Author Topic: Vacationing in Colorado  (Read 6177 times)

TheJoe

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Vacationing in Colorado
« on: June 25, 2015, 05:59:41 AM »
Hey all,

My wife and I are flying in to Denver later this week and staying for about a week. Looking for any tips on what to see/visit/do and how to do it mustachian style.  We like outdoor stuff, especially going places with expansive/unique views.

Already hoping to road trip a bit from Colorado Springs over to Telluride and back to Denver, just to see the Rockies and some of the smaller towns. Also had planned on visiting Estes Park.  Any ideas appreciated.

p.s. we're from California, probably not prepared to camp if the weather involves too much rain or any snow.

dude

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2015, 07:18:22 AM »
That ride is AMAZING.  You absolutely have to go over Wilkerson Pass.  I drove that route (24 to 285 to 50) and coming over that Pass literally brought tears to my eyes -- it was one of the most beautiful vistas I've ever seen (if not THE most).  On the way, you can camp in Eleven Mile Canyon (the road through there -- Rte. 96 -- is worth the detour).  Driving Route 50, you'll pass the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, well worth checking out.  Telluride is beautiful.  The town is really pretty, and has a ton of charm.

dbanta

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2015, 11:38:56 AM »
Going down towards Colorado Springs and driving up to the top of Pike's Peak (a 14-er) and visiting Garden of Gods.  I love Rocky Mountain National Park, one of my favorite places to hike on the front range.

Cougar

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2015, 01:10:58 PM »
Going down towards Colorado Springs and driving up to the top of Pike's Peak (a 14-er) and visiting Garden of Gods.

second this for the springs, you might also visit the air force chapel(do a search on all these and see which you like most), the Broadmoor.

Denver - night rockies baseball game sitting high on the first base side gives cheap seats and a great sunset over the rockies.

summit county - Breckenridge town, ski resort summer rides and hikes on the discounted summer prices - vbro.com - Breckenridge - trails inn is usually cheapeast stays.

canyonrider

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2015, 01:24:58 PM »
Road trip to Telluride is an excellent plan and will take you the full week to do it right. Worthwhile stops might include Salida, Crested Butte, Ouray, Silverton, and surrounding areas. If it were me, I would pick two (or maybe three at most) of these areas so I didn't spend the whole week driving.

I would skip Estes Park, Rocky Mountain NP, and anywhere else that's close to the Front Range (including Summit County). Those areas aren't in the same league in terms of scenery IMHO and will be  more crowded (and often hotter) this time of year. Whatever you do, don't drive back to Denver via I-70 on a Sunday afternoon.

Dispersed camping on USFS/BLM land or USFS campgrounds will be the mustachian approach, and there are lots of those options in that part of the state.

Afternoon rains are likely but usually short-lived; snow is unlikely this time of year but possible above 10K feet.

Cougar

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2015, 01:31:36 PM »

 I would second canyon rider. if youre in telluride, consider the distances going over to summit county, estes park, Colorado springs; you might just hit aspen from there.

 but if you intend to go all over and definitely estes park, check and see if you can get a cabin at estes park. think ymca rents cabins, someone does that'll be cheaper than the few hotels there.

OttoVonBisquick

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2015, 02:26:48 PM »
Come visit me; I'm the best view there is around.

On a more serious note, I second the drives above, as well as a trip to the downtown 16th street mall. I work 2 streets away, and it's loaded with awesome restaurants and is a fun way to spend an hour in between other activities.

gimp

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2015, 10:52:48 AM »
Thanks for the responses, guys - I've been looking at going to CO for a lark, and I fucking love driving. I'll mostly avoid town and stick to mountain roads and mountain hikes.

fartface

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2015, 11:03:23 AM »
Estes Park was okay (I got car sick on the ride up). Lots of hairpin turns. We did go horseback riding in the mountains up there and that was a great experience. Other than that, lots of little (high priced) shops and restaurants.

My favorite is Glenwood Springs. We rafted the Colorado river two or three years in a row. Always an adventure and worth the $$$.

Fort Collins is my favorite city. Bike paths everywhere along the Poudre River. Old Towne Fort Collins is spectacular. They also have a free bike library downtown.

In Denver, we did the zoo and the aquarium. Walking around that city is just plain fun in summer.
Also, check out REI. For $20 (lifetime membership) me and my whole family got to rock climb in there for free each day.

