Somewhat off the beaten path of Colorado vacations sits the college town of Fort Collins, not too far from Denver. With temperatures topping out in the 80s during the day and falling into the 60s at night, it makes for a pleasant escape from the hellish heat of Southern Nevada. A new direct flight from Las Vegas to Fort Collins—the Loveland Airport to be specific—makes this an easier trip than some might suspect.

“Fort Collins is an excellent getaway from the hustle and bustle of big city life with great weather and great recreational opportunities,” said Cathy Jones, tourism marketing manager for the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The city has a really relaxed attitude that just lets you get away from it all.”

The summer months are when Fort Collins really comes alive. There are a number of outdoor festivals—something of a staple in cities with more moderate summer temperatures. The festivals are held around the Historic Old Town Square, a historic downtown area after which Disneyland’s Main Street is modeled. Full of unique shopping opportunities and great restaurants, Old Town also has a stage where one can often find bands playing free concerts.

“It’s a cool place to just hang out and relax,” Jones said. “And it’s excellent for people watching.”

Golfing is a popular sport in Fort Collins, and it is considerably cheaper and cooler than golfing in Las Vegas during the summer.

The location of Fort Collins, where the plains meet the mountains, means outdoor recreation opportunities abound. Las Vegas offers great opportunities for outdoor recreation, but only the hardiest of souls—foolhardy perhaps—would dare go rock climbing or hiking when the temperature clears 110 degrees.

Popular activities in the area include mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking and camping. With a reservoir on the west side of town and a river running through the city, there is great recreation to be had on the water, too. From kayaking or rafting the white-water rapids further up in the mountains to a lazy float down the river in an inner tube. Speaking from experience, there are few better ways to spend a summer day than floating down a river next to a cooler full of beer.

And speaking of beer, Fort Collins is home to a burgeoning micro-brewery scene, and good beer is not hard to find. There are a number of brewers in the city, from the large Anheuser-Busch plant, to smaller facilities including Big Horn Brewing, CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing, H.C. Berger Brewing, Lindens Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, Odell, Old Colorado, Fort Collins and Red Ass Brewing Company.

While the large-scale production of an Anheuser-Busch plant is impressive to see, nothing beats the attention to detail and quality beers churned out by the smaller microbrews. CooperSmith, Odell, New Belgium and Big Horn are all must-sees for anyone making the trip to Fort Collins. Even if you find the tour of the brewery boring, nothing beats the chance to sample the freshest beer you’ll ever taste upon the conclusion of the tour—some of the breweries even offer complimentary samples. Gift shops at the breweries can also be a good place to stock up that cooler before tubing down the river.

Home to Colorado State University, Fort Collins also has an exciting and fun-loving nightlife scene with a number of bars and brewpubs scattered throughout the city. It’s not the high-energy club scene of Las Vegas, but that is the exact purpose for taking a vacation, right?
    
For more information on Fort Collins, Colorado, visit www.ftcollins.com. For information about air travel to and from the city, visit Allegiant Air at www.allegiantair.com.

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.

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