Colorado vacation suggestions (1 Viewer)

[IaHawk]

The family (kids will be 8 and 10) and I are making our first trip to Colorado in June and I’m looking for some suggestions on must do’s while we are there. We are staying in Boulder the first 2 nights with some friends. Next we are staying in Estes Park for 2-3 nights and the last few nights will be in Colorado Springs. Here are some things people have recommended doing besides general hiking, sight seeing, etc:

• Estes Park
• Pikes Peak
• Royal Gorge
• Denver zoo
• Garden of the Gods
• New Belgium Brewery

Thanks in advance for suggestions!

Brian

 

[Beakertwang]

I don’t have a lot of Colorado experience, but I’ll offer this:

The drive from Loveland to Estes Park on Hwy 34 is stunning. The Sink in Boulder is a cool place to eat. One of the best burgers I’ve ever had.

 

[Steamtrain]

Pikes Peak is a favorite of mine.

 

[RowdyRawhide]

You need to do some white water rafting. I've done it at Royal Gorge and it was awesome. Not sure I would take the kids on that one. I've also done one on the Arkansas River outside of Buena Vista last summer and took my 6 year old on that one. We actually did a zip.line outside of Leadville and got it on a combination package with the rafting through Cody a Adventures I think it's called. I highly reccomend the combo.

 

[pltrgyst]

Pikes Peak is a favorite of mine.

Too bad the cog train is closed.

In addition to Garden of the Gods:

The Broadmoor resort and its Golden Bee pub are interesting.

The Air Force Academy is interesting.

Rout 24 to Route 9, through South Park and up to Breckenridge, is a beautiful run, but don't expect much of South Park.

Have fun!

 

[DoubleEagle]

Too bad the cog train is closed.

My favorite family thing to do in CS. Sad.

The Broadmoor resort and its Golden Bee pub are interesting.

Love Bee. Been there many times.

 

[nitzilla]

I’m sure we could get a game going......?
@pokerplayingpisces
@justsomedude
@Kyle
@One Eyed Dollar
@ruskba
@markleteenie
@podunkeric
@luv2breformed
@Moonpie
@Jambine

Although I’ll be at WSOP 19-26th......

 

[Just1Better]

If you like Zoo's the Colorado Springs zoo is a nice one, it's small and on the side of a mountain so lot's of up hill/down hill walking. I think we still have the gondola ride over the zoo which used to be awesome, just not sure they still do it. Manitou Springs is a nice Touristy spot, if you go there and like Mexican, eat at the Loop. If in the Springs and looking for good bakery, Marigolds on Centennial and garden of the Gods road is awesome (they also do a good lunch but a bit spendy). A local favorite for Mexican is Salsa Brava (there are two or three of them, google them). If you like a real good hike google the Manitou Incline - that "stroll" will wake you right up. You're also just a Hop Skip and a Jump from Cripple Creek Gambling and on your way from Boulder/Estes Park to the Springs you're only about an hour from Black Hawk. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

 

[nitzilla]

In Boulder, you could take the family to the Celestial Seasonings factory tour (free) where they make tea, The Sink on the Hill as said earlier is great, Pearl Street for shopping and crazy people watching.
The University of Colorado campus is pretty nice, there's the Fiske Planetarium on campus as well, that has music-themed shows on weekends. Chautauqua Park is nice too, the Royal Arch trail is great, but can be difficult at points if you're not big on hiking....

I'm sure I'll think of more......

 

[IaHawk]

Appreciate all the info guys, keep it coming! As much as I'd like to get some poker in out there, that probably isn't happening.

 

[Just1Better]

If you do Celestial Seasonings your kids will find the Peppermint (or maybe it's Spearmint or maybe it's just mint) room to be something to tell their friends about. And, yea like @nitzilla said, the Pearl Street mall is great family fun with street performers and cafes and shopping. (I grew up in Boulder and remember when Pearl Street was a street and not a mall - yes I'm that old)

 

[fish72s]

The kids would probably like the Great Sand Dunes N.P. in the San Luis valley.

You could do like I did and hike to the top of the tallest dune, strap on a snow board and
then take the snowboard off and walk down the sand dune.

 

[nitzilla]

I grew up in Boulder

I always get the “wife-eye roll” when I say this, but I went to Preschool in Boulder, and I’m over 40 now.......

 

[Just1Better]

Really, where'd you go, which school? Your wife just doesn't get it I did Elementary school at Baseline Elementary basically a one room school house.

 

[nitzilla]

Don’t forget “Casa Bonita” in Denver!!

(Real place, made “infamous” by South Park.....)

 

[Just1Better]

Terrible food, great atmosphere!!

 

[pokerplayingpisces]

New Belgium in Ft. Collins is great! Just beware you must a reservation to take the tour. They open up their calendar a month in advance, and it fills just as soon as it opens (especially in the summer months). There are a lot of other great microbreweries in FTC also, including Odell’s. Also if you want to see one of the big boys, Budweiser has a regional brewery up there, also.

