Lots of Love for Loveland (including Fort Collins)
We stayed in Loveland for a couple of days and loved that it had such a focus on outdoor art that was both free and accessible with a dog. While there we also visited nearby Fort Collins, which has a very small town feel to it and lots of great places to eat and drink.
THINGS TO DO - LOVELAND
The McWhinney-Hahn Sculpture Park
This park didn’t have as many sculptures as I was expecting, but it does have the well known ‘LOVE’ sculpture, that is worth a visit. If you choose, you can also add your own engraved lock to the sculpture. In this park you’ll also find the Loveland Visitors center (open Monday - Saturday if you’re after maps or any info on local attractions. There is parking available on site and the park is free to enter.
The very cool LOVE sculpture
Chapungu Sculpture Park
This park was located right across from our hotel and so we visited it every day with Beatle as it was a lovely place to take a walk. Chapungu (pronounced cha-poon-goo) is a 26 acre park and has a 1.5 mile walking trail that meanders through pretty trees, gardens and water features. The park is unique as it features 82 African stone sculptures carved by artists from Zimbabwe. The park has plenty of seating, water fountains and toilets and is free to visit. For more info click here.
Beautiful and quiet, Chapungu is a great spot to walk your dog
Benson Sculpture Garden
We didn’t get to visit this park but I wanted to include it as it looked really great. Located at 2908 Aspen Drive in Loveland, Colorado, this ten acre park has over 170 sculpture on permanent display by a variety of artists from around the world. The park is free to enter and you and your dog will enjoy walking through the pretty grounds. For more information click here.
Loveland Historic District
The historic district of Loveland is quite compact, so you can easily explore it on foot. Covering a few blocks, you’ll find more outdoor art, including some good murals and lots of locally run stores and eateries. We pretty much just ate our way around town, trying everything from beer, to pizza, to ice cream and donuts. Its well worth a visit if you’re staying locally and you can see most of it in a couple of hours.
Visit Scheels Loveland
Not being American, we had never been to a Scheels before. If you haven’t either, its basically a mega store full of outdoor / sporting goods, homewares, clothing and footwear - but with a twist… The building itself is an attraction, as inside you’ll find lots of things to see and do while you shop, such as arcade games, a small aquarium, ferris wheel (yes, inside the building!), lots of animal displays, interactive photo ops etc.
Just your standard, run of the mill indoor ferris wheel…
Plus its super friendly and even has a pet section where you can pick up food, toys or other supplies for your dog. It really is its own unique and fun experience! The staff are really friendly and we spent over an hour exploring the entire store.
There are lots of interactive exhibits in this cool store!
The Promendade Shops at Centerra
If you’re keen to do a bit of shopping in Loveland then this centre has over 70 shops and restaurants. Dogs on lead can visit common areas and while they are not allowed inside every store, those that do permit dogs will have a sticker on their door / window to indicate that they are pet friendly. Some stores have water bowls and there are pet stations on site as well. For a list of stores that allow dogs click here.
EAT AND SLEEP
We stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Loveland Fort Collins and had a great stay in this dog-friendly hotel. It was located right across the road from the Chapungu Sculpture Park and was only a 15 min walk (or 5 min drive) to the Promenade Shops in one direction and the same to reach another large shopping complex that had lots of stores, including Scheels. For more info click here.
I can’t remember all of the places we ate at, but near the hotel was the Lazy Dog Bar & Grill which had a large outdoor patio, great selection of food and live music.
IN SUMMARY
Loveland should be on your wish list if you’re a fan of art and dogs - as having three outdoor sculpture gardens that not only allow pets, but are free to enter is a real drawcard. Throw in some great places to eat, drink and shop and you have a pretty perfect weekend!
For more information on visiting Loveland with your dog click here.
The drive between Loveland and Fort Collins only takes around 25 mins and is well worth the trip.
THINGS TO DO - FORT COLLINS
Main Street and Downtown Fort Collins
The town has a pretty tree lined main street, which apparently inspired parts of Main Street DIsneyland. Today you can see buildings here such as the Town Hall, Old Linden Hotel, Old Firehouse Bookstore and others that formed part of this inspiration.
Pretty Old Town Square in Fort Collins
The town itself has a small town, friendly feel to it and is full of great looking bars and restaurants. As you walk around and explore you’ll come across the Old Town Square that includes a kid and dog-friendly splash pad, artworks and is surrounded by bustling shops and eateries. As you explore the streets you’ll also find some interesting art and murals.
The Exchange
This is a great open air area / plaza surrounded by a range of really great looking bars and eateries that have both indoor and outdoor seating. It also hosts a number of events throughout the year and had a lot of buzz when we visited.
Inside the Exchange you can’t miss the distinctive Old Town Churn, that is not only a cute photo op, but a cool ice cream store that also offers pup cups! For more info click here.
The Old Town Churn is soooo cute!
Breweries
Fort Collins is well known for its craft beer scene and has over 20 breweries, many of which welcome well behaved dogs. For a list of dog-friendly breweries in Fort Collins (and if they allow dogs indoors or only on their patios), you can click here.
If you’re interested in finding local hikes you can do with your dog click here.
For more information on pet friendly stores in Fort Collins click here.