Rocky Mountain National Park!

The Garden of the Gods is amazing and pretty kid friendly. It's not far off I-25 in CO Springs. There is also The Cave of the Winds. The sand dunes are pretty cool too!

Oh, girl! I don't live there like David, but you are talkin' MY corner of the state!

I way agree with the others to skip the "Four Corners Monument!" It's a long, dry drive to nowhere, and it's pretty much just a hyped up tourist attraction that you have to pay for--and which, according to recent surveys, isn't even at the spot where the four states meet! Of course, if you decide to go, you don't need to tell anybody that when you show them the pics! ;-) I was there MANY years ago--before you even had to pay for it, and I thought it was a waste of time! There are SO many other fun things to see and do down there!

As David says, the plains are the plains, and if you're by a window you may even "see" enough of them on your flite out! Hot, dry, windy---FLAT! (If you have a window seat, keep an eye out for the Crop Circles as you're flying over Kansas and eastern Colorado! Yes, they really ARE crop circles--just not the kind they have in England!) If you want the "down to earth" view of the plains, David's suggestion to go south on I25 will give you more exposure than you probably want. And if you were to head south on I25 you could make a quick stop at the Air Force Academy to do a look-see if you're interested in something like that. It's just north of Colorado Springs, and the {{gwi:1195467}} is quite interesting to see. And this B 52 is on the entrance road as you're going in if that's something any of you would enjoy (you can walk all around it but not go into it).

The drive from Denver down to the Four Corners area WILL take a full day!

From I25 you could then go all the way south to US 160 as David suggested, or just south of Colorado Springs you could take CO 115 to Canon City and then head thru the canyon along the Arkansas River into Salida--it's a pretty drive (and I almost died in a flash flood there once in the 80's!)--and then head south on US 285 the rest of the way to US160--and you could take a side trip to the Great Sand Dunes Natl. Park! Most kids seem to enjoy 150,000 acres of sand! :-) The creek that flows at the base of the dunes may very well be dry by the time you come since we've had a pretty low snowpack year in the mountains this winter! But the sand will definitely still be there! You could hit the Sand Dunes from either the US 285 or the US 160 way. OR you could eliminate the interstate all together by taking US285 right out of Denver and staying on that all the way down to US 160! Two-lane road much of the way, so much slower, and NO plains, but you're going thru the mountains the whole way that way so it's much prettier than the other way.

You'll be going thru Durango which has the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. This is an "all day" thing to do! You can take the train both ways or take a bus one way, and if the bus option I strongly recommend taking the train TO Silverton and the bus back, and then get a seat on the right side on the train for some really spectacular views (and coming back you'll be tired so the views won't be quite so spectacular anyway!!!) When the train gets to Silverton they have gunfights in the street and all kinds of other touristy stuff, and then you have time to walk around in the souvenir shops and have something to eat before you head back. If you decide to do this one, I very much recommend getting in one of the OPEN gondola cars! You can see SO much more than you can from the windows in the closed cars--and you can walk around to see the other cars anyway if you just want to look at them!

Forgot this! On your way to Durango you'll be going over Wolf Creek Pass and there's a fun you go thru that's built around a curve. And also, when you get near the western side of the pass there's something called Treasure Falls which you can see from the road, but you can also stop to take a Car Break and there's a short trail that leads right up to the base of it.

And then there are the Anasazi! This is the part I really love! The "main" ruins in the area are, of course, Mesa Verde Natl. Park. If you've never seen ruins before and you're only going to see them at one place, this would be the place to go! I recommend, at a minimum, you tour Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Tickets required for the tours, and you get them at the Visitor's Center that you'll want to stop at on the drive into the Park. Cliff Palace is the biggest ruin, and Balcony house, while smaller, is a LOT of fun (IMO!) because you get to climb up ladders and thru a (very short) tunnel in the ruin---and it's just way more "interactive" than the other tours. The other "main" ruin is Spruce Tree House which is right behind the museum on top of the mesa, and that one you can just walk down to and walk around in yourself--no tickets required! It's interesting to look at, but you don't get all the info that you get from the Rangers leading the tours on the guided tour ones!

