Vacation Ideas In Colorado

[cdizzle86]

My fiance and I are looking to take a trip to Colorado and were wondering what city is best. Also, good lodges? Anybody have any suggestions?

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

I'd be happy to help, but not too familiar with lodges since most things are less than a couple hours from my house...assuming you are coming up during ski season, Breckenridge, Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, Vail, and Aspen are the most renowned. I hear Durango down in the SW corner of the state usually has great skiing as well. Can you provide a little more info on what exactly yall are wanting to do?

Edited July 26, 2010 by BeanCounterGrad'03

[Mean Green 93-98]

My bride and I honeymooned in Estes Park several years ago. It's a neat place with lots to do, even outside skiing season. It's adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, with several good hiking trails nearby. Estes is kind of expensive, but that's going to be the case at most of the places in Colorado you will want to go. We stayed at Black Canyon Inn, and thought it was nice, and reasonably priced considering the area.

EDIT: Just looked at the prices at Black Canyon Inn, and it has really gone up since we stayed there. Still a good place.

Edited July 26, 2010 by Mean Green 93-98

[UNTLifer]

Kind of depends on budget, etc...

If it was me, I would find a cabin in the Creede, Southfork area, but you can't go wrong in the mountains.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

My bride and I honeymooned in Estes Park several years ago. It's a neat place with lots to do, even outside skiing season. It's adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park, with several good hiking trails nearby. Estes is kind of expensive, but that's going to be the case at most of the places in Colorado you will want to go. We stayed at Black Canyon Inn, and thought it was nice, and reasonably priced considering the area.

Agree on Estes...love going up there. The Stanley hotel is pretty cool too...but on the expensive side as well.

[cdizzle86]

At first we were just thinking about getting a cabin near colorado springs, but the more I think about it, I think I would rather stay in something a little more upscale (no more than $225/night) and comfortable. We don't want to be secluded, but we don't want to be where everyone is. That's why we were thinking a lodge. Ideally, we want to be in a somewhat bigger city where there are plenty of good restaurants, bars, and shopping within walking distance. We would love to go to a place where we can meet locals and not just tourists.

Thanks for all your help!

Edited July 27, 2010 by cdizzle86

[Rudy]

Durango is great to visit, even in the summer. We took a family vacation there around this time a few years ago. Also, if you want to get away and maybe do some camping, there is a beautiful lake called Shaw Lake. You can look it up on Google Earth. We stumbled upon it when we were driving, and I hope I get to visit it again.

[UNTLifer]

There is a great lodge in Cloudcroft, NM, if you aren't stuck on Colorado. Here is their link, The Lodge Resort.

It is not too pricey, in a great location close to Ruidoso and The Inn of the Mountain Gods, has great history, and is also kind of secluded so you get the best of both worlds. One of my favorite places to go.

[KRAM1]

There is a great lodge in Cloudcroft, NM, if you aren't stuck on Colorado. Here is their link, The Lodge Resort.

It is not too pricey, in a great location close to Ruidoso and The Inn of the Mountain Gods, has great history, and is also kind of secluded so you get the best of both worlds. One of my favorite places to go.

I've stayed at Cloudcroft and enjoyed it...as I recall it has a "mile high" golf course as well. I've stayed at the Inn of the Mountain Gods as well. It has more "activities" but is not nearly as "interesting" as Cloudcroft (in my opinion).

I like the Santa Fe area as well...hard to go wrong there and Angel Fire isn't too bad either for a NM get-a-way. Nice golf course there as well.

[UNTLifer]

The golf course at The Lodge in Cloudcroft is at 9,000 feet. It is a short 9 hole course with two flags and two sets of tees per hole so you can play 18. It is a lot of fun. True story:

Back in the late 80's/early 90's we rented a house in Ruidoso and went to play golf at The Lodge. We paid our green fees and the lady ask where we were from. We told her Denton, TX, and she asked if we wanted a golf cart. We told her no, that we were planning on walking. She asked about two more times if we were sure we didn't want a cart and we said no each time. Bad idea. #1 and #9 run parallel to each other and are on about a 30 degree slope, #1 going down/#9 back up. Walking #9 with a golf bag at 9,000 feet was a chore, but it was a lot of fun. When we were finished she asked if we would walk again. She didn't need an answer, besides we were too out of breath to answer.

Great place, great town and unbelievable scenery.

[eulessismore]

I'll have to recommend the place in Colorado where my wife and I spent a week around the July 4th weekend, Ouray. Of course, the 4th was a great time to be in Ouray, which they're famous for celebrating in a big way. However, I kind of wish we were there in Late July or early August, when the alpine wildflowers are said to be at their best. I'll provide a link to the Chamber of Commerce site, which is a great starting point for finding about places to stay and activities. Ouray is the self proclaimed jeeping capitol of the world, so there's no reason not to rent a jeep or sign up for a tour to actually get up to some alpine meadows and experience some wildflowers, glaciers, and just enjoy some unspoiled scenery. Also, their town swimming pool is fed by local hot springs, so you can always get a nice soak at the end of the day. Just open the link below and click on "lodging" to start looking for places. We stayed at the Spangler House, which is a B&B, not a "Lodge", but Jill and Steve do a great job running the place, and Steve makes a wonderful full breakfast every morning.

Ouray visitors information.