Golden, Colorado A Route 6 Town

Golden, Colorado

A Route 6 Town

The mountains and clear running creek that so transfixed Adolf Coors when he took the new Transcontinental train and arrived in Golden in 1873 remain this Rocky Mountain foothill town’s most stunning features. I was so taken by the place, I decided to stay for a couple of days and now will report back to you. 

Miller/Coor's Tour Bus
Golden, CO

Coors Brewery Tour
Golden, CO

The Lounge; Coors Brewery Tours
Golden, CO

Free Beer, Coors Brewery
Golden, CO

Coors Brewery; This is Golden’s premier attraction for a reason.  Not only do you get to experience a self-guided entertaining audio tour through a section of the massive brewery, you’re entitled to three complementary 8 oz. glasses of beer “that has never left the brewery” at the end.  You can even skip the tour and proceed directly to the “Lounge,” and can do this once a day forever.  For Colorado College of Mines students over 21, this is tough to resist.  The free tour begins with a narrated drive around Golden’s charming main streets, then a walk through the mashing, fermenting and packaging areas. You can smell the malt, see the NASA-like operations center, and midway through the walking tour, taste a 4 oz sample to whet your whistle.  Coors, which merged with Miller in 2008, is the country’s largest brewery under one roof and employs 1,800 in its Golden plant and another 3,000 in The Valley- making this the largest employer in the area. This is such a fun and popular tour, so be prepared for lines.  If you do one thing in Golden, do this.

Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite
Golden, CO

My Own Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill Museum and Gravesite
Golden, CO

Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave; This area of the country is all about mountain-climbing, whether it’s by foot, motorcycle, bicycle or car and this twisty-turny ascent to the top of Lookout Mountain is no different.  Switchbacking upwards affords unparalleled views of Denver and Golden and hundreds of miles it seems in each direction. And this is where Buffalo Bill Cody wanted to be buried. He earned his name by hunting buffalo for the Railroad, fought with the US Army, and then took his Wild West Show all over the world.  He was considered “The Spirit of the West” – and his show was THE extravaganza of the day.  He used a cast of thousands, including Indians and women.  He turned Annie Oakley into a household name.  There’s a terrific museum about the West’s romantic hero right next to his granite-pebble gravesite.  Definitely worth a trip to the top of the mountain to see.

Mountaineering Museum
Golden, CO

Mountaineering Museum; For anyone with any appreciation for the extreme sport of high-peaks rock and ice-climbing, this new, fun and entertaining museum will satisfy you.  Displays are quite dramatic and you’ll learn tidbits like this; in 1958, it took climbers 17 months to ascend the Nose of El Capitan. In 2002, two climbers did it in 2 hours 48 minutes.  The sport has come a long way in 50 years.

Colorado Train Museum
Golden, CO

Colorado Train Museum: An amusement park for all train enthusiasts, this outdoor museum is stocked with old steam engines and train cars from every era. A scaled down (but still large) engine pulls tourists around the property and on the day I visited, “Outlaws” robbed the train.  Cute. There’s a model train set downstairs in the museum’s artifacts building, but it will cost you a quarter to make the train go.  Skip it and climb on the big trains outside.

"Outlaws"; Colorado Train Museum
Golden, CO

Add caption

Golden History Center: If you have extra time, this small museum set right on the raging creek is uncluttered and takes a novel approach.  “If These Objects Could Talk” showcases just a few items pertinent to life the area and tells stories about them.  Perfect for fans of historical fiction (or narrative nonfiction).

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
Golden, CO

Foothills Arts Center: not a museum per se but a non-profit art association that offers classes and shows for adults and kids.  Exhibits rotate and most show off local talent.  Nice for artists to see what other regions of the country are up to.

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum: This is a bit of a misnomer.  It should be the Fabric Sculpture Musuem.  But in either case, it’s a tiny one-room gallery that displays phenomenal fabric art.  You can pop in and look it over in a couple of minutes in between the other shops on Washington (the main) St.

View from Bridgewater Grill @ Golden Hotel
Golden, CO

View of Creek from Golen Hotel Patio
Golden, CO

Great Salad at Bridgewater Grill
Golden, CO

EAT: Bridgewater Grill @ Golden Hotel; Great food with views that can’t be beat. Outdoor tables overlooking the creek are a hot ticket, and wonderful food is icing on the cake.  

Grappa; White table-cloth Italian, it’s a cute place with a nice wine list.  Food is fine.

D'Deli
Golden, CO

D’Deli: is crammed with Panini and salad lovers during the lunch hour.  Sandwiches are inventive, fresh and really toothsome.  You can customize your own salad or choose from menu items.  It’s all good. And the owners and staff are funny and friendly, too. 

Lobby of Golden Hotel
Golden, CO

Stay: Golden’s premier hotel is The Golden Hotel.  After admiring the soaring lobby and its fine appointments, walk post-haste to the deck outside for a drink or bite.  The hotel sits right on the beautiful Clear Creek, and the restaurant takes advantage of this to the max.  You’ll see kayakers and families splashing in the water from several creek access points, and there’s live music every Thursday night from 6pm-9pm in season. Service is amazingly friendly and chefs will go out of their way to accommodate any dietary need. The rooms are fine, even now, but will be stunning after an expensive renovation scheduled within in the year. 

Sante Fe Homefries
 Table Mountain Inn
Golden, CO

Table Mountain Hotel; Interesting Southwest theme; I felt as if I was in Arizona whenI looked out my window at the “table” butte located on the top of the mountain. But I’m in Colorado! Rooms are nice and clean, great luxury bedding and the Southwest theme continues into the bath with terra-cotta tiles.  In the morning, the in-house restaurant serves great fresh cinnamon rolls with breakfast (an additional charge).