Cliff palace

Balcony House

And something I did for the first time last year was the Twilight in Cliff Palace tour which happens around sunset each day. Must have tickets. It's done with a much smaller group than the day time tours, which makes it much more enjoyable, and the Ranger dresses as one of the characters from Mesa Verde's history, and then stays "in character" once you enter the ruin. I really enjoyed it (I did the Willa Cather one), and since it was already early September when I did it, the sun was setting so early that we got to climb up the ladders out of the ruins IN THE DARK! WAY cool! (I'm 68, BTW!)

If you decide to do Mesa Verde, plan a whole day for it! The drive up the mesa is long and there are plenty of places to pull over to look at the "views"--you've probably never seen anything that even approaches some of the views from the Mesa Verde road. And there are also lots of "smaller" mesa top ruins that you can stop to look at, many of which you can very much get "up close and personal" with! I really enjoy the Far View Sites, especially the ruin called Coyote Village, and the Mummy Lake ancient reservoir. Whoda thunk they'd build a RESERVOIR up there! There's a Square Tower House overlook along the main road, and, while you can't get anywhere near the ruin (you're looking down on it), it is interesting to see. There's also one called the Sun Temple, and I recommend skipping that one nowadays! Back in the Olde Days you used to be able to walk all in and around that one, but now it's all roped off and all you can see is the outside wall! Was a real disappointment when I went back for the first time in many years a couple years ago. BTW, you can pick up "guides" for like 50 cents at any of these sites so you know what you're looking for!

Square Tower House

And if you still want more, there's another whole side of the mesa with public ruins now called Wetherill Mesa. The main ruin on that side is Long House, and you need tickets for that one, and there's also Step House which is self-guided. I did both of them for the first time last year--and enjoyed them both!

If you do Mesa Verde I recommend staying in Cortez or Dolores. Durango isn't a "nice little mountain town" anymore, and, while I realize it would seem "small" to you, it's really just another city-type place with no ambience left! If you'd be interested in something besides a "standard" hotel/motel, I highly recommend the "Cozy House" I stay in when I'm in that area! It's small but VERY up to date with satellite TV, surround sound, very complete kitchen, and it's all by itself in the middle of 30 acres! There's one bedroom with a double bed and a futon in the living room! It would be "cozy" for the three of you--but way better than a motel room! Dean, the guy who owns it is really nice! NO daily maid service, but I'm not into people snooping thru my stuff anyway!!!

If you're interested in more info on the Anasazi, the Anasazi Heritage Center at Dolores is a good place to stop.

Just west of Dolores/Cortez is Hovenweep Natl. Monument which has a nice relaxing little loop trail around the ruins--without the mobs! (BTW, if you decide to stop by more than one or two of the Natl. Parks/Monuments, I recommend you get an annual Parks Pass. Depending on the individual prices for the Parks you go to, it can same you some bucks!)

And just south of Durango--in Aztec N. M., is Aztec Ruins Natl. Monument. I really enjoyed this one too! Self guided, and you get to walk thru the interiors of several rooms that still have their roofs/ceilings. This is one of the very up-close-and-personal ones.

And one more! Warned ya I was into Anasazi Ruins! Between Durango and Pagosa Springs there's another ruin site called the Chimney Rock Archeological Area! This one is run by the National Forest Service. The only way to see the ruins is on a tour with a NFS guide and the tour is just $10. The ruins are ON TOP of the mountain! It's the only place I've ever seen ruins on top of a hill!!! The tour takes a couple hours (depending on the guide) and besides the ruins there are absolutely spectacular views of the valleys in the area! I wasn't expecting much here--probably because it's not a Natl. Park kind of thing, but I was impressed and very much enjoyed it!

