Colorado Wanderer: the armstrong Hotel

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An Article in a Travel Magazine Leads me to The armstrong hotel in Fort Collins

I found myself this past summer in Fort Collins at the Armstrong Hotel. I was on a business trip, just completing a visit with a customer in Black Hawk. “Fort Collins isn’t anywhere near Black Hawk,” I can hear those of you who know the area saying to me. Well, that is accurate. I found myself here for two reasons. I saw an article in my Travel & Leisure magazine about how cool Fort Collins has become, which included a blurb on this hotel, and I like to wander.

Every time I visit my customer in Black Hawk, I include time for myself. I work, then I explore.

On one trip, I ventured south to Canon City. I visited the Royal Gorge Bridge. Then I weaved my way into Cripple Creek to relive a childhood memory (which is significantly different nowadays), back up through Colorado Springs, and then to the airport.

On another trip, I headed north to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I’d never been to Wyoming, and even though I barely crossed the state line, I can now say I’ve been there with the 60-plus-mile-an-hour winds that felt like my car door was going to blow off when I opened it.

Once I took my then twelve-year-old son with me. After I finished working, we spent time at The Stanley Hotel chasing ghosts, went through Rocky Mountain National Park, and on to Grand Lake Lodge, where we rented a quadrunner and got lost in the woods (just momentarily, though).

And yet, on another trip, my son and husband met me in Denver, flying out after I concluded working, and we headed to Woodland Park to an Airbnb, a good home base for Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods, and a fantastic wolf refuge.

This trip wasn’t any different. I’d never been to Fort Collins, so why not check it out?

Leaving Black Hawk, I made my way to Estes Park on the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway (I’ve done this so often I don’t need GPS anymore). Then stopping at The Stanley Hotel, where I had lunch, but bourbon was my priority. I tried a bourbon with my son’s name (seriously, I’ve got a passion for bourbon. I have no idea how I would come to name my son after a bourbon.) After lunch, I headed to the Pet Cemetary, strolled in the gardens, then unwound on the huge front porch, appreciating the view of the mountains.

And this leads me back to where I started this tale—Fort Collins. I inserted the Armstrong Hotel into my GPS, found the back way, and off I went.

Fort Collins has a very hipster, young professional’s vibe. It is a college town with Colorado State University located here. The Armstrong Hotel was easy to find in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins.

I parked in one of the nearby parking lots behind the hotel for free. It’s not always free, and I don’t know why I got it for free. But the lots were easy and convenient.

The hotel appeared full of young professionals and young couples with dogs, but all were mostly younger than me. I loved the classy character of the interior design. I threw my bags in my room and headed to the lobby to the Ace Cafe for cocktail hour and dinner.

The drinks and the food were fantastic. I was not expecting the food to be as good as it was. And OMG, the cocktail! It was called “Roof on Fire”, a mix of bourbon, demerara, Angostura, and flamed rosemay. Yes, you read that right, flamed…they set the rosemary sprigg on fire at my table. It was delicious.

I enjoyed sitting in the lobby, having dinner and cocktails, watching the young folk gather in the corner, meeting friends, and talking about their day.

My room was very relaxed and comfortable, with hardwood floors and an area rug (which I love). It was somewhat small, but I’m okay with that. That often comes with staying in a historical building. Having more accessible outlets and USB plugs would have been more suitable. The bed was fantastic. I slept fabulously.

Upon leaving Fort Collins, I realized I had had a great experience. However, it wasn’t the typical mountain town I’d grown to love. It’s not a bad thing; it’s just different. The mountain range is slightly off in the distance. Being from the Midwest with no mountains anywhere to be seen, I want to be in them, feel them, see them—you get the picture.

Knowing I needed to get to the airport early in the evening, I decided to head out right after breakfast. I wanted to stop and see another area in town—the Flatirons. I didn’t hike them (I’m not much of a hiker), but I walked around a bit, then pulled out my computer with the hatch-up on my rental car and worked with the Flatirons in front of me. Best office I had on the trip.

Boulder is nearby, and being a town I’ve never visited, I headed to Pearl Street. I’ve heard about this street from @wander4inspiration and wanted to go check it out. It has plenty of stores for shopping and restaurants for lunch. I found a cute store with handmade gifts and bought myself a pair of earrings.

When I left Boulder and arrived at the airport, I had soaked up a couple of days of mountain air. I was ready to head back to St. Louis, fully refreshed and ready to get back to work.

I’m already thinking about my next visit to Colorado and where I will explore. The state is big, with so many places to see. I may need to take more than one extra day on my next visit to Black Hawk.

Where should I go next?

To see the map of the route I took, click this link.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=12TSl2u4X87y6rrqU_Md9PxHlkH2jkzk&ll=40.14181677007511%2C-105.1094188&z=9

To see more of my favorite hotels, check out Best Boutique Hotels in the US and The Grand Beacon Hotel in San Francisco.

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