 

[ruskba]

Tandoori Grill in Boulder for excellent Indian food and incredible mango margaritas. Scratch Deli in Estes for delicious sandwiches.

Cave of the Winds and Seven Falls are both in the Springs, and come recommended by my wife.

 

[Just1Better]

Elitch Gardens in Denver, very close to the Pepsi Center where the Nuggets and more importantly the Avs play and right across the Interstate from Mile High Stadium and a stones throw from the 16th Street mall in Downtown Denver -- great food and shopping. There's also a fun Aquarium and Natural History Museum all fairly close together. Am I boring you yet?

 

[nitzilla]

Your wife just doesn't get it

Confirmed........ she’s from Pueblo.......

 

[Just1Better]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure she is a lovely person despite that

 

[Just1Better]

Sorry @IaHawk didn't mean to stroll down memory lane in your thread

 

[DrDysfunctional]

You need to extend your vacation and go to snow mountain ranch. Great place and the kids would love it there.

 

[IaHawk]

New Belgium in Ft. Collins is great! Just beware you must a reservation to take the tour. They open up their calendar a month in advance, and it fills just as soon as it opens (especially in the summer months). There are a lot of other great microbreweries in FTC also, including Odell’s. Also if you want to see one of the big boys, Budweiser has a regional brewery up there, also.

Thanks for the heads up about New Belgium...I'll be sure to get that booked. I also love Odell's...90 Shilling is one of my favorite beers.

 

[slurpeee]

If the Rockies are in town, you can catch the bus from Boulder to Union Station in Downtown Denver. You can take in downtown Denver and walk over to a baseball ball game at Coors Field in LoDo. If your kids have never seen a middle reliever give up a 5 run lead in one inning, this would be a great opportunity for them to see one. The Downtown Aquarium is near there too.... probably too a bit too far to walk, but a 5 min Uber ride.

In Boulder, catch a happy hour/dinner on the patio at the Chataqua Dining hall (see Nitzilla's earlier post about Chataqua Park). Restaurant sits by the park, so kids can play at the park, whilst mom and dad have a glass of wine and watch the sun come down. Pearl Street Mall is a hit, esp on weekend nights in summers.

When in Estes, check out the Stanley Hotel ghost tours.... Note: if it's possible to avoid Estes on the weekend, I would for sure. Also, +1 on whoever mentioned the Peak to Peak highway drive out of Estes. It's beautiful.

If you don't have a place lined up in Colo Springs, Cheyenne Mountain resort has a great set-up for kids. Ours loved it when they were that age. Don't know if the trick still works, but we used to use Hotwire and specify we wanted a 4-star hotel in the region its located (you'll have to do some Google mapping to sort it out). Given how Hotwire gerrymandered their Colo Springs map, it ends up being the only 4 star hotel in that section. So we'd get killer deals and know the "hidden name" of the resort was going to be Cheyenne Mountain. (That was 4-5 years ago. Not sure if still works. YMMV)

Finally, if you can fit it in, IMHO ski resorts in the summer are great (pick one: Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, etc) family vacations. I've lived in Colorado my whole life and still marvel at how nice the ski resorts are in the summer. Glenwood Springs is a bit further away, but again, awesome for kids that age. Most of the mountain resort towns are loaded up with kid stuff to do.. I'd highly, highly recommend a night or two in the hills if time permits.

Have a blast!

 

[slurpeee]

By the way, my parents took me and my sisters to the Royal George when I was 8. I've been scared of heights ever since. So maybe its just that I'm still bitter from that, but I've always thought for the RG is a bit over-rated. Others might disagree.

 

[Trihonda]

• Estes Park (love this place, take old Fall River road in RMNP, and hike RMNP)
• Pikes Peak No experience here
• Royal Gorge (if you can raft, do it)
• Denver zoo
• Garden of the Gods (Crazy cool, kids will love it)
• New Belgium Brewery (DO NOT show them pictures of my game room... )
• I second Cheyanne mountain Resort in Colorado Springs for family amenities)
• I’m into MTBing, so if that’s your thing, hard to beat the trails in the area.

 

[IaHawk]

We just recently decided to plan this vacation and I'm pretty sure my wife tried to book that Cheyanne Mountain Resort but it was sold out for our dates.

@slurpeee Thanks for all the great info. First thing I checked after your post was when we would be in Estes and it looks like Monday through Wednesday...so that's good, should avoid the weekend traffic. I could see my son (totally not me) being afraid of RG, but we will play it by ear and try and talk it up.

@Trihonda Thanks for the feedback, you think the rafting would be something the kids could do? ...and what game room?

 

[pokerplayingpisces]

Don’t forget about Red Rocks. Even if there isn’t a show you’re interested in, the venue is open during the day, to hike and tour.

 

[Trihonda]

you think the rafting would be something the kids could do?

My kids loved it, but they often have height restrictions... and younger kids can only go on the tamest (lamest) rafting boats. The first time in CO, we couldn’t go on any fun rapids, but then they got older, and our last trip, we got to mix it up and have a blast on gnarly rapids...