A couple of years ago we only had a few days for our anniversary so we spent a long weekend in Idaho Springs here in CO. It’s only an hour or so away and was a nice but short getaway. While in the area we decided to a tour of the Phoenix Gold Mine. We had been to a few cave tours like Carlsbad Caverns in NM, but never a gold mine. This was new and different for both of us, and we were excited for our tour.
I am going to share a little history about the mine before I share our experience. According to their website, the Phoenix Gold Mine is a family business was purchased in 1868 by their family of 4th generation Colorado Miners. They estimate that the mine has produced over 100,000 troy ounces of gold. For those of you who didn’t know, like me, one troy ounce is equal to 1.097 standard ounces.
In 1988 they decided to share their passion for prospecting, mining, and panning for gold with others by offering tours. During the tours they talk about geology, history, and mining equipment. You will see 2 different gold veins (gold in its natural setting). Both gold veins are beautiful and quite different because of their mineral content. You will learn about how gold is extracted from the rock and processed to its pure form in our underground mill. It is quite an interesting process.
The day of our tour we got there a little early and waited while the group in front of us finished their tour. We met some of the people that were going to tour with us and were given these fancy hard hats to wear during the tour. You can see our group all ready to go in the picture below.
Our tour guide was not only a guide, but one of the owners. Not surprisingly he was very informative and knew everything about the mine and its working. He explained things in a way that we could understand and really appreciate the impact they have had here in Colorado and area. I felt we were very lucky to have him lead us around and answer any questions we had.
Sadly I don’t remember all the stories he shared, but he was definitely entertaining and I highly suggest doing your own tour and see what you can learn and maybe go home with a trinket of gold if you wish to try your luck at panning for gold.
Tours are given on the hour and each tour is about 1 hour. Tours include a hands-on gold panning lesson with our combo package. Things to note, tours consist of less than 500 feet of walking, but temperature is approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A light jacket or sweatshirt is recommended. One other thing, the Phoenix Mine Company is also dog friendly and more than happy to accommodate your furry friend(s) as long as they are on a leash, get along with other dogs, and are comfortable around other people.
We had a great time touring the mine and definitely learned a lot. If you are in the area, I highly suggest doing a mine tour, especially the Phoenix Gold Mine. Here is a link to their website. You won’t be disappointed. Please drop a comment if you have been on this tour or a similar tour. Would love to hear about your experience. Happy Travels.
Phoenix Gold Mine Visitor Information
Address:
800 Trail Creek Road – Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Phone:
303-567-0422
Hours:
Monday thru Friday 10 am – 4 pm
(Reservations required for the 4pm tour)
Prices:
$25 Adults (17- 64)
$20 Children (4-16)
FREE Babies (0-3)
$20 Seniors (65+) & Veterans (show ID)
15% Clear Creek County Residents (show ID)
Directions:
Take US-6 W and I-70 W to 3rd Ave in Idaho Springs. Take exit 239 from I-70 W.
Parking:
Free
Accessibility:
Q: What is the accessibility for someone physically challenged?
A: Tunnel openings are wide; the pathways are mostly flat with ore car rail. There are no steps. Some can navigate the path with crutches or a walker. Manual wheelchairs have been accommodated with extra assistance. Please call ahead & they will be happy to assist.
Gold Panning Lesson
A: They can provide a stool or chair to sit on during the panning lesson if you ask for one beforehand.
Parking
A: They have a few handicapped parking spaces available beside the gift shop which is located near the mine entrance. Parking lot is covered with gravel. If Creekside Panning is open, you may also park alongside the road by the panning building for easy access to gold panning (please let one of their staff members know that you are parked there).
Join us as we kick off the 2023 Pup Pass season! I won four passes to the Denver area and Northern Colorado area, thus we are going to visit 50 craft breweries in 2023! Please follow us along on this adventure as we share videos from each brewery by clicking on the subscribe button. If you are unfamiliar with Pub Pass, check the link below as we share some details about how it works. I also list all the breweries on these two passes.
BTW, if you are in the local area, let us know as we have 3 passes for Den and NoCo (we had bought two before I won four) and we would be glad to meet up and share a free beer with you. 🍻 Here are breweries 1-5 that we first visited in 2023.
