SUMMER AND FALL ACTIVITIES

Amusement Parks: (roller coasters, ferris wheels, etc.)

1. Elitch's I-25 and Speer Blvd, next to Pepsi Center. FEE/ All-day rides pass for adults; usually cheaper at King Soopers. Hours: 10-10 (close at 11 on Fri. and Sat.) late May-first weekend in Sept. (East on I 70, south on I-25, then east on Speer.)
2. Lakeside: 4601 Sheridan I 70 east to Harlan, then south, then right before 44th.. 477-1621. May-early Sept., 6 p.m.-11:00 Fri, Sat., Sun in May; Mon.-Fri. 6:00-11:00, open at noon Sat., Sun. FEE: buy unlimited rides passes.. BUS: Take #44, exit at Harlan or Sheridan.
3. Heritage Square: See "Golden"
4. Water World: 88th Ave. and Pecos, Federal Heights. 427-7873. Water slides, ocean-like wave pools, innertube rapids, etc. Late May-early Sept. Fee. By car, take I-70 east to Pecos and turn left (north), following Pecos until you reach 88th. Bus: #44 east to Federal, transfer to #31 going north, then transfer to #80 at 80th Ave. and to #6 at Pecos and 84th. You may decide to walk from 80th and Pecos.
SWIMMING, with beaches and rental of small sail boats, wind surfing boards, etc. (and lessons) can be found at the following reservoirs. Entrance fees are charged, as well as rental fees.
Boulder Reservoir: Take Hwy 93 to Boulder and turn onto Hwy 36, turn onto Hwy 119 toward Niwot, to the reservoir.
Chatfield Reservoir: Take C-470 south and turn left onto Hwy. 75 (east), exit south at the sign.
Cherry Creek Reservoir: 4201 S. Parker Rd., Aurora. 690-1166. I-70 east, south on I-25, exit onto I-225 to the east (left), cross the dam and exit to the right on Parker Rd.

MINIATURE GOLF
- Adventure Golf, 96th and Sheridan , Westminster. 650-7587. I-70 east to Sheridan, exit and head north to 96th. Bus: #44 east to Sheridan, then transfer to #51 north on Sheridan. Fee.
- Indoors: Putt Putt at Colorado Mills.
- Putt-Putt Golf, miniature golf. 4311 Wadsworth, Wheat Ridge. (Take Bus 44 to Wadsworth and walk 1/2 block south or drive east on 44th Ave. and turn right on Wadsworth). Fee. May-Sept or Oct.

PUBLIC GOLF COURSES
All have fees and most require reserved tee times. Equipment rental is unusual. Lessons are available.
Closest: Fossil Trace in Golden, south on highway 93 past 19th St. intersection.
City Park Golf Course, 2500 York St., Denver, 295-2095.
Evergreen: 2 9614 Upper Bear Creek Rd., 674-4128
Willis Case: W. 50 Av. and Vrain, 458-4877.
Foothills Park and Rec. District, 3901 S. Carr, 989-9937.
Indian Tree, 7555 Wadsworth, 423-3450. (See "Golf" in the Yellow Pages for more golf courses.)

Rodeo:
Cheyenne, Wyoming, Frontier Days in July. Cheyenne is about 3 hours north of Denver on I-25. The rodeo is advertised in the Denver newspapers and on Denver television. Hotel reservations needed,
Greeley, CO., has a rodeo, usually on the July 4th weekend. Take I-25 north of Denver, turn east (right) onto Hwy 34 and travel about 17 miles to Greeley.

RIVER RAFTING:
Best times to go: early May (weekends) through June. Look at the Mines Outdoor Recreation Center to rent equipment, get info, or see if they're planning any trips in the near future.
Should be a good swimmer. Life jackets and guides are provided. You MUST go with a guide. Ask for a group discount for groups of 8 or more. Reservations are necessary.
Some of the locations and companies are:

1. Clear Creek Rafting, Idaho Springs. Beginner ½ day and intermediate half day, plus full day trips. Closest to Golden.
2. American Adventure Expeditions, Buena Vista, Royal Gorge, Breckenridge.. Sample trips: Royal Gorge (12 miles), half day or full day trips; or Brown's Canyon. Both ½ day trips leave at 9:00 and again at 1:30 Brown's Canyon leaves from Buena Vista. (I-70 west to Vail, then south on Hwy 24 2 miles south of Buena Vista where Hwy 24 meets Hwy 285.
3. Colorado River Runs, Inc..Locations at State Bridge,CO. I-70 west to Wolcott (exit 157), follow Route 131 north for 14 miles to State Bridge. Also at Eagle River at Eagle (I-70 west to Eagle, exit and turn left, then turn right on to Fairgrounds Road after crossing the highway). Full day with lunch or half day 10:00 a.m. departures. Also at Brown's Canyon in Buena Vista, CO. full day, half day.
4. Rafting in the Rockies of Wilderness Aware. Reservations required. Some long trips, such as 5 days to the Grand Canyon. Office located in Buena Vista, CO.
5. Echo Canyon River Expeditions. Arkansas River, near Canon City. Bighorn Canyon 1/2 day weekday or weekend; full day trips. Royal Gorge: trips also available. Overnight trips available.

SPORTS TEAMS

DENVER ROCKIES Baseball team: professional team, plays at Coors Field in lower downtown Denver. Season: April-Sept. Tickets may be purchased at King Soopers or at the field. Drive to Coors Field by taking I-70 to I-25; south on I-25 to the second Speer exit (south exit) and head east to the Auraria Parkway or Lawrence or Larimer. The field is on 18th Street. Parking will be a problem on weekdays. Look for parking lots near the Field. Game tickets vary depending on where you sit. Bus: Take the #44 bus and exit at 15th and Blake. Walk three blocks to the north, to Coors Field. Weekdays take the #16.

DENVER BRONCOS, National Football League team, with games from August-December. Most games are Sunday afternoons at 1:00, with perhaps one Monday night game per season. Tickets are very difficult to get; check the want ads in either Denver newspaper for available tickets. May also buy tickets outside the gate on game day but rarely are any available at the gate. Broncos play at Invesco Field at Mile High; take I-70 east to I-25, exit on I-25 and head south. Follow signs to Mile High; you will exit from the right lane. RTD are usually available at the Cold Springs Park N Ride at 6th and Union.

CAMPING

Equipment such as tents and sleeping bags may be rented at sporting goods stores such as REI or at the Mines Outdoor Recreation Center right here on campus. If you do much camping, , it is cheaper to buy your own but be sure that it is a heavy bag because the nights are COLD in the mountains even in the summer.

State parks: about $25-30 per night. Visit the Colorado State Parks website for information and reservations.

National Parks: Forest Service office is at 740 Simms. Camping permits by the day are made by reservation and availability depends on the campground. Only about 1/3 take reservations, which must be made a minimum of ten days in advance. Can be done by phone, with credit card, by calling 1-800-280-2267. If paying cash or writing a check, allow extra time for reservations. Other parks are on a first come, first served basis. Areas close to Denver fill up quickly on summer weekends. Maps of the forests, with lakes, campgrounds, etc., can be purchased at the forest service, for each national forest or national park. You may visit both the Rocky Mountain National Park and the Mesa Verde National Park on the World Wide Web. An alternative website for the Rocky Mountain National Park is the Unofficial Guide to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

FISHING
Requires a fishing license for anyone over 15 years old. May be purchased at Meyer Hardware in Golden, at 1103 Arapahoe Costs for resident and non-resident differ; they can be purchased for 5 days; for one day or for the season. There is a fine for fishing without a license. The annual license is good for one year; fishing is permitted year-round. A fishing guide should be picked up at the place where you buy your license; in it are fishing locations and bag limits, which means the number of fish allowed per day, etc.

ETHNIC FESTIVALS
Throughout the late spring, summer, and early fall, there are many festivals in the Denver area. Examples: Cherry Blossom Festival (Japanese) at Sakura Square in Denver, Dutch Festival, Greek Festival, Cinco de Mayo (Mexican) in May, Oktoberfest in Larimer Square. Check the weekly Friday papers, Rocky Mountain News or Denver Post, for announcements about the festivals.