Since you're new to the Anasazi culture, you probably wouldn't be interested in doing this this time, but there's one more thing I did for the first time last fall--that was the most remarkable, and, if I may, the most "spiritual" thing I've ever done on a vacation! The Ute Mountain Tribal Park backs up to (is on the south side of) Mesa Verde, is several times larger than Mesa Verde, and, needless to say, also has Anasazi ruins! The Park is Tribal land, and the only way to get onto it is to go with a Ute Mountain Indian guide! They have group tours of varying lengths that take you to some of the different ruins, or, what I did was the PRIVATE tour ($100 per person--for the whole day!), and you can go to whatever accessible ruins you want to. I did the "standard" tour which took us to four different ruins, including one called Eagle's Nest--which, if I had my druthers, is where my ashes would be scattered from when I die!!! High on a cliff with spectacular views of the mesas and valleys, and since I was on the "private" tour I got to actually go into the kivas and other rooms where people on the group tours don't usually get to go. When I made the reservation I asked if it was possible to get a "Storyteller" as my guide---and I got Rick! It was incredible! To start with he's the "stereotypical" Indian, with long black braids and all (No! He wasn't wearing a loincloth!), and he very much enjoys telling Native American stories and we spent the whole 7 1/2 hours talking about Native American history, life, religion, and more! And he usually takes his recorder (or flute) along and plays music somewhere along the way---but, he forgot it the day I went--and--I can't wait to go back again! It won't be this year--probably--since I'm redoing Yellowstone this year, but next year for sure! The day I spent with Rick was truly a remarkable experience! Just thought I'd mention this because if you want a "true western experience," you're not gonna get much truer or westerner than going on a guided tour with a Native American! (Wish I could post a couple of my pics, but a hard drive crash has me a couple years behind in pics!)

Here's a link with more info about the Ute Mountain Tribe if you're interested. This is way NOT my kind of thing, but if this is something that interests you, they also have a LARGE casino just south of Cortez!

How about this? Just west of Cortez in McElmo canyon there is the Guy Drew Vineyards! Wine tasting all the time and when I was there I got a bottle of their Sweet Merlot--which just might be my favorite wine of all time! Yeah, I like 'em sweet!

Here's one (of the many) sites where you can order literature about the area. I recommend you google any of the towns or attractions I listed and request any and all stuff you can get to help you plan in advance exactly which things you want to see and do.

And if you're into "non motel" type places to stay, here are a couple more in the area!

Pagosa Springs -- west side of Wolf Creek Pass
This place is about 20 miles northwest of Pagosa in a WIDE, quiet valley, surrounded mostly by Natl. Forest land! The drive is on unpaved road, so it's not a fast drive! And open range, so you might see cows and such on the road! This is where I go for a few days at the end of my Four Corners vacations--for a little R & R before going back home! It's the V. A. Poma Ranch. The cabins are "rustic" and have everything you need. They put bottled water in each cabin because some folks are afraid to drink their wonderful REAL spring water that comes from the spring on the side of the mountain! I stay in The Hideaway because it is somewhat more "isolated" from the other cabins! The cabins all have bathrooms (duh) but they also have a "bathhouse" for the occasional campers they get and it has a "waterfall shower!" Sounds like something the 7 year old would have fun playing in! Lower right pic of the "waterfall!" Karen, the owner, is wonderful and friendly, and will help you with anything she possibly can to make you stay perfect!

The Hideaway - full bed in front room and queen bed in separate bedroom in back!

A river runs through it --- and a lake! Catch and release fishing right in front of your cabin if you're into that!

"Wildlife" in front of my cabin! (I take birdseed and peanuts -- good to have out here in any "non motel" kind of place!)

From the road!

This place is south of Durango, and I've not yet stayed there since it's been full the two times I tried to get it, but it looks wonderful! On a private ranch and even has a private hot tub on the deck! This one doesn't look too "rustic" to me!!!
Quiet Seclusion at a Working Ranch!

And one more "rustic" one! Between Durango and Pagosa on the Vallecito Reservoir! Pine River Lodge

The one I've stayed in, #16, is tiny, was built in the thirties, and is framed with 2 X 2's! It looks directly over the water! Love it!

Can't link directly to different pages on their site, but go to the cabin page, then click on 1, 2, or 3 bedroom, and there's a map showing you where each cabin is located on the property. They have lots of cabins, and while they DO have all the modern conveniences, they are not all new and spiffy like the "Cozy House" in Dolores! They give a discount for paying cash/check---at least they still did in '10! And as you can see from the info page, they do have a pool and playground.

