Fort Collins Bars, Day 1 The Vault, Washingtons Sports Bar and Old Chicago

Sorry for taking so long on this entry. Between family and other obligations, it just got away from me. But I am back! So, let's pick up where I left off in Fort Collins, CO. Now, the first day I got there, I wanted to get started immediately because I had a lot of bars I wanted to visit and I knew that I couldn't wait or I would run out of time. So I started off by going right to Old Town to get started. There are a lot of great bars and taverns as well as micro breweries there and I was able to capture three interesting bars that first day.

First off was The Vault which is located at 146 N College Avenue and housed in an old historic building. It began as the Commercial Bank and Trust Co. in March 1907 and opened as a bar in 1999.

One of the many things you notice right away when you walk through the doors are the high 18 foot ceilings. To the right as you make your way to the bar is the original fireplace which adds a nice touch when the weather gets cold and a Jukebox with a great collection of music.

Interestingly enough, when you look around you will notice a lot of artwork on the walls. The owner since 2002, Rick Thomas, likes to support the local artists and it is here where you will find their work

With an extensive drink menu and at least 10 beers on tap, all of which are micros by the way, The Vault is one of the many bars that fills up fast later in the day and stays full all night.

This is the large vault door which gives the bar it's name. Like most places that have a large door like this next to the bar, the other side is usually a cooler. I was surprised to see what was on the other side.

A small game room! The vault also has a small menu so if you want a quick bite, cold drinks and great conversations with local and visiting patrons, The Vault is the perfect place.

Washington's Sport's Bar & Grille

Next, I walked down the street to Washington's Sports Bar located on 132 LaPorte Ave. (In Old Town). They claim to serve the world's best burger. Since I was back in Fort Collins for the first time in a couple years, I was more about the fresh local micros so I wasn't ready to eat just yet so I can't tell you if that claim is true or not. I will go back and try it next time though!

With a ton of televisions to watch all your favorite sports on to the array of old paraphernalia hanging from the ceiling and walls. Washington's offers everything from air hockey, pool, shuffle board and arcade games to weekly poker tournaments and live trivia. There is something for everyone at any age here at Washington's.

One cool thing to note, Washington's was featured in "Treasures of Colorado". There is also a DJ 2 nights a week and a live band every Friday. One other thing, and I only mention this because I haven't seen one of these since the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium days, in the men's bathroom there is a urinal trough! Oh the memories!

Old Chicago

The last place of the day for me was an old sentimental favorite, Old Chicago. Located on 147 S. College and with locations in 23 states, this is one of the few chain type bars I found to be more like a local only bar. The staff and bartenders tend to stick around a long time which really makes me feel as if this is a really great place to work.

Boasting 110 beers, I had to do the World Tour because the beers on tap were fantastic, mostly Colorado micro beers. You have one year to complete the tour. When I completed the tour, they put my name and completion date on the plaque, right there under the word Hall.

It has a great college base and the pub fare is awesome ranging from pizza to steak sandwiches. Old C's was a place that I liked to stop in almost every night after work, talk to the bartenders, some who are my friends today, and meet my brother-in-law Brian for a few frosty ones and some pool. We had a lot of great times there.

Here is a sample of the long line of tap handles and the different types of beers featured constantly at Old Chicago's.

With my first day coming to an end, it was time for me to pack it up, get some sleep and get ready for the next round of bars and taverns. I covered 18 in about 5 days and needless to say, I have to go back to finish because I could only scratch the surface of what Fort Collins and the Colorado brewing community has to offer!