My first thought after my husband announced our three-and-a-half-week “vacation out west” was that I’d need five bags…and that’s just me, much less what my three daughters will need. In the end, we developed a strategy to make the most of our “dream” vacation. We researched all the cities we would visit, made plans to go see the most popular hot spots, carefully plotted our driving route, and then bought our guys. Seriously, for the next 6 months we would pull out a map of the US and plot our driving route with the girls, explaining with great drama the exciting journey they were about to embark on.
We flew into Denver, Co from Charlotte, NC. I rented a van and drove directly to Estes Park, 2 hours northwest of Denver. As soon as we arrived in this charming, quaint, Alpine-like town, we knew immediately that it would be one of our favourites. Rugged peaks, endless azure blue skies, grassy meadows dotted with wildflowers, and torrential waters tumbling into tranquil pools took our breath away, renewing, refreshing, and restoring us. We knew that the trip of a lifetime awaited us. If you’re visiting Estes Park, be sure to check the weather ahead of time. We were there the last week of July and the temperatures at night were in the 30’s. Trail Ridge Road is magnificent. It’s in Rocky Mountain National Park, nps.gov/romo and is the highest continuous highway in the US We hiked the top of Trail Ridge Road and Bear Lake that first day, much to the delight of my three daughters, ages 13, 9 and 4. Needless to say, we collapsed into bed that night, exhausted, but full of knowledge. that we were just at the beginning of our journey west with the anticipation of an amazing adventure in store…it was going to be great!
Early the next morning we prepared for our scenic trail ride, which included a cooked breakfast outdoors, just above the town of Estes Park. We found this particular tour through estes-park.com. Halfway through our journey, the guides at The Sombrero Ranch fed us a delicious breakfast of pancakes and sausage, with some very strong coffee, before continuing our journey back. The views were really impressive. We were all in single file here, the Smith family easily noticeable because we were wearing overalls and cowboy hats that Darrell had bought the night before.
It was now Sunday and we were headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming to go to a rodeo called Cheyenne Frontier Days. This is an incredible 8-day festival with non-stop rodeo, carnival rides, music and fun. Our 3 days in Estes Park flew by, they were truly delicious. We could have stayed a month. We then return to Denver to Six Flags amusement park for the day. We drove to Colorado Springs that night for a 3 day stay. The next day brought a visit to the campus from Focus on the Family. Our kids loved the bottom floor of the bookstore building called “Whit’s End” which is taken from their radio show “Adventures in Odyssey”. The building housed a 3-story indoor/outdoor slide, which my 2 oldest daughters loved. Unfortunately you have to be four to ride so my 3 year old couldn’t do it. Kids can also record themselves doing an “Adventures in Odyssey” radio broadcast and then get their own cd with their recording. The Whit’s End soda shop is downstairs, as well as a mysterious cave and even an airplane. Needless to say, we were there for hours. The afternoon brought rock climbing and trail walking in Garden of the Gods Park. Huge red skinny rocks, some over 200 feet tall, mesmerized us, begging to be climbed. This has to be one of the most amazing rock formations I have ever seen. After a short rest at our hotel, we headed back for dinner and a western show at the Flying W Ranch. This is a working cattle ranch near the Garden of the Gods. Their wagon dinner and western shows are truly delicious. It was fun wandering around the western town with its shops before dinner so get there early. The food was very good “real chuck wagon” with roast beef or steak, beans, baked potato, applesauce and coffee. While we ate, the Flying W Wranglers entertained us with old western songs.
The next day brought an amazing adventure on the cogwheel train to the top of Pikes Peak. We got up early and headed for what seemed to be the top of the world. The drive, about an hour and a half, took us through the lower woods and then above the tree line. Along the way we saw marmots, which are small furry animals similar to marmots, small trees over 500 years old, and some of the most spectacular views in our country. We finally reached the summit and took pictures in front of the sign that read “Pikes Peak Altitude 14,110 ft”. In the afternoon we visit Seven Falls. Seven Falls actually cascades 181 feet in seven distinct steps down a solid cliff. Water from the Pikes Peak watershed carved out this beautiful canyon. Leaving a place as wonderful as Colorado Springs is never easy, but we headed southwest eager to find out what the next adventure would be.
West of Pueblo, Co., along Highway 50, is the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park. We drove there in the morning and stayed for a while. The Royal Gorge Bridge is the world’s tallest suspension bridge at 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. The incline railway can take you to the bottom of the canyon. There is also a tram that will take you through the gorge and allow you to see it from the air. We also spent a few hours in Buckskin Joe’s Frontier Town. A true touch of the old west. Moving on, we spend the night in Salida, Co. Heading south we visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. nps.gov/grsa Some of these dunes are over 700 feet tall and seem completely out of place, as if transported into a quicksand desert. This was an adventure park in every way. We crossed the creek and started up the dunes, though we didn’t get very far before our girls were jumping, running, and rolling down the dunes. Deciding to watch for a while, we stayed while the children played. There are no restaurants or gas stations here, so our packed lunch freshened us up for the long drive west to Durango, our next stop.
Driving into the city of Durango was surreal. Durango.org Waiting for any moment to be transported back to the Wild West days of the late 1800s, where dusty roads choked us and saloon doors creaked in the afternoon heat. In fact, while exploring this picturesque town, we discovered a true gem. People are genuine and fun loving, progressive and interesting businesses. The Denver/Rio Grande Railroad built a track to Silverton through Durango in 1880 to transport the ore to smelters in other cities, so Durango became known as a place to get a good job mining for something besides gold. It has grown to 15,000 people, the largest city in the southwestern corner of Colorado. One of my favorite adventures happened when we visited Trimble Hot Springs. Trimble Hot Springs are unique in that they are the only publicly available naturally heated springs in Valle de las Animas, north of Durango. The waters of the therapy pools become rich in minerals as they percolate through well-heated volcanic fissures that rose to the surface long ago. They have 2 hot pools one at 108° and one at 102° and a huge pool. After taking a dip in the pools, Darrell, Taylor, and I enjoyed a deep tissue massage. Incredible. After a day that was perfect on this side of heaven, we went to our next dinner wagon, Durango style, at Bar D Ranch. Since 1969, this ranch has provided a delicious wagon dinner combined with a performance by the Bar D Wranglers. They perform after dinner with western and cowboy songs, charming instruments and comedy to please the whole family. The next day we visited Mesa Verde National Park, where the Ancestral Pueblo people called their home for more than 700 years, from 600 AD to 600 AD. C. until 1300 AD. Today, the park protects more than 4,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most remarkable and best preserved in the United States.
The next morning we left Durango driving west to the Four Corners Monument, the place where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet. navajonationparks.org/htm/fourcorners.htm
Next, the Grand Canyon……….. To be continued.
