On Day One, I unpacked and relaxed at the Fort Collins Marriot hotel. I met up with others traveling to Ft. Collins on the same itinerary and we set off for dinner at Enzio’s Italian Kitchen in Old Town. I recommend the Swordfish Veneto with their freshly made pasta. The crowded restaurant is definitely a local favorite.

The agenda for Day Two takes us to Vern’s Place for breakfast before our white water rafting trip. Vern’s Place boasts of their famous cinnamon rolls – which are awesome and huge! The rafting outfitter, A Wanderlust Adventure, was conveniently located just below the restaurant. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff set us up with wetsuits, booties, fleece sweaters and paddle jackets. So while the water was just over 40 degrees, I was comfortable sitting at the front of the raft paddling. I was so glad to hear that we’d be paddling Class III and IV rapids. The guides informed us that the water was high and we’d get great rides. The rafting was a blast! No one fell out of the boat completely out of our six raft group, to the surprise of the guides. I had a great camera I was able to use the entire day, an Olympus Stylus 1030 SW, which is completely waterproof and shockproof while getting great 10.1 megapixel photos. I had such an awesome time; I’d love to come back.

After a full day of rafting adventure, I took a nice nap after overdosing on those fresh cookies at the hotel. Some in the group went to explore Old Town and do some shopping. I found out that Old Town Fort Collins was the inspiration for the Disneyland Main Street. Money Magazine ranked the city as the “#1 Best Place to Live” in 2006. And The League of American Bicyclists voted Ft. Collins as a “Bicycle Friendly Community”, which also has a Bike Library that loan out bikes for free for up to a week. Yeah, the city takes all the bikes “repossessed” or abandoned at the court house and police stations and donates them to the Library. My night ends with dinner at the new restaurant, Plank. The co-owner/chef uses only locally grown foods and creates a new and unique menu each month. The other co-owner works at New Belgium Brewery, so Plank offers many of their local beers and incorporates them into the menu. I had a salad with vinaigrette dressing and a chocolate mousse both made from New Belgium Brewery’s Ales. It was a real treat. In my opinion, the tomato sorbet was the most interesting, tasty, and impressive part of the dinner.

So to add to my adventurous weekend, Day Three brings about a fifteen mile cruiser bike tour along the city’s trails. New World Sports provided the bikes and made sure everyone was fitted and ready to ride. Riding first through Old Town towards City Park, then through the campus of Colorado State University, stopping to view their gardens, and then back onto the scenic Poudre River Trail. The ride ended when we arrived at the New Belgium Brewing Company for a tour. I didn’t realize how hoppin’ this place is! I guess with free beer tastings, why not? Later that night, we enjoyed the Taste of Ft. Collins and a concert with Lifehouse.

The end of the trip brings me to Grand Lake after a scenic drive with a local historian explaining the history of each small town and valley we passed. I’ve never been over here before and it is a popular summer town, with a main street full of touristy shops and restaurants. We’ll be ending the trip with a stay at a Dude Ranch in nearby Granby where we’ll horseback ride, fish, and relax at their cabins. Even before that, we take a historic boat tour from the Grand Lake Marina.

Read about the current fight about the Poudre's endangered status here

  All photos courtesy of Jackie Williams

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