About 45-50 min. down the hill from Estes Park is the wonderful town of Fort Collins, CO. Take Hwy. 34 East (a gorgeous drive alongside the river), make a left in Loveland onto Hwy. 287 and go north a bit. Make your way straight into the Old Town Square, rated one of the 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Fort Collins has over a half a million visitors every year enjoying its lively art scene, eclectic shops and boutiques, a wide variety of healthy and delicious restaurants, 6 breweries, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails; the list just goes on and on.

Here are a few fast facts:
For one thing Fort Collins has over 300 days per year of sunshine! The average temperature in middle of the winter is 42 degrees and in July, the hottest month, its 86, that’s a pretty easy range to live with.

Fort Collins is home to about 140,000 residents plus the population of students at Colorado State University. It has 600 acres of parks within the city limits, 3 golf courses, 3 public pools, a racquet center, ice rink, a museum and a zoo; and the renowned Lincoln Center that plays host to professional theater, dance, and music.

See for yourself how great this little town is. Ask at the front desk of the Silver Moon Inn for directions and recommendations of the best spots to visit.