By Heidy Ornelas

Colorado doesn’t suffer from the humid summer heat felt in other cities, but there are bound to be a few days in May, June, and August where you’ll be ready for a cool and refreshing activity.

When summer winds down and you’re looking for things to do, make sure you scratch the surface of everything Colorado has to offer.
America’s only downtown theme and water park, Elitch Gardens, opened on May 3 and offers 53 rides, live entertainment, thrilling roller coasters and an entire water park. Be the first to ride their all new 7-story Steel Looping Thrill Ride! One day passes are $34.99, but Elitch Gardens offers an annual season pass for only $69.99. Now, if you’re planning to go more than one day this summer, it’s recommended that you get the annual season pass because it covers a two day admission. There’s nothing like saving up money to go on adventurous rides.

When the thermometer reaches its zenith, the best place to cool down is an old fashioned waterpark. Just north of Denver stands Water World, one of the largest water parks in the country, which will open soon on May 24. Denver’s beloved summer attraction has a number of worthy water rides including speed slides, tube rides and a children’s lagoon with a five-story tree house. The all-day ticket from 10a.m. – 6p.m. costs $40.99, and the mid-day ticket from 1:45pm – 6pm only costs $25.A dip in the wave pools, will make you forget all about the summer heat!

The St. Mary’s Glacier hike makes an ideal day trip just in Summit County. It’s not too difficult of a hike, and it sure has amazing scenery. The hike has a beautiful lake at the bottom of the glacier, and you can see for miles up at the top. The elevation can be rough but you adjust rather quickly. The lake is a mile away from the parking lot. Parking only costs $5 only.

In summertime, there are many more places to visit in Colorado. Even if it’s visiting the Denver Zoo, the Denver Art Museum, and the Downtown Aquarium, summer is just around the corner, and everyone is tired of hearing the word “bored.” So check these places out! It all depends on what you like to do and if you want to do anything this summer. These are all some suggestions of fun attractions that many people like to visit here in Colorado in the summer. So don’t just sit inside all day, go have fun outside, enjoy the days you have off of school, and, most of all, have fun and enjoy yourself because summer only happens once a year!