From our Q&A with RamNation.com:
GH: A lot of Gopher fans are expecting to make the trip to Fort Collins. What are 2-3 "must do" activities and places to eat/grab a few beers in the area?
RN: Hughes Stadium is set right at the foothills and on the other side of the mountain is Horsetooth Reservoir, which is worth taking a drive through to see. Lory State Park is northwest of town and offers great hiking.
Fort Collins is also home to more than two dozen microbreweries, including New Belgium Brewery (which is the fourth largest micro-brewery in the nation and maker of Fat Tire and Sunshine Wheat). It is definitely worth taking the time to tour if you’re a beer drinker. Here’s a list of other breweries to see in the area:
http://fortcollinsbreweryguide.com/breweries.aspx
Old Town Fort Collins (northeast of campus) has great bars, breweries, and restaurants (including Sonny Lubick’s Steakhouse). On the west side of campus, CB & Potts is probably the most popular spot for out-of-town fans coming into games due to its CSU feel and memorabilia. But there are a lot of great restaurants and bars to choose from.
You might as well also drive through campus and take a peek at the freshly graded earth where the new on-campus football stadium will be built and open for play by 2017. There is an official ceremony taking place the morning of the game. The site is on the southwest side of campus, on the northwest corner of Pitkin Drive and Whitcomb Street.
GH: What can Gopher fans expect of the CSU game day experience? Any special traditions that Gopher fans should pay special attention to?
RN: Hughes Stadium is three miles west of campus against the foothills and not near much of anything else. So, there’s wide-open parking (will cost you $10). Most alumni park and tailgate on the south side of the stadium while most students and recent grads park and tailgate on the east side of the stadium. So, park wherever you please depending on what kind of vibe you’re looking for. If bringing kids, take them to “Ram Town” on the southeast corner of the stadium. There’s food, games, inflatables, and more.
CSU football isn’t known for having a lot of great game day traditions. One to be aware of is the very loud cannon (named “Comatose”), which fires during the National Anthem and after every CSU score. If walking on the south concourse during the game make sure to cover your ears if the Rams score!
The large “A” painted on the side of the mountain stands for “Aggies”, which was the university’s mascot up until 1959 when the school changed from Colorado A&M to Colorado State University. (Colorado A&M is also how CSU’s mascot “CAM” got his name.) The “A” on the mountainside made its first appearance in 1923 as a form of school pride, and a group of freshmen were charged with painting it each year. Today it is still painted each fall, not just for tradition but because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires it to be seen from the air as a land marker for planes.
Inside the stadium, there’s not a lot of interesting things to see. But, if you walk through the west concourse, you’ll see a collage of various key moments and wins in CSU football history adorning the walls and columns. Oh, and like TCF Bank Stadium, CSU’s Hughes Stadium is one of a handful of college stadiums that serves beer.
Lastly, the stadium is made up of three parts. The general population and alumni typically sit in the reserved seats on the west side, as well as the north end zone. (Visiting fans typically sit in Section H, I, and the north end zone seats.) The east stands is general admission, designated for students.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/552638?referrer_id=388419