Since you don't hang out around here, you don't know this---but I'm long-winded! I know you can't possibly do all of this, but this at least gives you some options to think about!

When you head north to Aspen you could, as David suggested, take CO 145 over Lizard Head Pass with a stop in Telluride and then CO 62 over the Dallas Divide and then US 550 into Montrose, which is a really nice little mountain town--and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison Natl. Park is just a little ways east of Montrose. Then I'd recommend CO 133 over McClure Pass to CO 82 to go the rest of the way into Aspen. Or you could take US 550 north out of Durango over Red Mountain Pass, "The Million Dollar Highway," through Silverton and Ouray (your-ay) and on up into Montrose!

If you have time while you're in Aspen, I highly recommend a drive to the Maroon Belles! They've been on many, many calendars, and are definitely worth checking out in person.

When you leave Aspen I recommend taking CO 82 out of the east end of town and going over Independence Pass--old ghost town buildings still remain along the road. Then CO 91 back north to I70 and back into Denver! If you're still up for a stop at Red Rocks by then--and it is worth stopping to see--watch for exit 259 off of I70 and it's just a little ways south. Easy to get back onto I70 to head east toward the airport! If you go to Red Rocks, one of you should go down on the stage while the others stay all the way up on top, and the one on the stage should talk to them in a "normal" voice--and you'll be able to hear everything they say! Red Rocks was used as an amphitheater long before the seats were put in by the CCC during the Depression! The acoustics are amazing!

If you have any questions about the "kinds of places" where I stay, or any of the attractions I mentioned, post here or PM me. Glad to help when I can!

Also, there are long/short, easy/hard hikes out here absolutely anywhere you go! If that interests you, just google the name of the town nearby with "hiking trails," and you'll come up with all sorts of stuff!

Have fun planning
Skybird

P.S. You can click on the pics to get the bigger version, and to see the captions!

P.P.S I think I checked all the links, but if something doesn't work, let me know!

Wow Skybird, that was amazing!
Now I want to vacation in CO!

LOL! Come on down, Thistle! I LOVE Colorado! And, beyond all that stuff, I can recommend SO many more things nearby, like Chaco Canyon, a/k/a Chaco Culture Natl. Historical Park just a little further south in New Mexico, and one of my favorite Parks, Natural Bridges Natl. Park not too far west of Hovenweep (And I have a COOL place to stay in Blanding, Utah too!), and, of course, Canyonlands and Arches Natl. Parks, and, and, and............. And there are (smaller) Anasazi ruins in all those too! Since I got stranded overnite in Capitol Reef Natl. Park in '07 I have been back down that way every year, and I have explored many, many of the nooks and crannies by now!

I'm sure PixieLou isn't gonna have time for this one--THIS TIME, but since I mentioned Chaco (which I just found out existed four years ago), I MUST post this one pic of Pueblo Bonito, just ONE of the ruins at Chaco. It's the biggest and still has 4 and 5 story walls standing after 1000 years! The Visitor Center, which is about 50 years old was declared "structurally unsound" a couple years ago--and is being replaced! Yeah! Archeologists are gonna have a real problem trying to find out about US in a thousand years! Everything we're building will be LONG gone!

And one more! This is how you get up to the top of the cliff where that pic was taken from! There's a little "slot" that goes up thru the side of the cliff! Very cool hike--and incredibly hot up on top!

And those are the only two pics I got in the computer from that trip before the hard drive crashed! If you're ever serious about heading down to Four Corners or the southern part of Utah, let me know and I can recommend SO many things--and some great little, quiet, private places to stay!

I love to advertise Colorado--and all the other great things nearby too,
Skybird

Posted by thistlebloom

Wow Skybird, that was amazing!
Now I want to vacation in CO!

Welcome to RMG, Thistle'! It is real good to find you here!

Skybird comes by this naturally, just as she shows up here with all of her plant knowledge.

You may have already been in this corner of the world but I took a month, before I settled down up here, and visited Colorado. I went somewhere every day and only spent 2 nights in the same place during the entire month. Didn't go far, didn't go fast . . . didn't see every corner. But, I felt I owed it to myself to see the state and I did my best.

