Ideas for a Colorado "Staycation" (Denver, Durango: amusement park, cabins)

[Katiana]

Mesa Verde would probably require 4 days realistically. One day to get there, two days to explore, one day back. It's a neat place. We went once in late March and not all of the park was open, so summer might be a better time. OTOH, we enjoyed it.

[tolife]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Each of which are all great places to see.

Unfortunately though I feel that April and also May is probably the worst time of the year to vacation in Colorado. The skiing starts to suck (unless if you catch an immediate snowstorm), but the mountains are still too wet/cold for summer activities. This is the time of year when I especially like taking road trips to the desert southwest. That is, if a mega blizzard doesn't prevent you from getting there or back.

Isn't late spring the best time of year for white water rafting? Something to consider...

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by tolife

Isn't late spring the best time of year for white water rafting? Something to consider...

Brrrr!

[tolife]

Places to consider for a staycation are

Snow Mountain Ranch:

YMCA of the Rockies-Snow Mountain Ranch-Winter Park, Co

Shambhalamountain.org

Buddhist Meditation and Yoga Retreats in Colorado - Shambhala Mountain Center


Frisco/Lake Dillon area...esp if you are into fishing/camping.



I went on a ranch weekend getaway in the Westcliff area a few weeks back and had a great time...riding horses, snowshoeing, feeding livestock, hiking and of course sipping on margaritas during the evening sunset! There should be a lot of options for ranch vacations in Colorado and Wyoming..

[DenverAztec]

Originally Posted by tolife

Isn't late spring the best time of year for white water rafting? Something to consider...

Late May and early June are best for white water rafting. I love the Arkansas river here for that!

[vegaspilgrim]

Also another idea of a place to see-- not overnight, but for a day trip... Pueblo. Their historic downtown and riverwalk is worth seeing if you've never seen it before. They have some really good hole in the wall Mexican and Italian food down there-- as McGowdog will attest. You could easily combine Pueblo with Canon City, Royal Gorge, and even Manitou Springs/ Garden of the Gods (on the way back home) all in one long summer day of sightseeing. Also Salida, further up the Arkansas River on US-50, is a pretty neat town to check out.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Also another idea of a place to see-- not overnight, but for a day trip... Pueblo. Their historic downtown and riverwalk is worth seeing if you've never seen it before. They have some really good hole in the wall Mexican and Italian food down there-- as McGowdog will attest. You could easily combine Pueblo with Canon City, Royal Gorge, and even Manitou Springs/ Garden of the Gods (on the way back home) all in one long summer day of sightseeing. Also Salida, further up the Arkansas River on US-50, is a pretty neat town to check out.

To build on this suggestion Pueblo has the Pueblo Reservoir that is great for boating and hiking as well as mountain biking. Pueblo has a great kayaking course down the Arkansas river in downtown. We have a great zoo and wonderful locally owned restaurants. If you like plays or the symphony Pueblo has great choices, just call the Sangre De Cristo arts and conference center to see if anything you like is playing and to see what art exhibits they currently have.

Pueblo, also, has a lot of seasonal events. If you come in the spring Pueblo hosts to the PBR Wild West Fest, this is the first year and the grand marshal of the parade will be John Elway! In August, Pueblo is hosts the Colorado State Fair, the states largest single event, and in the fall Pueblo hosts the Chile & Frijoles Festival.

If you do come down and realize you want to spend the night Pueblo has over 2,000 hotel room that are reasonably priced our best being the Marriott and Cambria Suites both in downtown. If you do come down during a large event I suggest you book a hotel room early as they usually sale out.



The Pueblo reservoir



The Pueblo reservoir



The historic train depot.





This is a replica of Fort Pueblo. Pueblo is the only city in Colorado built on the actual site of fort and we found where it was located and built a nice museum there.



This is just part of the great Riverwalk Pueblo has. In this picture you can see the world headquarters of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR).

[vegaspilgrim]

Oh crap, I opened up a can of worms by mentioning Pueblo. Sorry guys.

[Legs1357]

I second Glenwood Springs or the Sand Dunes. We used to go the Sand Dunes all the time when I was little, I've been dying to go back. About as good as it will get for a beach substitute

[zenkonami]

Jos can be heavy handed, but it never hurts to have a dedicated booster for an overlooked city like Pueblo.