One of my favorite things to do is have pretend vacations. During some tough years, we enjoyed creating staycations. It was fun and we realized we could be on a budget, be creative, and have lots of fun. Some visitors to Northern Colorado may prefer a slower pace and we can certainly accommodate that. One particular day theme is related to everything “French.” There are plenty of options for having French days in Northern Colorado.
No doubt we have a wonderful cafe culture here. As soon as the sun comes out, our wind dies down (our own mistral which is currently blowing at 35 mph) and the temperature gets above 50, everyone is out and about and hopefully at an outdoor patio. On a beautiful, clear day when the lavender is blooming, you can close your eyes and pretend you are somewhere in France. OK, so a few things are missing but we can certainly fill in a few things with places to go and things to do in the Front Range area.
French Days in Northern Colorado
Forage for Mushrooms
Starting in late April through late August, foragers are out all over Colorado searching for mushrooms. Half the fun is just being out in the beautiful mountains! The other half is exploring and looking down for morels, boletes, astrellus, or chanterelles. Instead of the magnificent views, or keeping an eye for a mountain lion or bear, you are partaking in contemplative walks, enjoying the padded forest floor, a stream and funghi that pop up here and there.
Enjoy Some Wineries
Growing grapes is a bit of challenge here on the Front Range but there are a few varietals that are doing well in Northern Colorado. The best Colorado grapes are grown on the Western Slope around Palisades. The area is beautiful and reminiscent of some of the viticulture areas in California and Western Europe. Best known for their peaches, the area has some outstanding wineries and produces a number of red and wine varietals including cab franc, which does very, very well in the climate.
You can certainly enjoy some good wines at the following wineries, and with a few of the wineries, you may also get a beautiful view of the Rockies or massive geological formations that I wish I knew the name of!
Sweetheart Winery in Loveland, about 15 miles away
Blue Mountain Winery – Berthoud, about 35 miles away
Ten Bears Winery – best tasting for the money
Click here to read more places we can wine about!
Shop
When I need a mini-mini vacation, I love to go browse at EsScentuals in downtown Fort Collins. This charming shop has a very French vibe and also hosts one of the few underground shop areas functioning in our downtown. The shop is tastefully decorated and the faux murals on the floors and wall are truly works of art. The shop offers a selection of locally-crafted, domestic & imported bath, body & home fragrance lines, perfume & essential oils, wrapping paper & cards, jewelry, and unique vintage & contemporary decor, beautiful linens, and soft bath attire.
Eat and Drink
Who doesn’t love to eat and drink? I have my favorites when I want to feel a little French!
La Creperie – La Creperie has the best gallettes. When you step inside this charming cafe, you are immediately transported to a Paris bistro somewhere near the Latin Quarter. It’s a bit challenging to eat outside as the cafe faces College Avenue. It can get a bit noisy but I suppose if you close your eyes you can pretend you are on the Champs-Élysées and that’s just a bit of noisy Paris traffic. The restaurant is a cafe and bakery offering the best French baked goods including pastries and the loveliest of macarons. I love to pick up croustades for appetizers and epis for dinner parties. The French bread is out of this world. Crusty and crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside. It pairs perfectly with butter and jam!
Fox and Crow – The Fox and Crow has recently expanded and offers a large outdoor patio for enjoying your meal and people watching. Located in mid-town, they offer a very extensive selection of domestic and foreign cheese and charcuterie. They are the only place in town offering a variety of pâtés well. The presentation of each of their menu items is lovely down to the crema on the tomato basil soup. It’s always a delight to enjoy a specialty sandwich like the Figgy Pig, and take some deli items back home for a later treat.
Social – The awesome underground bar with a soft industrial with a hint of Belle Epoch offers hand-crafted period cocktails and small bites. We particularly love this bar as it is seating only. No standing thus no crowding. You may have to wait for a seat, as many do late in the evening, but it is worth the wait to try their specialty drink, Lavender Sour paired with yummy salmon pâté and a charcuterie tray.
Longmont Cheese Importers – This is a fascinating cheese store and European bistro in Longmont, about 30 minutes from Fort Collins. It is situated in a red brick warehouse near downtown with dancing sunflowers in the front during the summer months. Walk inside and you can easily imagine yourself in an intimate cafe, perhaps in a French arrondissement, with multiple levels of quaint shopping areas and more eating spaces upstairs. The walk-in cooler cheese shop is the size of a small house with cheeses and accompaniments from all over the world. Order a French Onion Soup, a tart, and salad and enjoy the view of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker on the outdoor patio.
Cycling
There are very few places you cannot cycle to in all the Northern Colorado towns. Longmont, Loveland, Boulder and Fort Collins are bike-friendly cities. For Fort Collins, be sure and bike downtown to enjoy a coffee, wine, or a handcrafted chocolate at Nuance chocolate!
Farmers Markets
One of the best things about summer and early fall in Northern Colorado are the local farmer’s markets. Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins all have weekly markets where you can enjoy the freshest of produce, eggs, meat, mushrooms, and flowers. A special treat is the French Nest Open Air Market in Fort Collins that occurs June through October. Grab your sunhat, sunglasses, and market bag and head off for a healthy morning! It will not take much for you to feel a little Parisian on market day!
Paris is always a good idea – Audrey Hepburn