EricP

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2015, 11:49:16 AM »
Definitely go to the chapel at the Air Force Academy.  It's free and it's a gorgeous piece of architecture.

If you enjoy hiking, I'd recommend hiking Mt. Elbert.  It's the highest peak in Colorado, but it's a do-able day hike even for Sea Level people who are relatively in shape.

White water rafting in the Royal Gorge is fun, but it's a little pricey.

And whoever said don't drive back to Denver on I-70 on Sunday is completely right.  That road is always slammed even in the summer.

Tick-Tock

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2015, 12:02:46 PM »
Just west of Denver is Golden, which is a pleasant town.  The Coors brewery there has free tours.  And just to the south of Golden is Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre.  If there isn't a concert scheduled, you can walk up the stairs of the amphitheatre and check out the views.  There also are some trails in the park.

Ftao93

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2015, 01:14:49 PM »
I didn't realize there were so many other Colordadans here!

Hiking and short drives through the mountains are fantastic.  Eating out in Denver is decidedly un-Mustachian, but there are treasures here and there.

I can't promise no rain, but shouldn't snow.   We have been getting very sudden storms, however you should be fine with a little planning.

OttoVonBisquick

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2015, 02:51:33 PM »
I'm about to digress from this thread topic, but it is only to let the other coloradoan Mustachians know:

I am hoping to plan a Denver meetup of as many of us as we can must for a picnic/grill with possible frisbee, volleyball, and lots of discussion on Saturday, July 18.

We may even have it a little further north to accommodate those living along 36 northwest of Denver, so please, if you can, post in the meetup forum that you'd like to show up!

Meeting other mustachians is also a hell of a way to spend time in Colorado too ;)

Mr Dumpster Stache

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2015, 03:30:28 PM »
I second REI. They have some pretty good deals on the top floor. It's a lot of fun just to look around, too.

EricP

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2015, 03:46:48 PM »
I'm about to digress from this thread topic, but it is only to let the other coloradoan Mustachians know:

I am hoping to plan a Denver meetup of as many of us as we can must for a picnic/grill with possible frisbee, volleyball, and lots of discussion on Saturday, July 18.

We may even have it a little further north to accommodate those living along 36 northwest of Denver, so please, if you can, post in the meetup forum that you'd like to show up!

Meeting other mustachians is also a hell of a way to spend time in Colorado too ;)

But what about those of us in the Springs? :(

Prepube

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #15 on: June 27, 2015, 09:42:51 PM »
I second REI. They have some pretty good deals on the top floor. It's a lot of fun just to look around, too.
Please please please do not come here and go shopping!  Any of the drives and sightseeing trips mentioned above are excellent.  If you are driving up 24 out of the Springs, you can drive up Pikes Peak after visiting the Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs, or swing over to cripple creek for some mining history, lunch and gambling.  The week of the Fourth, these are very busy and touristy areas.  Just up the road a little farther is Florrisant, home of the Florisant fossil beds where you can see a petrified forest and pick up fossils right off the ground (but don't take them out of the park), and a little farther up you can go north out of Lake George and have a picnic by the Tarryall river.  Go farther over the pass to  Fairplay (AKA South Park) and visit the museum there before heading over to pass to Breckinridge.  Lots of trails along the way and a really nice and beautiful stop is at Montgomery reservoir, close to Alma.  Just south of Fairplay are trails where you can climb 14ers and explore abandoned mining towns.  So much to do here!  Those places are all off the top of my head west of Colorado Springs.  West of Denver are places like steamboat (stay at the Rabbit Ears motel) and the usual ski resorts like Vail and Breckinridge.  Go to Leadville, the highest city in the U.S. (That's probably wrong, but that's what I was told once).  Quaint little town and not as touristy. Have fun!  But be careful!  I read in the paper that the Bears are bad this year (had one on my deck last week).

Bob W

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2015, 09:43:06 AM »
That is an aggressive drive plan for a week.   I suggest you slow it down a bit.

Were it I, 

I would start out in Estes Park --- You can show up and find a reasonable room on the creek.  You could easily hike for 6 days in the Rocky Mountain National Park there.   


But if after 2 days your bored take the road to the top and down the backside.   You'll find plenty of diversions.

Alternately, come back down from Estes,  Stop in MMMs hometown to say hi and then hit Ft. Collins for a day.   Then head up the drive along the Cache La Poudre.   You could make it to Steamboat before your return.   

