By Ffion Hughes, Staff Writer
As a freshman new to Colorado, I’ve spent my weekends here exploring things to do near campus. I’ve enjoyed most of the experiences, but some are over-priced and over-hyped. From the perspective of a Colorado outsider, here are five trips I recommend and five I don’t.
Recommended Trips:
1. Lookout Mountain, Golden
About 20 minutes from Denver, this is an easy trip to do after classes get out or on a weekend. A short drive up to the top, with hiking trails on the way, offers an easy view of the mountains and the city. There is a museum and gift shop honoring Buffalo Bill at the top and while I haven’t gone through the museum, the gift shop is full of little treasures. It’s the perfect place to take visiting family and a quick way to see some mountains year-round.
Rating: 10/10
The top of Lookout Mountain, the view from the parking lot.
2. Paint Mines, El Paso County
This is a little farther from campus, about an hour and forty minutes, but the views are worth the drive. The Paint Mines are named for their colorful appearance, with pink and orange clay used by Native Americans for paint. I went when the weather was in the negatives and it was doable, but a nicer day would definitely be more enjoyable! I explored the Paint Mines for about two hours and was amazed by the naturally vibrant colors. Exploring the Paint Mines can be as long or as short as you want, you can turn around on the “trail” anytime.
Rating: 9/10 (one point docked for how freezing I was, but that was my own fault for not checking the weather beforehand!!)
The Paint Mines.
3. Pearl Street Mall, Boulder
Pearl Street Mall is the perfect weekend activity to do by yourself or with a group of friends. The drive to Boulder is about 30-40 minutes away from campus, but the views are beautiful. The Flat Irons in Boulder feel as if they are right there as you drive down the highway. There are a variety of stores and restaurants that are definitely worth exploring. Some of my favorite stores include El Loro Jewelry & Gifts, Into The Wind, PosterScene, and Art Mart Gifts. A trip to Pearl Street Mall is affordable, with many stores offering low prices and deals. I can’t count how many times I’ve taken this trip and walking outside from store to store makes the shopping experience so much better.
Rating: 10/10
Into the Wind, a toy store in Boulder.
4. Mile High Flea Market, Denver
The Mile High Flea Market, open Friday-Sunday, is the perfect weekend activity. With many vendors, food, and rides, you can spend hours walking around. There is a great selection of locally grown produce and the vendors sell a variety of items ranging from clothes to trinkets to shoes. It’s a 10-15 minute drive from campus and a great place to explore. Some recommendations would be to bring cash (there are ATMs inside the market and one outside) and a bag in case you buy anything. The prices are extremely cheap: I spent no more than $20 on fresh dragon fruit, jewelry, a cassette tape, and churros.
Rating: 10/10
Produce from the Mile High Flea Market.
5. Edgewater Public Market
Edgewater Public Market is a quick drive from campus and is a perfect rainy day (or any day!) activity. Inside the Public Market there are around 20 different restaurants offering different cuisines such as Hawaiian and Venezuelan. I highly recommend the pesto pasta from the Mac Shack and the New Zealand ice cream from Happy Cones. There are also stores to shop from, a barber shop, and a tattoo studio. There is even axe throwing! The Edgewater Public Market is the perfect place to go on a day off to enjoy new food and locally owned shops.
Rating: 10/10
The pesto pasta from the Mac Shack. So good!
Trips I Don’t Reccomend:
1. Meow Wolf, Downtown Denver
Meow Wolf was a place on every list I looked at when searching “Things to Do in Denver.” I was very excited to go, but it did not match up to my expectations. Firstly, it was $70 apiece for admissions and I was only there for about an hour and a half. Spending that much money to walk around was slightly disappointing. The art was interesting and seemed never-ending, but I felt as if I was missing out on something, like there was something to do that I wasn’t truly getting. Personally for me, Meow Wolf was not worth the price or the hype.
Rating: 5/10
2. Denver Aquarium, Downtown Denver
While looking for something to do one night, my friends and I stumbled upon the Denver Aquarium. It was reasonably priced, about $30 per person. However, as we walked through the many tanks filled with colorful fish, we were deeply disturbed by seeing two lethargic tigers in the middle of the exhibit. We were confused on why tigers were at an aquarium and their enclosure was less than appealing. As we continued to walk through the exhibit, it was soon over. It took us around 15 minutes to walk through the entire aquarium, with an additional 10 minutes to touch the sting rays. I was surprised by how quick it was and seeing those tigers has stuck with me ever since.
Rating: 4/10
3. Olde Town Arvada, Arvada
Olde Town Arvada is a quick trip from campus, which is why I was excited to check it out. Walking throughout the different stores, I was intrigued by what they sold, but disappointed by the prices. I walked into a crystal store, clothing stores, and a flower shop, but left with nothing. Everything seemed unreasonably priced and there was also less stores than I expected. Olde Town Arvada is good for window shopping, but not much else.
Rating: 4/10
4. Colorado Mills Mall, Lakewood
An outlet mall close to campus, I was looking forward to visiting the Colorado Mills Mall and hoping for some deals. This mall has all your standard mall stores (H&M, Forever 21, etc.) but not as many sales as other outlet malls offer. However, the ambience of the mall completely threw me off and left me feeling unsettled. As a woman, I am already cautious about my surroundings and I was extremely uncomfortable when two different vendors extensively followed me. I would not recommend this mall due to its unnerving atmosphere that creates an uneasy shopping experience.
Rating: 3/10
5. Club Vinyl, Downtown Denver
When thinking of uncomfortable atmospheres in Denver, Club Vinyl is at the top of the list. An 18+ club with three levels, the idea of going “clubbing” appealed to me and my friends. We took the Uber, paid a $30 entrance fee, and started on the second level. On this level, grown men sat around on chairs and carefully, creeplily watched as many young girls walked past them. My group, predominantly girls, felt uneasy so we headed up to the third level. On this level, there was a DJ and a mosh pit, so we walked that way. While our male friends did their best to stand guard, grown men were still eyeing their prey and trying their best to catch our attention. Expecting a night of fun, we were met with the opposite. If you want to spend your night being overly cautious and highly protective of yourself and your friends, Club Vinyl is the place to be.
Rating: 2/10