Colorado vacation

[bye-bye Ms. FancyPants]

My husband and I planned a Colorado vacation for this August last year - we have tickets to a concert at Red Rock but other then that have no specific plans.  I'm starting to freak out a little looking at the costs for transportation and lodging.  I plan on using Airbnb instead of the typical hotel or cabin lodging.  We like to be active but I want to do it the mustachian way.  We have come so far I don't want to back track.  Any locals have some tips to share??   

[NinetyFour]

Are you planning to spend your whole vacation in the Denver area?  If so, that's too bad, because the southwestern part of the state is the nicest part.  :)

[bye-bye Ms. FancyPants]

No - probably very little time in Denver.  We have spent time previously in Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Estes Park.  We are open to any suggestions.

[Beridian]

I recommend driving up to the top of Mount Evans.  It's about an hour west of Denver south off of I-70.   You can drive almost all the way to the 14,264 foot summit.  It's supposed to be the highest paved road in North America.  The last quarter mile or so to the summit you can hike on foot.  It's well worth the trip.   If you are a flat lander like me this is probably as high as you will get out side of an airliner.  Take it easy too, you'll huff and pant and feel like your 90 years old due to the thin air.   But the view is awesome and you will not forget the visit, it's an easy day trip from Denver.

Last time I was in Colorado I also drove through Rocky Mountain National Park, all the way across the continental divide over Trail Ridge Road, I entered from Estes Park in the east and drove all the way through to Lake Grandby then back to Denver on I-70 all in one day (that's all the time I had).  It would be better if you could spend a couple days at the National Park.  Lots of gorgeous scenery and plenty of animals to see as well.  Some of the driving is a bit on the white knuckle side and make sure you have a dependable vehicle.

I hope to go back to Colorado soon and spend some more time exploring the back country.  Have fun!

PS - as I recall there was a nominal per-car fee to enter Mount Evans and a fee to get in the National Park as well, quite reasonable for what you are getting, I am sure you can find the exact price on the web somewhere.  Other than that all you pay for is the gasoline and the lunch you pack (take bottled water, you'll get thirsty).

[Bateaux]

Get a tent and camp.  Colorado has free camping all over.  Don't overpack you only need a few basic items.

[greaper007]

Lots to do here.    Throw a dart and you'll hit a quaint, beautiful mountain town within 3 hours of Denver.    Camping is cheap, but come prepared.    The nights are very cold at altitude even in August.    I was in Grand Lake this weekend and we had to leave early.   My wife and kids were freezing all night (nighttime temps in the low 30s).   

Don't rule out hotels and cabins.   They can be cheaper than some of the AirBnB deals.    I'm a big fan of priceline name your own deal hotels and rarely pay more than about $70 a night.    Most cabins at camp grounds can be had for about $60 a night.

I don't know how you plan on getting here, but as you probably already know.    Unless you're staying in a downtown area like Denver or Boulder you'll need a car.

Good Luck.

[Beaker]

There's a lot of cool stuff in the state. Sand Dunes NP down south is very cool, the Glenwood Springs are is nice, Mesa Verde down in the SW corner is interesting (though the Ute reserve that it's embedded in is better). Unfortunately August is too early for the fall leaves, that's very pretty if you haven't seen it before.

If you do decide to stay someplace for a while and don't want to camp, you might try HomeAway and/or VRBO as well. (Disclosure: I work for HomeAway.) The properties cater more towards families and longer stays than AirBnB does.

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Which concert?

[nawhite]

Awesome stuff in Colorado that I have done and recommend:

Whitewater rafing: The Arkansas river will be the only one running decently in August (maybe the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs but that isn't as fun). Starting base in Buena Vista or Salida.

Trains: Scenic train rides in Georgetown (gold mining history) and Canon City (through the Royal Gorge, deepest gorge in the state, site of the highest suspension bridge in the US)

Camping: it does get cold at elevation in the mountains but, its free/really cheap just about everywhere. My current favorite free camping site is in East Vail, take the little gravel pullout under the i-70 overpasses right by the Gore Creek Campground.

Festivals: http://www.coloradoinfo.com/festivals-fairs#August Jazz, whitewater, cycling, beer, bluegrass, etc.