Lots and lots of options!  Enjoy

olliecjb

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2015, 11:02:35 AM »
Not one mention of Boulder. A hike up Chautauqua Park and a stroll on Pearl is always worth the visit.

TheJoe

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2015, 08:44:07 PM »
Hey All,
Thanks for the ideas, the trip was great. Colorado is a wonderful place, I felt like a kid in a candy store with all the scenic views, mountain hikes, etc. Not to mention all the water, everywhere I looked there was a river...if you don't understand why this is amazing to me, visit southern california. Bring your own water, please.

For anyone that cares, here's a short summary of what we crammed into a week:  Visited Boulder, drove up the Boulder Creek area to Nederland to take some photos and enjoy the scenery. Drove through Estes and RMNP along the Trail Ridge Road, stopped every 5 minutes for photos and fresh air. Stopped by Lake Granby/Grand (I forget which) and walked through Idaho Springs. Then we went down to Manitou springs, visited the garden of the gods, cave of the winds, and took the railway up to Pikes Peak. Then we drove through the south park area on our way over to Breckenridge/Frisco/Dillon. Spent some time there biking, kayaking on the lake, and a couple hikes.  Weather was constantly going from clear skies to thunderstorms, so we had to time things carefully, but it was fun to have some different weather.  Also got to experience our first tornado warning back in Denver, haha.

Thanks again. And no, I didn't go to REI, we have those here too :)

TheJoe

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2015, 08:46:28 PM »
Also, for those that mentioned that I should visit them, or visit MMM...sorry about that, I'm not one for spending my vacation meeting new people in awkward social situations. Perhaps I'll make it out for a meetup sometime in the future. We did drive through the outskirts of Longmont one day, seemed like a nice enough place, lots of bicycles were out!

Abe

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #20 on: July 13, 2015, 03:38:18 AM »
 TheJoe, thanks for the itinerary you laid out. How difficult were the hikes you did? Any trails you specifically recommend? Locals' advice is appreciated too!

TheJoe

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #21 on: July 21, 2015, 11:15:00 PM »
Hey Abe, We did pretty easy hikes, we weren't really adjusted to the altitude well enough to hike for more than a couple hours at a time.

We did some small hikes near Quandry Peak. Quandry itself seemed like a legit hike for people with the right gear and lots of time, but there were lots of smaller hikes in the area.  I dont recall the names, but there was one hike whose trailhead was right next to the Quandry Peak trailhead, and it was a good couple hours of hiking along a nice creek with a waterfall and a lake/gulch at the end of it.  There was lots of good short hikes in RMNP and Boulder as well, but you'll have to google to find them, I didn't really keep track.

Dexterous

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #22 on: July 22, 2015, 03:14:23 AM »
My wife and I travelled Colorado for 2 weeks during the same time you were there.  The weather was definitely awful, but we tried to make the best of it.  All of the high country got late snow, and we didn't have snow shoes so that cut out nearly all of the hikes we originally planned to do.  We still hiked as far as we could, and during one of the hikes near Blue Lakes we got stuck in a major hailstorm at high altitude.  Fun times.

A few thoughts from our trip:
- Silverton was unique looking, but lodging was full by late afternoon and expensive... we left the town to camp
- Ouray was a nice mountain town, and a good base area for people who want to sleep in hotels and do outdoors activities or drive nice roads (on or offroad)
- Some of the ski resorts have good lodging prices due to the offseason, lower than hotels in town... ie, Purgatory Ski Resort was $80 for us with a fireplace & kitchen... just avoid the other resort amenities because that's where they make the $$
- Our favorite camping areas were near the trailhead of Blue Lakes (on the north side), and around Vallecito Reservoir due to the lower altitude trails in the vicinity (and tons of wildlife that are easy to see due to a huge wildfire in the last decade)

On a separate note, we drove all the way there in a Prius C from Louisiana... and to/from Florida the week prior.  I was surprised by how good that little car is at 75mph on such a long trip.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2015, 03:21:31 AM by Dexterous »

Cougar

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Re: Vacationing in Colorado
« Reply #23 on: July 22, 2015, 08:40:23 AM »
TheJoe, thanks for the itinerary you laid out. How difficult were the hikes you did? Any trails you specifically recommend? Locals' advice is appreciated too!

 there are hiking trails near breckenridge that are supposedly pretty good, i dont know; i just hike up the ski trailsl; so interesting to see what i've been skiing over.

 do a search on summit county trails and you'll find the trail maps.