Notice, however, how the pictures of Durango/Pagosa Springs/Vallecito Reservoir look so much like around your home. It's higher with more snow in the winter but the forests are almost identical -- it seems to me. Somewhere around that country there's a Bayview/Sandpoint/Clark's Fork . . . (I'm convinced of it! ;o)

Steve

Here's Dallas Divide, sunrise in the fall.

Garden of the Gods used to be kid friendly - not so much since they no longer allow climbing on the rocks.

I have yet to meet a child of that age, that is into scenery but since you must at least drive from the airport to Aspen be sure to take a slight detour off of I-70 at Golden and hook onto Hwy 6. This will take you through a VERY scenic Clear Creek Canyon and then you can get back on about exit (entrance) 244. The interchange to get from I-70 to hwy 6 can be tricky but as long as you get to hwy 6 & Ward road, you're good. Like I said it's only a few miles off I-70.

David 52 - wowza!!!!! When does your fall hit? We haven't been down that way in awhile, and that pic alone is enough entice me to start planning a trip that is long overdue.

i know you said no zoos, but the cheyenne mountain zoo in colorado springs is a very different zoo from the big ones, and my kids love it. it's built into the side of the mountain so you can see the animals very clearly (they go up as they go away from you, if that makes sense.) and you can feed the giraffes!! a day in boulder for chautauqua park (historic buildings and hiking) and the pearl street mall (downtown pedestrian area with good people-watching and restaurants) is fun for kids too if you want some urban time. and anywhere through the mountains has great hikes that time of year. but you will feel the altitude, don't overdo it!

Oh, david52, that takes me back! I grew up in Alamosa and we camped on the Uncomphagre plateau a lot and in a few spots close to Ridgway.
I will always maintain that the San Juans are the prettiest mountains in the state! Aspen Glade this fall, anyone??

By the way - if you want to get to Southern Colorado, definitely take Highway 285 - I-25 is generally a pretty dreary drive, in my opinion.
If you'd rather stay close to the city, but still get some serious mountain time, Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park (as b2Alicia mentioned) are hard to beat.
Enjoy your stay!

Hi Steve! Thanks for the welcome :) ! I spent 2 weeks in Manitou Springs when I was 14, and I loved it. Sadly, I haven't been back...

Colorado is an amazing state.

Thanks so far everyone. I'm in a bit of overload reading skybird post - but that's a good thing. I really need to pull out a map of Colorado and start sticking in some push pins to help me get my bearings and plan a route.

I'll be back real soon with more questions I'm sure.

But while I'm thinking of it. For the wedding, out hotel will be up in Glenwood Springs. So I'll be looking for some diversions that can be done in a few hours - to entertain DD and get our minds off this wedding.

Pretty sure the kiddo will like this! It's the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool! (That's where Glenwood SPRINGS comes from!) I didn't even know this, but they also have a couple slides at the pool now! At the site below click the Venues link and then there's info about the slides. Didn't know this either, but they also have miniature golf!

The pool is open day and night, so you could come back from a Hard Day in Aspen and have a relaxing soak before bed! For more pics, just google it and you'll find lots of them!

That's all I know of since I pretty much always just "go thru" Glenwood, but one of our members lives real near there, and maybe she'll see this and have other things to recommend!

Let us all know if you have questions about any of the stuff posted above,
Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Glenwood Hot Springs Pool!

In Denver, you could do downtown, 16th Street Mall (pedestrian mall), and the capitol in a day. There is the Byers-Evans mansion right near the art museum, and central library (if you are into architecture, there are some interesting designs and notable names), which are all in the Civic Center area (featuring the capitol, park and city/county building): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civic_Center,_Denver.

A bit outside downtown Denver is the "Molly" Brown House Museum, and since it is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic this year, that would be timely: http://www.mollybrown.org/.

For a western homestead, you can go to Four Mile Historic Park (not near downtown) in Denver: http://www.fourmilepark.org/.

If you still want to do a rodeo, take a look at the list of different county fairs and rodeos happening this summer: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/staffres/fairsched.pdf. If you want to travel north (over an hour north of Denver on I-25), you can go to Cheyenne, Wyoming for Frontier Days: http://www.cfdrodeo.com/. Cheyenne also has a railroad museum in the gorgeous depot, featuring the first transcontinental railroad. It is a small town for a capitol, so you can do all the major sites in a day.

