23. August 2010 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries: Part 2 — Golden, CO · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

After Rose’s Saturday night reception, we checked out of the hotel on Sunday morning and enjoyed a beautiful drive up to Golden, about 25 miles west of Denver. There were two things in particular we wanted to see in Golden: The Colorado Railroad Museum and the Coors Brewery Tour.

I’m falling behind on my posts so I’ll speed things up a bit. Less talk, more pictures.

We were in awe of all the bicycles on the roads. I’m sure bike riding is a popular Sunday morning activity there — they were conquering some pretty impressive hills/inclines!

From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum
From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum
From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

First stop, the Railroad Museum! We made it there right when it opened up. This facility is about the size of the Strasburg RR or the NC Transportation Museum, and is full of pieces from Colorado’s railroads over the past years (which Dave could speak to more than I could). For a small extra fee, you could ride around the museum on a Galloping Goose, which was one of the Rio Grande Southern’s converted Pierce Arrow limousines. Learn more about Galloping Geese here. Enjoy some pictures!

From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum
From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum
From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum

Jacob got to ride shotgun in the Galloping Goose!

From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum
From 2010 08 08 Colorado RR Museum

After the museum we went into downtown Golden and had lunch at a restaurant there. Then we headed over to the Coors Brewery for their free tour. And what a line there was! We waited 45 minutes in the sun but made it onto the bus and over to the brewery, whoo hoo!

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour
From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour
From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour
From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

We received these audio tour handsets, you dialed the numbers on the tour and listened to the guy talk. Only the adults could get the handsets, but the kids hijacked them and enjoyed listening about how the beer is made here:

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

All those kettles….mmmmm:

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

Cool facts about Coors beer:

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour
From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

The packaging line:

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

Like all these other tourist attractions we go to, you’re yanked aside on the way in for a photograph. We did that, and we were handed the pictures on the way through the tasting area. If you don’t like the picture, you hand it back on the way out of the brewery. My iPhone accidentally captured a likeness of the picture:

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

Oops 🙂

Dave enjoyed his glass of “Colorado Native” beer, and I enjoyed some Blue Moon.

From 2010 08 08 Coors Brewery Tour

After the tour, at about 4pm, we packed up and continued our journey into the mountains. Next stop: Estes Park!