Golden Colorado

As previously mentioned in my last post, Golden is a quaint wild west town located in Colorado. On a very crisp October day in 2019, we visited Golden to go on a walk by Clear Creek. Clear Creek supplies the nearby Coors Brewery with fresh water, and in the summer, it is a popular tubing spot. We still have not tried tubing, but it is certainly high on the agenda for next summer!

The day was cold in a way that I was not used to having lived in Southern California. Even though it didn’t have the spectacular fall foliage like the east coast, our autumn day in Golden was probably the most stereotypical “fall” day that I have ever experienced.

Since it was so chilly, our first stop was to get steaming lattes at Tributary Food Hall.

Tributary is a great find in Golden and we’ve been back several times. I love the food hall concept; allowing several food vendors to operate under the same roof. It’s great when you are dining with people who have different food tastes or if you just want the ability to explore different options. They have a wonderful poke bowl stand at Tributary.

Outside of Tributary, we took a few snaps.

We took our lattes for a walk down by the creek, which has a long concrete path for walkers and cyclists. It’s a safe and clean place for exercising.

Soon after moving to Colorado, we learned that people really take exercising seriously here. Outdoors are everything and Colorado is one of the healthiest states! Golden had a “bike library”, where you can borrow bikes to cycle near the creek. I love this concept!

A few final statues and a bear hug on our way back to the car park.

Golden is a lovely town to visit. Make sure to book a tour at the Coors Factory or grab a tube for the creek during the summer.

Coors Factory Tour

On our first visit to Colorado, we included a morning at the Coors Factory Tour in Golden. Golden is a quaint town that is proud of its wild west roots. We also nearly moved to Golden, as my husband’s prospective new job was nearby- sadly, his new job was not at the beer factory! We ended up settling in a different community, but we enjoy visiting Golden.

Located just off the main shopping street, Coors is the largest beer brewery in the world. It’s absolutely massive. Knowing that it is a popular attraction, we arrived about an hour prior to opening. The parking and shuttle to the factory are both free. We parked and got in the queue.

Technically, we could have walked from the parking lot, but the complimentary shuttle bus is a way that they can stagger the groups entering the building. The bus driver also gives visitors a bit of a narrated tour around the main part of Golden, which is nice for people not familiar with the area.

Here are a few shots from outside of the factory.

In late 2019, the tour was only ten dollars for adults ( five dollars for locals) and included three 8 ounce samples of beer. Soda and non-alcoholic beer was also available for those not consuming alcohol. It’s a real bargain! They also threw in complimentary glasses to take home.

The first step was to have our souvenir pictures taken, so that we could buy them for a criminally inflated price at the end of our visit. We declined the photo, but we did take our own secret shot of a family from Indiana that we got to know while waiting in the shuttle queue. They were very nice people, and even gave us the idea and courage to try to biking down Pike’s Peak….which is still one of the most foolish things that I have ever done.

We were given audio tour wands that provided additional information at numbered stations, but otherwise, the tour was a self-guided, one-way journey through the visitor areas of the factory.

We started by learning about the origins of the company, which was started by a Prussian born immigrant named Adolphus Coors. Coors immigrated to the United States in his early twenties and worked a series of odd jobs, including as a brewer. In 1872, he made his way to Denver and by 1880, he had founded Coors Brewery.

Different bottle shapes.

The many Coors brands. I love Blue Moon.

Prior to viewing the factory, we learned a little bit about the ingredients that go into making beer.

And into the factory, where we learned a bit more about barley and hops.

Of course, once you brew it, you need to make sure that it meets the standards.

We were given a small taster. This was not the same as the eight ounce samples, which were given at the end of the tour. Every time we were given a drink, it was marked on our wrist bands. They were very strict about not sharing samples.

A section that mentions the different brewery locations and some of Coors special programs, such as recycling.

Here is my happy husband about to go into the bar area for our eight ounce samples. It was about ten a.m. and we went on an empty stomach, which was fun, but not wise!

I enjoyed all of the old advertising campaigns. Even E.T. was shilling for Coors!

Our beer. I could only handle two of the three samples and I was desperate for some food to line my stomach. We ended up going to a local pizza restaurant for an early lunch.

A few final pictures at the end of the tour.

On the way out, we were handed a “Golden Ticket,” which is a scratch off coupon that is good at several of the restaurants in town. The trick is, you don’t know your discount until you scratch it at the end of your meal. It’s a great way to promote tourism and we were delighted, especially as we thought the Coors tour was an exceptional value. We couldn’t believe that we were getting more. I can’t remember, but I believe we got 20% off at the pizza place with the Golden Ticket.

We returned to the Coors Factory the following month with friends who were visiting from California. We wanted to take the kids this summer, but due to Covid, the tours have been suspended. Yes, you read that correctly= kids. The Coors Factory is interesting from both a historical and manufacturing standpoint. It’s educational and fun. Although beer is certainly consumed, there is an emphasis on keeping it family friendly and excessive drinking is prohibited. The Coors tour is engaging for all ages and should be part of any Colorado vacation.

The Denver Cat Company

On a blustery day in late October, Dan and I took a early-bird flight to Denver to check-out our potential new home. Dan had a job interview, which eventual turned into an offer, so the trip was both to meet with his would-be employers and for us to make sure that Colorado would be a place we could enjoy living.

My husband is brilliant. In an effort to make me fall in love with Colorado, he drove me straight from the airport to the Denver Cat Company.

The Denver Cat Company is an adorable cat cafe located in a charming suburb of the city. The main street reminded me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I love cats, and this was my first cat cafe experience, so clearly I was already convinced that Colorado was the place for us.

We were among the first visitors of the day, and immediately, we were outnumbered by four-legged floof balls. They were everywhere. I could hardly contain my excitement enough to pay our ten dollar per person admission and get a hot chocolate.

The “cafe” element of the Denver Cat Company was limited at the time, and now with covid concerns, has been eliminated. I think you would be welcome to bring your own drinks, as they have suspended selling them.

The cats are very active in the morning and there are plenty of different kinds toys to play with them. The general rule is just to be respectful towards the cats. Don’t pick them up, especially if they are sleeping or hiding. They are all shelter rescues and some are skittish or shy. I found that just by sitting in one spot, cats would come to me. I had them on my lap or coming over for some pets. There were enough friendly ones, that there was an abundance of cat interactions. Some of the shyer ones even said hello, when they noticed that we were calm.

Shorty after making our move to Colorado, we went back to the Denver Cat Company and purchased a year pass. Unfortunately, Covid hit and they had to temporarily close. We let our pass lapse, but did feel good that our money went to a worthy cause. All of the cats in the cafe are adoptable. We tried to adopt one before covid, but the cats were already spoken for, which is why we ended up getting our Tom from a different rescue group.

I headed back to the Denver Cat Company this summer with my step-kids, Zoe and Felix. They have a cat back home in Sweden and our two kitties here, so they are also cat fans. Plus, we had taken them to the Orlando Cat Cafe and we knew the concept was a big hit. Here are a few pictures from our most recent visit.

The Denver Cat Company is a delightful place to visit. They are doing great work to find forever homes for cats in need and take a lot of care in making sure that the cats go to the right human. If you’re a cat lover, it’s a must-visit.