Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
In terms of weather Colorado is more varied than most other places. In the Winter we can get 4 feet of snow which could melt the folloing day but we can also get snow up until May. Of course, it’s highly unlikely that when you plan your trip you will experience anything too terrible as Colorado sees more sun than California, the sunshine state! Still, plan your trip accordingly. The mountains offer a ton of fun, from sitting in a hot springs after a long day of skiing in Winter, to going camping out in the great outdoors with stars that truly light up the sky in Summer. Any time you choose to come to Colorado, there is something to do.
The capital city is the new up and coming music scene for the States, with many famous bands like The Fray, and there are quite a few concerts that you can catch. Besides that, it offers a plethora of shopping in Cherry Creek Mall or 16th street mall.
My home town, Fort Collins, is a beautiful fun place with many things to do. It is the States number one microbrewery town, and thus offers a plethora of unique ales. It also has the most restaurant and cafés per capita, so your palette will always be left tingling, and since it's a university town it’s low budget. Try Cafè Mexicali for a delicious smothered sweetpork burrito, or stop by La Dolcè Vita – a coffee shop that I work at – for some gelato ice cream to cool you down. With an Old Town shopping area dotted with local stores, and snuggled right next to the Rockies, you can shop, eat, drink, and hike! We also have one of the only drive in movie theatres still around in the U.S.A, so be sure to check it out!
Located 2 and a half hours south of Denver, Colorado Springs has a beautiful park called 'the Garden of the Gods' where massive red rock formations are perched precariously ontop of each other - it’s a great place to explore and hike.
In the “hippie” town of Colorado, Pearl Street mall offers a number of unique shops selling everything from natural and organic food and clothing to tasty sushi restaurants. You can also watch performers such as the man who fits himself into a box! And it's not called Boulder for no reason - the sheer cliff wall and boulders will be sure to excite any rock climbers!
This tiny town just next to Rocky Mountain National Park has everything from salt water taffy shops to golfing, and a host of Elk will most likely be sighted at some point, especially if you go in the Autumn. For a more pricey and frightening experience, you can stay at the Stanford Hotel, where many a horror movie has been filmed including “Pet Cemetry.” It’s a good place to land yourself in the summer if you want to explore the Rockies.
During the Winter, you can go up to Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Vail, or any other great resort town and ski right out onto the slopes. It isn’t the cheapest activity, but you can find some reasonable deals. Rent your skis, snowboards, or snowblades just next to the slopes for the easiest time. If you aren’t a skier, you can enjoy the hot springs of Glenn Wood Springs or Steam Boat Springs, while anyone else in your party can still easily enjoy the winter wonderland.
In the Summer, there is still lots of things to keep you busy, including camping, horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking, white water rafting, and much more! Stay at the YMCA in Rocky Mountain National Park for all of those activities and a relatively cheap stay in a cabin. It’s not difficult, and it’s really fun even for those who aren’t so confident of their skills! Winter Park also has quite a few fun things to do in the Winter, from shopping to sledding down the alpine slopes. Or if you want to sit back and relax you can go fishing on one of the many rivers or lakes. Hiking around some of the beautiful areas in the Rockies you will see many different wild life, from elk, moose and Big Horn Sheep to the occasional bear and mountain lion...but don’t worry too much, just don’t hike by yourself!
Colorado offers a plethora of extreme activities year round, and its beautiful setting will entice anyone. Come and experience Colorado for your next getaway!
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