I like Georgetown, which is right off of I-70 between the Denver Metro and Glenwood. A cute town that sprung up due to silver mining, it has some fun Colorado kitsch stores and historic homes. It also has the Georgetown Loop railroad trip: http://www.georgetowncolorado.com/.

Have fun in Colorado, Holly

If you're still following this, PixieLou, I have a little more info for you--still in the southern and southwestern area of the state! I got emails today from the Durango tourism office and Chaffee County tourism, which includes Pagosa Springs and Salida. When I was looking them over for possible information for myself I found some links that might interest you--including things I'd consider Kid Friendly--at least I would have enjoyed them when I was that age!

The first is a place called Rocky Mountain Wildlife Park which is near Pagosa Springs. It has rescued animals like mountain lions, bears and wolves, and they do the tours at "feeding time." Check out their "Wildlife Education: Things for kids to do" page.

The James Ranch is north of Durango and has tours that sound very kid friendly. Good place for City Folk to see where our food comes from!

The Durango Rafting Company is one of MANY places out here where you can do river rafting trips ranging from quiet floats to white water. Just google "river rafting" with the name of the town if you're interested in other possibilities--Durango, Cortez, Salida, Glenwood Springs.....

Hot air balloon rides at Wind Wranglers in Pagosa! Plenty of other ballooning companies out here too!

Or how about a Trail Ride, with or without dinner (or breakfast!) at the Rimrock Outfitters at Mancos, which is between Durango and Cortez!

There's also this place at Durango which offers jeep tours of varying lengths!

And Telluride, where David recommended a stop, has a jeep tour that just might knock your pants off! It goes over Black Bear Pass, also knows as To-Hell-You-Ride Pass, and is possibly the hairiest jeep ride in the state! This one would take a whole day, but if you're into Wild & Wooly, this might be for you. I don't have a link for this one, but if you want to see more about it, just google Telluride with Black Bear Pass!

Just a few more possibilities!

Almost forgot this! If you still really, really want to see The Plains, here is a place you could go to that would get you out onto the plains--and give you something to see too! It's The Wild Animal Sanctuary at Keenesburg, Colorado--about 35 miles northwest of the airport! I first heard of this place on the news last year when they rescued 25 African lions from horrendous living conditions at a Bolivian circus! I've linked to the page about that rescue, but they have lots of other animals too! I haven't made time to drive out there yet, but I definitely plan to do it sometime! The drive out there would be dry and flat for you, but at least there'd be something to see when you got there!

Finis,
Skybird

Hi Pixie Lou! I'm the one that lives near Glenwood Springs. Another kid friendly attraction in Glenwood Springs is the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. You ride the tram up, and then can take a tour of the caverns, pan for gold, ride the Alpine Coaster, and some other stuff. I'll include a link for you to check out.

BTW, my kids LOVE the Hot Springs!

Here is a link that might be useful: Glenwood Caverns

Yes - I'm still following along. I've been looking at all the links people have provided, talking about options with DH and DD. Trying to make a list of must do things, really want to do things, sounds like fun if we are in the area things.

Seriously - we could easily spend a month or 2 on this vacation and still not exhaust the possibilities!

Hopefully in the next week or 2 I'll be able to post a sample itinerary and hopefully get some more feedback.

OK - I'm starting to plan an itinerary. Right now I'm trying to figure out the first stop when we arrive. Our so called "prairie stop". Does anyone have any comments on Bent's Old Fort in La Junta?

I like Skybirds suggestion for the Wild Animal Sanctuary, but I think we would rather head south out of Denver.

Also - the Continental Divide. Is it a major tourist attraction? Are there huge signs whenever you drive over the continental divide telling you that you are doing so? Will I be a total geek if I dump a bottle of water on the Continental Divide? Yes - I'm a line geek. I have gone out of my way to get my picture taken on the equator, on the Greenwich Meridian, and on one of our first dates, DH and I drove to the 45th parallel - halfway to the North Pole! Which is why I want to find the Continental Divide, and why I am going to go to Four Corners not matter how much you all tell me it is a waste of time. In fact DD recently made me take her to the RI/CT/MA corner - so she could "practice" for Four Corners.