We had agreat time during our visit to Platt Park Brewing. We enjoyed some of their many different styles of beers and had a lively conversation with one of their wonderful employees, Christian. He is also from CA originally so we had some common interests. There is a list of some of the beers there were serving when we visited in Feb 2023, as wells as information about the brewery, in the description area of the video. 🍻
The next place we visited is called A Bit Twisted Brewpub and BBQ in Aurora. We had a wonderful time during our visit, enjoyed some of their many different styles of beers and had a lively conversation with owner and BBQ pit master Matt. He shares a little history about A Bit Twisted Brewpub and their wonderful BBQ options. There is a list of some of the beers there were serving when we visited in Feb 2023, as wells as information about the brewery in the video description. 🍻
The 3rd of our Pub Pass breweries we visited was Crystal Springs Brewing Company in Louisville, CO. We had an enjoyable time during our visit and enjoyed some of their many different styles of beers. We also had a fun conversation with one of the employees, Russo. He shares a little history about Crystal Springs Brewery and some of his favorites. Again, there is a list of some of the beers there were serving when we visited in Feb 2023, as wells as information about the brewery in the video description area. 🍻
Here we are at Mountain Cowboy Brewing Company in Loveland, CO. We had a wonderful time during our visit, enjoyed some of their many different styles of beers, had a blast playing games with our friends, and had a fun conversation with two of the employees. They shared a little about the location in Loveland, as well as their location further south in Frederick, CO. We will be making it to that one later this year. They also have a coffee roastery which was quite interesting. Anyway, there is a list of some of the beers there were serving when we visited in Feb 2023, as wells as information about the brewery in video description. 🍻
Address:
6402 Union Creek Dr, Loveland, CO 80538
Phone:
303-952-4433
Hours:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 7 am – 9 pm
Wednesday: 7 am – 9 pm
Thursday: 7 am – 9 pm
Friday: 7 am – 10 pm
Saturday: 7 am – 10 pm Sunday – 8 am – 8 pm
The sixth brewery I am sharing is Six Capital Brewing Company in Aurora, CO. We had an amazing time during our visit and enjoyed some of their many different styles of beers and good food. Spoke with a Six Capitol employee named Taylor who was energetic and fun to talk to. We look forward to visiting again one day in the future, and hope you can too. In the meantime, the list of some of the beers there were serving when we visited in Feb 2023, as wells as information about the brewery is in the video description. 🍻
This is just the first five of 50 craft breweries we will be visiting with the Pub Pass during 2023! Each one is so unique and have different styles of beer, food, etc. Some are dog friendly, some are not. We always check before we visit if we want to bring our little fur baby. Please come back soon as I will post 6-10 once I have posted all ten videos. In the meantime, enjoy the videos and plase hit the like button. Also, don’t forget to hit click the subscribe button if you want to follow along on our beer tour adventures on You Tube. Please let me know if you have been to any of these breweries and let me know your experience(s). Cheers! (or as they say in Germany Prost!)
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is something I had wanted to visit and explore for quite a while. I was very happy to be able to see it on our latest trip to the area. For those that may not know, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum is in honor and dedicated to the artistic legacy of none other than Georgia O’Keefe. More about her life throughout this post. For now I want to share more about the museum itself. Continue reading “Georgia O’Keeffe Museum – Santa Fe, New Mexico”
If you love horror movies, stores, and legends, Denver is the place to be according to an article posted by CBS Denver. They describe the horror living in Denver and some of the most haunted places throughout the Denver area. Continue if you dare, lol Continue reading “The Horror Living near Denver, Colorado”
Celebrating their 116th year this month, the National Western Stock Show will start this weekend on January 8th and runs through the 23th. According to their site, they state that the 16-day show serves as an entertainment arena, hosting one of the world’s richest regular season professional rodeos, the “Super Bowl” of Livestock Shows, nationally recognized Horse Shows and Colorado’s largest Western Trade Show. Continue reading “National Western Stock Show – Denver Colorado Trade Show”
When people mention or think of the Stanley Hotel their first thoughts might be “The Shining”. There is a reason for that I will get to it in a bit. For now however, I’d like to share a little bit about the hotel, where it’s located, etc. The Stanley Hotel is located in Estes Park, Colorado about five miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. This 140 room Colonial Revival hotel also includes a restaurant and spa with panoramic views of Lakes Estes, the Rockies, and Longs Peak. It is in a very beautiful location. Btw, I have been there many times with different family and friends that have been here in Colorado to visit so these pictures are from multiple visits through the last 15 or so years. They are in no particular order.
In November of 2019 we did a staycation and spent a long weekend at the Hyatt Place here in Boulder, CO. While there we were able to do something that we hadn’t done since we’ve lived here in CO, we walked up and down Pearl Street Mall. Here is a little bit of trivia for those interested, the Pearl Street Mall was officially dedicated on August 6, 1977. It was nice to be out and about, but the most fun was watching all the street performers. It was a little chilly, but not too bad for the beginning of November. Continue reading “Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, CO – Boulder’s Commercial Artery”
Everybody knows that the Automobile Association of America (AAA) has roadside assistance, and will be there when you need them. Heck, I have been with them for over 25 years and have used them quite a few times. There is nothing like seeing that big white truck coming to help you. It’s like a knight in shining armor coming to save the day. Ok, maybe not, but if you are stuck on the side of the road, you are definitely relieved to see them.
In November of 2017, we celebrated our 25th dating anniversary and did a staycation. Since we wanted to stay close, we decided to stay at the Hyatt Place Boulder in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. On previous adventures, we had stayed at a couple of other Hyatt properties in Denver, the Grand Hyatt, and the Hyatt Regency. However, we had never stayed at a Hyatt Place. Thus we were excited to be able to spend some time checking out this newer hotel. Continue reading “Hyatt Resorts – Hyatt Place Hotel in Boulder, Colorado”