About 90-minutes North of Denver is the college town of Fort Collins. This is one of my favorite day trips. The shops are adorable, food is good and it has a vibe. It’s a less fancy version of Boulder in a very good way. It also has some kid-friendly activities in the area.

• Morningside Farms: This local all-natural dairy does an EXCEPTIONAL tour of the farm that last about 60 minutes. You see the founding school house, see the “dairy-go-round” that milks the cows, learn about the dairy process and how they are minimizing their environmental impact, get to meet a baby cow and then, taste the milk. This is also where Noosa yogurt is made so they offer samples of that as well. You can’t tour the yogurt facility due to contamination risk, but you walk past it and can see in through a viewing window. It’s got a lot of stairs and is not stroller friendly, so be prepared to walk a solid mile and carry littles who aren’t ready to walk, but all-in-all we loved it a did it several times while living in Denver.

• Fort Collins: In addition to a fun vibe, there are coffee shops, spice shops and my favorite kids bookstore in the town. You can stroll the streets and find everything from gourmet chocolate to gemstones to all-natural jerky, plus fun places to sit and relax in the outdoor spaces and beer gardens.