Vacation Time! (Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder: where to stay, how much, hotel)

[pheaton]

Hello everyone. I'm from Omaha, NE. My wife and I are thinking about driving out to Colorado sometime before the weather gets too cold. We are trying to figure out where to go, where to stay, etc.. We'll have about a week or so.

We like the outdoors, but aren't planning on doing much in the way of hiking, kayaking, or skiing on this trip. This is more of a see the outdoors, but stay out of it trip. We wouldn't mind walking a trail in our tennis shoes to get a great view of some scenery, but not any big time hiking trip. We are looking to soak in some good scenery and some good food. We also would like to do some shopping, although not a huge amount of shopping and not necessarily to buy anything, just kind of look around.

There are a couple of things we want to hit.

Denver - I have a couple of rollercoasters at Elitch Gardens I have to check off my list. Is it worth spending a couple days in Denver? What else should we check out in Denver?

Boulder - I'm a weather/science geek. So I'm going to stop by UCAR's science lab/museum. That will not take the whole day by any means, what else should we check out in Boulder?

Colorado Springs - My wife has never seen the mountains. So I think a trip up Pikes Peak is necessary, everyone has to do it once, right? I think we'd like 7 Falls, and maybe a Cave tour would be fun. Maybe the Royal Gorge. How long do these things take? What else should we check out?

People here rave about Estes Park. It seems like this is mostly for people that want to do a lot of outdoor adventures. We'd like to check out some of the cool stores and get some good food and see some nice scenery. Is it worth a stop? How many days would you give it?

Anywhere else that we should consider?

Thanks in advance.

[CosmicWizard]

IMO, the best of Colorado lies west of the continental divide, and it looks you are planning to stay on the eastern side. If you feel a bit more adventurous, consider a visit to Crested Butte. You can stroll thru the downtown area with it many shops, and eat in the outdoor cafe at the Brick Oven. For an easy walk that you could do in your barefeet if you desired to do so, you could walk the paved recreation path from the town of Crested Butte to the Crested Butte ski village about two and a half miles further up the mountain. It's an easy walk, perhaps 5 miles round trip. If 5 miles is too much for you, you could ride the FREE shutttle up to the ski village and walk down the recreation path.

[Mike from back east]

Your plan sounds good.

Pikes Peak can be driven but you should take the Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the summit and get some of their famous donuts in the gift shop. The train trip is narrated and very enjoyable. Remember, whatever the temperature is down in town, it will be 30 degrees colder up top, and always windy.

Estes Park is great, go all the way around Trail Ridge Road but do it before it closes for the winter, usually in October. If you go all the way around, you might want to eat in Grand Lake, very scenic, though there are a lot of dead trees up there due to beetle kill.

Consider the drive up Mount Evans, stopping for a meal in Idaho Springs at Beaujeau's Pizza or the Main Street Restaurant directly across the street. Avoid the overpriced buffalo burger place that is heavily advertised. It's an easy day trip with time left over.

We did such a trip in 1995, staying in lower downtown (LoDo) Denver in the historic Oxford Hotel, one block off of the 16th street pedestrian mall with its free bus and one block from Union Station and the light rail line. Very safe. Walk to all sorts of food, shopping, COLO Rockies baseball games, Tattered Covered Bookstore, and many more attractions.

COLO SPGS was a day trip for us from Denver, max of 90 minutes driving time from the Oxford to COLO SPGS where you can visit any number of things, like the USAF Academy visitors center, drive through Garden of the Gods park, Pioneer Museum, Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame (http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/joomla/ - broken link), take the cog train, and walk around Manitou with it's great eateries.

[Prodigal Native]

When I lived in Denver one of my favorite day trips was to go up Mt. Evans. Stop in Idaho Springs for a buffalo burger or Beau Jo's pizza; neither one will be the best meal you ever had, but I would argue they are Colorado traditions.

The trip up Mt. Evans is a nice drive with a couple of opportunities to get out and walk around a little. Echo Lake is beautiful and good for a short to medium walk and while Summit Lake is not as classically scenic I actually like it better.

Continue up to the top of the mountain (highest paved road in North America) and then walk the final few minutes to the summit and you can claim you have been to the top of a 14er.

There is a decent chance of seeing some mountain goats, especially close to the summit, and photo opportunities abound - well worth the $10 or so they charge.

Depending on your plans, you can drive back down the mountain and either head in to the mountains (1 hour to Breckenridge or Copper Mountain, 1.25 to Vail from Idaho Springs) or back to Denver.

[Idunn]

Well . . .

First off, you should visit Estes Park.

We can get to that in a bit, but a recommended itinerary would be reliant on part on how full a week you have to spend, and how much driving during that time you might like to do.

