Frontier outpost grows up - visiting Fort Collins, Colorado - Brief Article

Sunset, Oct, 2001 by Jeanie Puleston Fleming

Lively lovely Fort Collins is more than a small college town

From the east, there's no mistaking the approach to Fort Collins, Colorado. Where else does a huge rocky outcrop (called Horsetooth Rock), backed by a wall of high Rocky Mountains, dominate the western horizon?

If you grew up in Fort Collins, as I did, west means mountains, and it's comforting to return and find things where they're meant to be: mountains to the west (including the sheer diamond face of 14,255-foot Longs Peak), plains to the east, a wide arc of open sky above, and a town of broad streets flanked by neat, green lawns. Who says you can't go home?

But as residents and visitors alike are finding, Fort Collins is changing. True, the giant Colorado State University "A" (for Aggies, from the school's agricultural college origins) below Horsetooth Rock is still repainted each homecoming by students. The Cache la Poudre River, named by French trappers who hid gunpowder along its banks, still flows through town, and the plains still fall away to Nebraska. But on the south side, nostalgia gives way to obvious change as shopping malls and housing developments stretch nearly into the lap of neighboring Loveland.

Once a Boulder wannabe, the city now has its own bike paths, walking trails, and city parks. This outdoor lifestyle, coupled with an energetic university and a revitalized downtown offering a slew of lively restaurants and brew pubs, is making Fort Collins a place where people come to visit and wind up staying.

I call sandy Walker, a friend who works for a local publication, to get her take on how the town has changed. "At its core, Fort Collins is still a small, friendly college town, but it's grown beyond the college--it doesn't feel empty during the vacations any more," she reports over coffee at the silver Grill Cafe in Old Town. "Of course it's bigger--more people, more houses, more businesses--but also more sophisticated." She favors the north side of the city with its quieter pace and one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops, to the newer, flashier south side.

Exhibits at the Fort Collins Museum tell the region's history: from its early days as a Paleo-Indian campsite; to 1864, when the Army built a fort to protect travelers on the Overland Trail; and up to the post-World War II boom days. Another Old Town museum is the Avery House, restored to its turn-of-the-century grandeur. Across the street, another classic Victorian, the Edwards House, is now a comfy B&B.

More than a college town

Fort Collins was just a settlement with rough frontier edges when, more than 130 years ago, it became the site of a land-grant college, with an initial class of five. Today more than 23,000 students attend Colorado State University; which boasts avidly watched football and basketball teams.

Beyond the campus, frequent theater, dance, and music performances take place downtown in the Lincoln Center. Nearby, Old Town Square is the hub of street activity such as Oktoberfest on September 29 and a tiny tot Halloween parade at 10 in the morning on October 31. Popular with students and visitors alike are tours at a half-dozen craft breweries and at Anheuser-Busch, where the Budweiser Clydesdales are a must-see.

For children, an October visit to the Farm, a city park, features barnyard animals, hayrides, a Halloween house, and a barn full of pumpkins. Another popular stop is the Discovery Center Science Museum.

There are other, more spectacular natural attractions beyond the city limits. I could spend days hiking and exploring the Poudre Canyon, Red Feather Lakes, and Rocky Mountain National Park. But I'm home, and content to linger in a town that seems familiar and new all at once. And to simply enjoy the view of Horsetooth Rock, backed by all those Rockies rightly massed in the west.

Fort Collins travel planner

Fort Collins is 65 miles north of Denver. For travel information, contact Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau (800/274-3678 or www.ftcollins.com). Area code is 970 unless noted.

Attractions

Avery House. This fully furnished 1879 gem is known for its Victorian teas. 1-3 Wed, Sun. 328 W Mountain Ave.; 221-0533.

Brewery tours. Anheuser-Busch Tour Center (10-4 Thu-Mon; free; 2351 Busch Dr.; 490-4691) offers tastings on tours that also include a glimpse of the famous Clydesdales.

New Belgium Brewing Company (10-6 Mon-Sat; free; 500 Linden St.; 221-0524 or 888/622-4044), maker of Fat Tire Amber Ale, and Odell Brewing Company (closed Sun; free; 800 E. Lincoln Ave.; 498-9070) provide lively tours with tastings.

Colorado State University. Visit the new library and student center. 4914636 or www.colostate.edu.

Discovery Center Science Museum. Terrific hands-on science exhibits for all ages. 10-5 Tue-Sat, 12-5 Sun; $4. 703 E. Prospect Rd.; 472-3990 or www.dcsm.org.

The Farm. Call for Halloween activities. 600 N. Sherwood St., at Lee Martinez Park; 221-6665.

Fort Collins Museum. Don't miss the four historic cabins in the courtyard. 10-5 Tue-Sat, 12-5 Sun; free. 200 Mathews St., 221-6738.