Things to do in Colorado
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A
Ouray Brewery
With chairlift bar stools, this pub earns stripes in brews, if not in bar food. Why must so many landlocked menus insist on shrimp?
reviewed
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B
Ridge Street Wine
The sister shop to Breckenridge Cheese & Chocolate next door, this cozy wine room has new- and old-world varieties and features local favorites too. Better yet, the on-site sommelier serves wine by the glass and half-glass at the upstairs wine bar.
reviewed
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C
Confluence Kayaks
Situated under a health-food store, this centrally located kayak shop offers gear rental and lots of advice about the area’s white water from laid-back, amiable staff. If you’re a beginner it offers lessons at nearby Confluence Park, but the classes fill fast so it’s best to sign up several days in advance.
reviewed
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D
Proto's Pizza
Boulder's finest pizza is served in the town's new North Broadway strip. The colorful, well-lit interior is inviting but we like to grind the rich and savory thin-crust pies (yes, folk from abroad, they call them pies) on the patio or at the outdoor bar. Friday nights is popular for their fresh clams and garlic pizza.
Salads are fresh and well dressed, and they have gluten-free crust available.
reviewed
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Boulder Mesa Restaurant
Whether the casual food here’s any good depends on who’s cooking that night. Breakfast is pretty safe.
reviewed
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Burr Trail Grill & Outpost
The organic vegetable tarts and eclectic burgers (plus scrumptious homemade cookies and cakes) at the Grill rival the more famous restaurant next door. We like the homey vibe here, where locals come to chat-and-chew or celebrate friends' birthdays. The Outpost is a wonderfully artsy gallery as much as it is gift shop and coffeehouse.
reviewed
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Earth Tours
Founder, and main guide, PhD geologist Keith Watt has an enthusiasm for the area that is catching. Choose from among the numerous half- and full-day area hikes offered or take a 4WD trip into the backcountry.
reviewed
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Escalante Canyon Outfitters
Cofounder of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Grant Johnson and his Escalante Canyon Outfitters are the best for informative multiday hikes through the region. Don Montoya, curator at the Anasazi State Park Museum, runs the archaeo-hikes to Native American sites and rock art.
reviewed
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Hell's Backbone Grill
Soulful, earthy preparations of Southwestern dishes include locally-raised meats and organically grown produce from their garden. Zen Buddhist owners Jen Castle and Blake Spalding not only feed the stomach, they feed the community, training staff in mindfulness and inviting the whole town to a 4th of July ice cream social and talent show. Dinner reservations are a must. Save room for the Chimayo-chile ginger cake with butterscotch sauce.
reviewed
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Hills & Hollows Country Store
Persian rugs, health food and a bit of this and that are for sale at Hills. Out back it has a wood-fired oven where it bakes up cookies and cook-to-order organic pizzas.
reviewed
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Anasazi State Park Museum
The pieced-back-together jars and jugs on display are just a few of the thousands and thousands of pottery shards excavated. Today the petite museum protects the Coomb's Site, excavated in the 1950s and inhabited from AD 1130 to 1175. The minimal ruins aren't as evocative as some in southeastern Utah, but the museum is well worth seeing for the re-created six-room pueblo and excellent exhibits about the Ancestral Puebloan peoples. Inside, there's a seasonal information desk where you can talk to rangers and get backcountry road updates.
reviewed
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E
Buffalo Joe's Whitewater Rafting
One of the top river outfitters in the Buena Vista-Salida swirl, offering a range of trips that run every bit of the 99 miles of the Arkansas River. Also rents mountain bikes, and offers snowmobile tours in winter.
reviewed
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16th Street Mall & LoDo
The 16th Street Mall, a pedestrian-only strip of downtown, is lined with shops, restaurants and bars. The funkier LoDo, around Larimer Sq, is the best place to have a drink or browse the boutiques.
reviewed
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Alfalfa's
A small, community-oriented natural market with a wonderful selection of prepared food and an inviting indoor-outdoor dining area to enjoy it in.
reviewed
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Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway
reviewed
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BB's Kitchen
A local darling and winner of the 2011 Diners' Choice award, this 2nd-floor patio is the best spot for a casual lunch or a leisurely gourmet breakfast (think lobster Benedict or wild morel omelet). This isn't show food – the chef-owners are committed to quality, down to curing their own meats. For dinner, slip into a red booth for delicious house sausage pizza or poached halibut served over a gorgeous mint pea puree.
reviewed
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F
Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
No visit to Boulder is complete without a meal at this incredible Tajik work of art, a gift from Boulder's sister city (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) that boasts incredible craftsmanship and meticulous painting. The fare ranges from Amazonian and Mediterranean to, of course, Tajik. Outside is a lovely, shaded patio. It's an intimate place to grab cocktails or dinner on a warm summer day.
reviewed
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G
Breckenridge Ski Area
Spans four mountains and features some of the best beginner and intermediate terrain in the state (the green runs are flatter than most in Colorado), as well as killer steeps and chutes for experts, and a renowned snowboard park.
reviewed
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H
The Butcher & The Baker
Two veterans of upscale catering started this heartbreakingly cute cafe, and no one beats it for breakfast. Hearty sandwiches with local meats are the perfect takeout for the trail and there are heaps of baked goods and fresh sides.
reviewed
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Chapin Mesa
The largest concentration of Ancestral Puebloan sites is at Chapin Mesa, where you'll see the densely clustered Far View Site and the large Spruce Tree House, the most accessible of sites, with a paved half-mile round-trip path.
If you want to see Cliff Palace or Balcony House, the only way is through an hour-long ranger-led tour booked in advance at the visitor center ($3). These tours are extremely popular; go early in the morning or a day in advance to book. Balcony House requires climbing a 32ft and 60ft ladder – those with medical problems should skip it.
reviewed
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Hush
reviewed
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La Cocina de Luz
As they lovingly serve two Colorado favorites (organic + Mexican), it's no wonder that the lunch line is 10 people deep on a slow day at this healthy taquería. There's delicious details too, like handmade tortillas and margaritas with organic lime and agave nectar. With vegan, gluten-free options too.
reviewed
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Local Table Tours
reviewed