Assuming you have a full week, with not part of that including a long commute from Iowa or someplace, then you may well wish to visit areas of southwest Colorado on this excursion. That will entail more driving, but well worth it if wishing to see some of the best of the mountains.

Insofar as the front range is concerned, well, to begin with, none of it is actually in the mountains, even if often in places a good view of them as panorama. If Elitch Gardens is your primary interest in Denver there is no reason to remain there beyond a roller-coaster ride or two, not unless you just like exploring cities.

Colorado Springs falls into the same category. You could probably do all the activities mentioned in a day. Pikes Peak is probably interesting - I wouldn't know - but insofar as visiting mountains is concerned you can surely do better. If you must visit Colorado Springs, then at least take the time to swing by its adjacent neighbor, and much more cute town, Manitou Springs.

Boulder is just a lovely town with a great setting. You wouldn't be amiss in spending the entire day and night there if liking such places. For some light hiking (or more if desired) a great trailhead would be from Chautauqua (from 9th St. and Baseline Rd.). Less strenuous hiking in town to some great shops would be on the pedestrian mall of Pearl Street. If the desire to visit a beautiful university, then take the time to walk a bit of the western side of the CU campus. Suitable lodging can of course be found, with lots of great options in dining. Also, a lovely excursion can be had by taking Canyon Blvd. west to the small mountain town of Nederland, about 20 miles distant.

From Boulder, Estes Park is not much more than an hour's drive beyond. If loving beautiful mountains, basically criminal if you do not take the time to visit. The town itself should serve well enough if your interest in shopping extends not much farther than locally themed tourist trinkets. The board of fare will vary from okay to rather good, if you seek out the better restaurants. However what makes Estes Park is its magnificent setting. That is why you should go. You can wear out your camera with one great view after another most everywhere looked in Estes Park. But bring another, because such beauty extends right through adjacent Rocky Mountain National Park.

If on a short time budget, but loving mountains, forget Pikes Peak and head straight to RMNP. If sadly the tragedy of its forests, which the NPS may try to mislead you into thinking mankind not responsible, we need not otherwise discuss this - and today it is still largely the picture of loveliness. Highly recommenced taking the time for a leisurely drive across the Park on Trail Ridge Road (highest elevation: 12,183 feet). A drive of beauty all the way to Grand Lake at the far side.

From Grand Lake one could just be warming up. For instance in angling over towards Breckenridge and the other fair towns of Summit County. Or, possibly, visiting them in what is a scenic drive on I-70 from Denver. Either way a good jumping off point to points beyond. Say maybe Leadville (elevation: 10,152 feet) to the enchanting hamlet of Twin Lakes, thence splendid Independence Pass (elevation: 12,095 feet) to tony Aspen.

With this of course but on the way to maybe Lake City, or on the Million Dollar Highway the ever lovely Ouray.

How much time did you say you had?

[Mike from back east]

Whatever you do here, be sure to drink a lot of water, this climate will dry you out in no time.

Sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, hat, and saline nasal spray will protect you from our desert-dry air and damaging sun rays.

[wanneroo]

In terms of doing anything in the mountains, I'd get it done by the end of September. The aspen leaves start turning a little in late August and in September it goes full blast and will rapidly fade out in October. Usually the first dust of snow starts in September, just depends. Mt. Evans, I haven't bothered to check in a while, but I think that closes in Sept. as well.

My favorite time to visit is in Sept. due to the fall colors. Sometimes the weather is cranky, but when it is nice, it is really nice.

All the places you listed are on the Front Range and you'll definitely be getting a tour of urban Colorado.

[Prodigal Native]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

In terms of doing anything in the mountains, I'd get it done by the end of September. The aspen leaves start turning a little in late August and in September it goes full blast and will rapidly fade out in October. Usually the first dust of snow starts in September, just depends. Mt. Evans, I haven't bothered to check in a while, but I think that closes in Sept. as well.

According to Mount Evans - Highest Paved Road in North America it closes Sept 6... unless, of course, the weather does something weird and closes it sooner.

[jim9251]

Ouray.

[DOUBLE H]

Pheaton, if you happen to settle in on Colorado Springs, here are a couple suggestions to add here.

While the Henry Doorly Zoo (your part of the woods) is one of the top zoos in the United States, the Cheyenne Mtn. Zoo isn't far behind. Included in admission is accessability to the Will Rogers Shrine which goes up Cheyenne Mountain itself. An awesome monument which was built in 1935. The shrine is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Another place that doesn't get a lot of mention on the forum here is the ANA museum on Cascade Ave. The ANA (American Numismatic Association) is all about U.S. coins and currency. Whether you are a coin collector or not, it is an interesting exhibit telling its history. Coin collecting IMO is the most respected hobby there is. And speaking of investments, check out "The Money Room". Whew!