You don’t have to leave to escape — there are plenty of ways to feel like a tourist in your own town.
Tool around on a B-cycle () and explore a part of the city you’ve never seen — take one to the Platte River Greenway and have a picnic along the river while watching the kayakers — or hop on the open-air Platte Valley Trolley at Confluence Park () to see where it goes.
If you have more than a few days free, check out the Mile High Culture Pass — for $52.80, you can visit seven museums at a savings of $25 (or pay $25 for three, saving $12). There’s not a loser in the bunch. Included in the pass, which has to be used within five days of activation, are the , the , , , the , and the . In addition, you save 50 percent on a Denver B-cyle membership and get discounts on other museum admissions around town.
Looking for something a little less, well, tame? The Wild Animal Sanctuary (1946 County Road 53, ) is only a 45-minute drive north of Denver in Keenesburg, but the African lions, black and grizzly bears, wolves, leopards, tigers and other animals that thrive at this rescue facility make it feel otherwise. With its open feel over 720 acres of grassland, the nonprofit sanctuary is designed so that visitors are high above the 300 or so rescued animals, so they feel no threat, and you can wander along the walkways, observing these majestic creatures at your leisure. Cost: $15 adult, $7.50 ages 3-12