I am sure you will love Colorado! All the suggestions are great and you will have a wonderful, memorable time. Since you want to go to Four Corners, I suggest you concentrate your vacation before the wedding on the Western Slope so you don't spend all your time driving and not exploring. Here are some non-sightseeing tips to help make your trip enjoyable (from a fellow Northern, Yankee, ex-pat Michigander now living in CO)!

1) Driving through the Rocky Mountains is not like driving in the Smokies or Alleghenies. The grades are steeper, the roads narrower, and the curves sharper, especially once you leave a major highway. I mention this to let you know that a 400 mile trip that includes crossing over the mountains (distance between Denver and the Four Corners) will take longer than 400 miles over flatland. You may find 20 mile stretches of road where you may max out at 35 mph due to the twists and turns! However, more beautiful scenery and wildlife viewing is not to had! Make sure to stop at a 'point of interest' or two if for nothing else than to stretch your legs, they are fascinating (at least to me).

2) When driving on mountain curves off the interstate, if an oncoming car flashes their headlights, slow down. This doesn't mean that a cop is around the turn, but more often than not, wildlife is either on the road or next to it! The two most common wildlife animals along roadsides are elk and big horn sheep. Of course, on major roads, headlights usually mean state boys with radars!

3) It is really true regarding high altitudes and dehydration! Make sure to keep hydrated, and have water with you if you plan on doing some hiking, even if the hike is less than a mile. Also, the altitude makes the sun more intense, so sunscreen and lip balm are advised (especially since you are used to a more 'moist' environment and will have a precious 7 year old with you)!

4) After being in CO for a day, you will get adjusted to the altitude and should have no problems. However, if you plan on driving to the top of Pike's Peak (did you know that Pike's Peak is the second most visited mountain peak in the world after Mount Fuji?) or one of the higher peaks, you will want to be aware of altitude sickness since you will be at 14,000 feet. Not sure about the other peaks, but Pike's Peak highway has 'reminder' signs regarding the altitude. Also, to enter Pike's Peak highway, you will need at least 2.5 hours round trip and 1/2 a tank of gas (signs are posted and I speak from experience).

5) The Continental Divide! The CD runs through the middle of the Rockies, and you will cross it several times. Most times, it is marked with just a little sign that you will miss if not looking for it (in the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70, for example). However, some places celebrate the Divide! You may want to Google the Continental Divide Trail which runs the entire length of Colorado. You may want to stop and walk along it (even if it is only for 1/2 mile). If you do, make sure to remember Tip #3!!!

I hope my 'non-touristy' comments help, I just wanted to give you some tips to help you make the most of your time here. Colorado is magical and I am sure you will be back!!!

Alright, girl! You need to promise to come back here and post your Four Corners pics for us when you get back home!!! :-) [Promise me you won't spend a lot of money on over-priced souvenirs when you're there! You can get some "real" stuff, some really GOOD stuff in Cortez or even Durango--like real Native American arts and jewelry and stuff!]

I think your plan to head south out of Denver is a really good one!

The Continental Divide is very much a tourist attraction! And you'll be crossing it AT LEAST twice, depending on which way you decide to go! Anywhere you cross it there will be a sign at the top of whatever pass you're on with the name of the pass, the altitude, and "Continental Divide!" I VERY much recommend you plan to stop wherever you're crossing it to take some pics. You just might need to wait "in line" to take your pics! I've never personally seen anybody out there dumping water, but I'm SURE it happens! Just don't expect to see it "run" anywhere! It's usually pretty "flat" right where the sign is, and if it's not paved, it's gonna soak in before it runs anywhere! But a good photo op! ALL the passes, Continental Divide or not, will have a sign on top with the pass name and the altitude, and as long as you have time, pictures by each as you go over the passes will be memories! [If you decide to go to some of the Natl. Parks, I recommend you also stop at the entrances for pics, with or without people, of the entrance signs. Again, you may need to wait your turn! GREAT preface for that section of your pics!]

