Travel Guide | Fort Collins, CO

As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate traveling so much more than when I was growing up. Traveling as an adult (especially when it's your own money and vacation days involved) just hits a little different. Can anyone else relate? Don’t get me wrong, we took trips growing up that I was so thankful and fortunate to have taken, but it just feels different as I have gotten older to have the opportunity to travel,  explore the world, and create memories on my own dime. 

I think I can  speak for almost all of us when I say we definitely appreciate traveling even more so after the year that was 2020. It has been so nice to get back to (safely) adventuring again. Cooper and I recently took a road trip to Fort Collins, CO for a family friend’s wedding and it was an unexpected treasure. We weren't sure what to expect, but we had an absolute blast! 

I will start off by saying that Fort Collins has some pretty breathtaking nature and views but even better food and brews. Honestly, a must add to your list if you are ever in the Rocky Mountain area. Below I have highlighted some of the restaurants, bars, breweries and hikes we were able to or wanted to do if we would have had more time! Some of these spots came recommended by my followers who live in or near the FOCO area, so you know they are good.

If you are ever in the area or have a trip planned there soon and have any questions, please feel free to reach out and ask. Shoot me an email or always  know you can connect with me over on Instagram and shoot me a DM. Let’s get to it!

Bars and Restaurants 

Beau Jo’s Pizza

We got into town on Thursday night and our first pit-stop was naturally for 'za and brewskis. Beau Jo’s is located right in the heart of old town FOCO and it did not disappoint. Their homemade pizza crust is made with honey baked in, and it is pretty phenom. They also have a great selection of local beers on tap, so we had to try out some of their local and seasonal brews. I had a tropical ale from New Belgium and it was DELICIOUS. I am not always the first to order a beer off a menu, so that kind of rave review is really something. Definitely recommend trying out this spot if you are in the mood for some pizza and a nice laid back bar-type vibe.  

Ginger and Baker

This gem of a spot came recommended from one of my dear insta friends, Molly Buchanan, over at @crowninggloryblog. This spot was so good that we had to come back for a second time. Ginger and Baker houses three different restaurants so you can truly enjoy a little bit of everything for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. The restaurant is in a renovated historical building right by the old railyards and they did an amazing job maintaining the historical feel but with a cool modern design. We celebrated Cooper’s 31st birthday here first for a delicious dinner Friday night and came right back the next morning for brunch. Both were equally amazing. Even if you don’t end up grabbing a bite to eat here, I highly recommend checking out their cafe for a coffee to go.

Silver Grill Cafe

Another local and amazing recommendation from a FOCO follower: The Silver Grill Cafe. It was honestly the best breakfast we had our entire trip and probably some of the best breakfast I have had in awhile. Their cinnamon rolls were to DIE FOR (and as big as your face). A pretty popular spot too, so I definitely recommend getting there early so you can skip the wait. Side note: if you have ever been to Manhattan, KS or maybe went to K-State, this spot reminds me so much of The Chef there. Very similar feel and homestyle type of food. 

The Exchange

Loved this little spot because it houses a handful of fun little restaurants. Think food hall but with outdoor seating. We  hit this spot up after our hike for some queso and margs from Vatos. Very good margs and very good queso (and you know I'm an expert on both of those).  There's plenty of seating in the open courtyard-area and there were families and dogs everywhere--such a great atmosphere! Churn ice cream is also a part of The Exchange but we weren’t able to grab any while we were there. We tried one night but they had already closed. Honestly my only regret of our trip was not getting that ice cream 😂 SO many of you had recommended it. Guess we'll just have to come back 😉

Lucky Joe’s

So funny story about this bar. My Mom’s late fiance’s daughter, Polly, is related (by marriage) to the owner of Lucky Joe’s. It is also supposedly THE SPOT for Colorado State students too. If you have ever been to Aggieville it reminds me so much of Kite’s back in the day. Such a fun spot and we went there multiple times in hopes to catch Joe while he was there so we could say hi. They also have a cold brew bomb and it is honestly the best bomb I have ever had. So so good.

Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

All I have to say about this spot is that their margs are delish but deadly 😂 They don’t have a three marg limit for nothin. (No seriously, they refuse to serve you a fourth, even if you ask). You have been warned. Highly recommend going just for their margs though. We ended up grabbing a couple of drinks here with one of my oldest childhood family friends (the oldest brother of the bride) and his girlfriend one afternoon while we were there. We had the best time exploring old town FOCO with them and hearing all about his old stomping grounds.

Social

One of the last spots Coop and I went to for a cocktail and I am so glad we squeezed it in. The restaurant originally started underground but due to COVID, they opened up a space on the ground floor to allow for more customers while they had to socially distance. We ended up just grabbing a drink up top but when I went to the basement to use the restroom, I got to see the original space. IT WAS HOPPIN. Highly recommend making this a priority if you ever go to FOCO. Their drinks were unreal. Very very good. 

Breweries

New Belgium Brewing Company

So we actually went to check out New Belgium first, but on the day we went, it was raining and due to COVID, their indoor seating was still not open. I was pretty bummed about it (and I think Coop was too) but I wasn’t going to sit in the cold and rain just to drink beer. I don’t like it THAT much - hah! So we ended up leaving and heading to Odell Brewing Co., which is pretty close to New Belgium (thankfully). Hopefully if we ever go back, we can check it out next time! It looked like a really fun spot and from what I have heard, it is awesome. 

Odell Brewing Co.

Loved loved loved this spot. Unlike New Belgium, Odell’s indoor seating was open, so we were able to skip out on sitting in the rain to enjoy our cold ones inside. Coop and I shared a flight to start and each picked a couple beers to enjoy after that. Again, coming from someone who doesn’t LOVE beer, this was a really fun spot and there is something for everyone to enjoy beer wise. 

Funkwerks 

This was another brewery that came highly recommended by y’all. Unfortunately we weren’t able to go but judging by the amount of times I got this as a recommendation, we will have to go whenever we are back in town!

Hikes

 

Arthur’s Rock

If you have already done this hike before you may already know this, BUT if not and you decide to go, DO NOT FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS. It will literally take you on the entire wrong side of the park where it's private property.  You can't access the trailhead from the direction Google Maps takes you. For some reason no one has updated this (come on Google!), so we found out the hard way. If you ever want to do this hike, make sure you go to Lory State Park and follow the actual signage to get to the trailhead.

It is around a 3.5 mile roundtrip hike when it's all said and done and I would definitely say it is a more moderate hike - especially because of the finish to the very top. The beginning of it is more intense than reviews led on, but the views at the end once we reached the peak were so worth it. We even took Walter with us and he did SO GOOD - especially for it being his first hike. Highly recommend this hike. 

Horsetooth 

This was another hike that came highly recommended but with the weather and the amount of time we were there, we weren’t able to swing it this go around. I would absolutely love to go back and have more time for some more hikes. I mentioned this on my Stories while we were visiting, but hiking is actually one of my favorite activities. 

We don’t get to do it often, so when we do, I really really enjoy it. Something about being out in the open air, with no cell service, being able to really hear/feel nature, etc. just really grounds me. It may seem out of character from what you see on my daily Stories and for me being such a beach lover, but something about a good hike in the mountains makes me a very happy girl. 

Wow - after looking back at all we did while we were there for just the long Memorial Day weekend I am honestly shocked - hah! Again, if you have any questions about any of our stops, please let me know. Hope you all find some time this summer to get to travel somewhere, whether it is near or far. 

With love,

~Katie