Aurora

On Denver's eastern edge, the metropolis gives way to prairie – and this is where you'll find Aurora, Colorado's third-largest city. A trip to Aurora is well worth it if you're staying near the airport but still want to enjoy nature, lakes, and a surprisingly diverse international food scene. For a vacation in Colorado, the city is a practical and often affordable base, with views of the Rocky Mountains on the western horizon.

From Prairie Settlement to Major City

Aurora was founded in 1891 as Fletcher and received its present name, a reference to the dawn, in 1907. For a long time it was a small suburb, until military installations such as Fitzsimons Army Hospital, where President Eisenhower was treated after a heart attack in 1955, and Lowry Air Force Base brought growth beginning in World War II. The Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado, one of the largest medical centers in the western United States, was built on the Fitzsimons grounds. Today, Aurora is home to people from more than 130 countries.

Sights and Nature

Aurora Reservoir and Cherry Creek State Park on the city limits offer swimming, sailing, paddling, and bike paths with mountain views. The Plains Conservation Center preserves a piece of original shortgrass prairie with prairie dogs and replica pioneer cabins. The Aurora History Museum and Stanley Marketplace, a converted factory of the aircraft supplier Stanley Aviation that now houses shops, restaurants, and a brewery, show the city's history and its modern face. Golfers will find several public courses, including Murphy Creek. The Gaylord Rockies Resort near the airport, with its water park and winter shows, is a destination for families.

Eating in Aurora

Aurora's restaurants are among the most international in the Denver area. Along Havana Street and East Colfax Avenue you'll find a string of Korean barbecue spots, Ethiopian restaurants serving injera, Vietnamese pho kitchens, Mexican taquerías, Salvadoran pupusas, and grocery stores from around the world. Smaller residential areas such as Chambers Heights and Sable in the north are quiet and family-friendly, while shopping centers like the Town Center at Aurora draw visitors from across the region.

Culture and Recreation

Aurora has its own cultural district around East Colfax Avenue, with the Aurora Fox Arts Center, a theater in a former movie house, and galleries. In summer, concerts and festivals take place at the Aurora Municipal Center and in the parks, including Global Fest, which celebrates the city's diversity. Families visit the Morrison Nature Center or bike along the Highline Canal Trail, a long greenway that runs through the entire region.

Getting Around, When to Go, and Day Trips

Denver International Airport almost borders Aurora, and the A-Line light rail stops at several stations in the city and continues on to downtown Denver. The R-Line connects Aurora from north to south, but for many destinations a car is handy. The best time to visit is summer, with warm, dry days and occasional afternoon thunderstorms; winter is sunny but cold. Day trips lead to Denver with its museums, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Boulder, and the Rocky Mountains, for example the ski area at Winter Park or Rocky Mountain National Park.