Walking Around Golden

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, my sister Susan and I visited the old mining towns of Central City and Blackhawk on Sunday. We followed up that adventure by walking around the city of Golden yesterday afternoon. Golden was founded back in 1859, and served as a supply center for Central City and Blackhawk back in the 19th century. Golden was also the capital of the Colorado Territory until 1867, when the fast-growing city of Denver became the territorial capital. Today, Golden is a suburb of Denver, but because it is sheltered from the rest of the metropolitan area by Table Mesa, it has retained its small-town atmosphere and is a popular tourist destination. 

Golden still has many Victorian era buildings, including the Astor House, built in 1867 and Colorado's oldest hotel (actually a rooming house, but when you get right down to it, what's the difference?). There are quite a few beautiful 19th century homes in the city, too, especially in the 12th Street Historic District, where the house in the photograph on the right is located. Many of these homes are from the 1860s and 1870s, close to downtown, including one that has the Golden City Brewery located in its backyard. Talk about a neighborhood amenity!

Perhaps the nicest thing about Golden, besides its location right up against the foothills, is that it is located along Clear Creek, seen in the photograph on the left, with Table Mesa in the background. There is an historic park, with some original pioneer cabins and a one room schoolhouse, located along its banks, as well as walking trails that lead into the nearby mountains. The river is popular with tubers during the summer months, but probably is most famous for being the water source for the Coors Brewery, located just downstream, and which has been around since 1873. Recently, Coors announced that it is restarting its brewery tours, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. However, they now charge $20 for this tour, while the smaller craft breweries around the Denver area charge nothing. Let me think - pay $20 for a Coors Brewery tour and get a sample of Coors beer afterwards, or get a free tour of a craft brewery, buy a couple of pints, and have money left in your pocket? Decisions, decisions.