibles at 313 Main Street; look for the old mail car that was delivered halfway onto the sidewalk in front of the store.
I-70 through Summit County (home of Frisco, Breckenridge and Keystone) has some of the most outstanding scenery of any interstate on the planet. Stopping here in Frisco gets you as close to this as possible. It’s well worth it.
More great places to visit along Colorado’s I-70 coming soon!