Garden of the Gods: State Park in Colorado Springs where giant rock formations formed by the tectonic plates squeezing together.

Pikes Peak: Same as Mt Evans, drive to the top of a 14,000 ft mountain on a crazy switchback road (or take the cog train)

Beer: All along the northern front range (Denver, Boulder, Longmont, Lyons, Ft Collins), there are awesome breweries. I love taking a walking tour of the downtown Denver breweries (especially because I can take the light rail there and don't need a DD). http://www.denvermicrobrewtour.com/

Hike: This one is free and EVERYWHERE!!! Red Rocks park has some great trails, or drive up a little higher to Mt Falcon State Park or the new Staunton State Park. Rocky Mountain National Park also has a ton of them.

Hot Springs: 2 types, free and resorts. The free ones you hike to a place where people piled rocks to collect water in pools. The resort ones, you pay an entry fee and they have multiple swimming pools/hot tubs with water piped in. Mount Princeton Hot Springs outside Buena Vista is amazing. Long list of them at http://www.trails.com/toptrails.aspx?area=10541

Let me know if you want any other ideas.

[bye-bye Ms. FancyPants]

AHHHH! I'm so excited I can't stand it!!!! If it wasn't for my husband's impending (in 14 yrs ...) pension we would be living there :D

Thanks everyone for your travel hints and suggestions!!

Which concert?

Trampled by Turtles - super fun band + kick ass name :)   

[NinetyFour]

Have you been out west before?  Do try to get out of Denver and into the mountains.  The scenery is gorgeous, and there is nothing quite like some of the mountain passes out here.  I grew up in the East and, before I moved out here, I had no idea what a mountain pass even was.  The first time I saw a sign that said "SNOWSHED", it threw me.  I thought it was the one syllable past tense of "Snowsh".  Ha!

It will be hot out here in August (and hopefully, the forests won't be on fire!!).  Remember to respect Mother Nature and be prepared for wild weather conditions.  Drink LOTS OF WATER!!  When you are driving in the mountains (if that's what you choose to do), be prepared to be stuck overnight.  Have some warm clothing, snacks, lights, and water--just in case.

I doubt you will want to make the trek all the way to the southwestern part of the state, but if you do, I can give you some pointers.

You might as well set aside some time to look at houses for sale, because once you get out here, you will want to stay!  :)

[MountainFlower]

The ski areas have a lot of lodging, which can result in a good deal in the summer.  I love Breckenridge, Snowmass and Crested Butte.  Breckenridge is the closest to Denver, less than 1.5 hours.  Snowmass is near Aspen and probably 3 hours from Denver.  Crested Butte is more like 5 hours from Denver.  Breckenridge has a lot of restaurants and shops if you like that kind of thing. 

Have fun!

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

AHHHH! I'm so excited I can't stand it!!!! If it wasn't for my husband's impending (in 14 yrs ...) pension we would be living there :D

Thanks everyone for your travel hints and suggestions!!

Which concert?

Trampled by Turtles - super fun band + kick ass name :)

Very cool.  I saw them at a music festival last year.  I have a couple of their albums.  I might see them again this September.  They are playing at a music fest about 1.5 hours away from here.  It's a three day festival, but I am only going for one day.  So, it depends on which day has the best lineup.  I'm looking to go to the day that has either Jason Isbell or the Avett Brothers.

[Grateful Stache]

Trampled by Turtles = Good stuff!

[Trudie]

I used homeaway.com to find a nice studio in Fort Collins last fall.  For about $85 per night my husband and I had a quiet, clean, comfortable space with an adequate kitchen and laundry facilities that was within walkable distance to most of Fort Collins.  FC has a free bike library, great city parks, and lots to do.  We ate more than half our meals at the studio and when we were out and about hit happy hours for nice small plates and used two-for-one discount cards we had from donating to public broadcasting (you can send away for travel cards.)

I think homeaway.com is a nice compromise between rustic living (camping) and expensive hotels.  When you factor in food savings a small VRBO is much more economical, but you still have your own space.  I've found many homeaway properties to be more "homey".... kind of like the cabins I visited as a kid where people would leave books behind and you could lollygag on the hammock.  And while I loathe hanging out in hotels, I find having my own space very relaxing.  They're usually quieter and cleaner too.