They even give their coffee away for free at their monthly Day of Jubilee. Jubilee Roasting Company is the perfect example, a brand built around the concept of “emancipation, restoration, and celebration.” It’s an ode to freedom that founder Peter Wanberg celebrates through in-house roasted coffee and a dedicated creative space for local artists. Aurora does craft…Ĭolorado has a definite appetite for craft, and there’s no shortage of caffeine to fuel your outdoor adventures. Round out the night with line dancing and down-home cooking at Stampede, where you may find yourself throwing down on the mechanical bull after a few cold ones. You’ll be leading barstool conversations on Colorado history by the time you get into the mountains. Then check out the Plains Conservation Center - buff up on pioneer life, and learn how Colorado’s Front Range was first settled. Next door, Arapahoe Park brings a taste of the Kentucky Derby to Aurora with its annual schedule of horse races. Case in point: You can get your corn-dog-and-horseback-riding fix at the annual Arapahoe County Fair each July, and rodeos and special events take place throughout the year. Much of Aurora is wide open and undeveloped, meaning you can take part in some legitimate country activities in Colorado’s third-largest city. All this means you can escape the city and still be within city limits. (Beaches in Colorado? Welcome to Aurora.) While there, you can even snag your scuba certification.
In a true nod to innovation, you can pedal your way into the park on an e-bike from Pedego Electric Bikes and ride right up to the park’s white-sand beach. And the city’s eastern side is home to Aurora Reservoir Park, among the most beautiful destinations for a leisurely afternoon anywhere in the state.
Cherry Creek State Park, on Aurora’s southwestern edge, is a hotspot for boaters, bikers, SUPers and lazy beachcombers. Here’s that whole “water” thing popping up again, making Aurora even more awesome. Just don’t overlook the two awesome lake parks. This place is like elementary school gym class on steroids, and it’s the perfect excuse to get back at anyone in your crew that schooled you on the slopes (or to win a quick round before you ever get on the chairlift.) They’ve got extreme dodgeball and air dunking powered by crazy trampolines - or maybe a bit of slacklining is more up your alley? Spider Monkey might also be the best place in the state to let the kids blow off steam after a long flight. We can’t move on, though, without calling Spider Monkey to the table. Stop in and check out the biking and hiking trails galore, and know that there’s more than enough room - we’re talking 5,000+ acres of open space inside the city limits (that’s 97 developed parks to explore) - to stretch your legs no matter what activity calls your name. You’re not coming to Colorado to sit around and do nothing. …and from there, what you do is up to you. The kitchen doesn’t mess around, either - cooked-to-order breakfasts are just another part of the experience. Show up early for the complimentary Manager’s Cocktail Reception, a nightly event that will make you rethink your opinion on the hotel bar scene. If you’re looking for a more intimate experience, Woolley’s Classic Suites is the place to be. There are also tons of dining options, an amphitheater, bike paths (and rentals), and views of the Rocky Mountains that no other Front Range hotel can offer. In a shot of style rivaled only by the likes of Vegas, Aurora’s “Castle on a Hill” features an indoor water park that even adults are going to love. Out of the loads of reasons seasoned travelers are loyal to Gaylord, Aurora’s reason is perhaps this: water. Booking a hotel that you actually want to spend time in is a novel concept - and that’s exactly what you’ll get at the new Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, which opens later this year.