Check out your Colorado map! The Continental Divide is marked on it all the way from top to bottom! That way, when you're planning your route you can see where you'll be crossing it. If you took U.S. 285 out of Denver you'd be going over Kenosha Pass, Red Hill Pass, Trout Creek Pass, Poncha Pass, and then Wolf Creek Pass is the first place you'll cross the Divide. North out of Dolores you'd go over Lizard Head Pass and the Dallas Divide, or north out of Durango Coal Bank Pass, Molas Divide, and Red Mountain Pass--into Montrose. Out of Montrose the way I suggested, McClure Pass into Aspen, and if you take CO 82 out of Aspen you'll go over the Divide again at the top of Independence Pass and then north on CO 91 you'd cross the Divide again at Fremont Pass, and then for a last time somewhere around the Eisenhower Tunnel, I think maybe just before you go into it on the west side (not sure) and I don't know if you can stop there or not since you're on I70, or you could take the "old road," U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass to cross the Divide back to the east side for the last time--off I70 onto U.S. 6 at Dillon, and then back onto I70 on the east end of the tunnel. Loveland Pass has, historically, been one of THE places to take a pic, tho I don't think that many people think of it anymore since they finished the tunnel--many years ago now! Or if you take (ho hum) I70 out of Glenwood you'll go over Vail Pass first and then either the tunnel or Loveland Pass! HOWEVER you go, you'll go over it at least twice---and LOTS of other good passes to take pics on top of too! (google Continental Divide for pics and you'll find some of the MANY other folks who have taken pics up there!]

And, uhh, have you ever heard of a peak called Triple Divide Peak in Glacier Natl. Park??? I feel another vacation coming on! The water from the top of that one runs THREE ways! Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, AND the Arctic Ocean. You can get a picture of the peak, but unless you're into hiking BIG TIME, I don't think you're gonna get a pic on top of it! It IS on the Continental Divide Trail (crosses the entire U. S. on the Divide!), but, like I said, BIG TIME hiking!!! (I'm into hiking--but--uhh--I have a picture of it from the distance!!!)

We'll be looking for some of your pics when you get home!

Skybird

P.S. BTW, when you see the signs for cities or towns out here, the "number" on the sign will be the altitude, not the population!

P.P.S. Somebody else mentioned this up above, but coming from sea level, even just up to Denver's altitude (about 5280'), it's gonna take you a couple days to get used to the "thin" air! Plan your first couple days without "strenuous" activities!

Here is a link that might be useful: Continental Divide of the Americas - Wikipedia

Just read Zinnia's post and I way second everything she said! A "big brimmed" hat--for ALL of you, would be a really good idea (not just a baseball cap!). You'll sunburn MUCH faster out here than at sea level. For a hat I have and really like one called the Paddler that you can get at REI, but as long as what you get has a brim that protects your face AND neck in back, it'll be good!

And definitely more water than you ever thought you should drink! Water just sort of "disappears" out here--and most of the time you won't even notice it that much when you're sweating because it evaporates so quickly. (Humidity in the teens or single digits is not at all unusual out here!) Drinking lots of water should help you adjust to the altitude too, and avoid altitude sickness. And even after you've adjusted for a couple days, you'll still find "walking" is "harder" out here than at sea level--more noticeable the higher you go! So if you plan to do any hiking type things and, say, a mile would take you x amount of time back home, plan half again that much time out here--or even more depending on the altitude. On any hikes just plan time to "stop and enjoy the view" a lot! That's mostly what you're gonna be out here for anyway! :-)

I can't wait to hear what you thought of our state when you get back home!

Skybird

P.S. I just noticed Bent's Old Fort on your last post! Actually, that is on my list of things to do--some day! But that's gonna be a LONG, dry, hot drive for you, and I really don't think there's all that much to see when you get there. The 35 miles south from Colorado Springs to Pueblo is already going to be totally flat and very boring, and then there's another 35 or 40 miles into La Junta--and a little more past that. Maybe somebody else around here will have a comment about it, but I kind of suspect it won't be one of the highlights of your trip is you decide to do it.

OK - here's the tentative plan. General areas and general things to do. Still need to work out details - as in routes to drive, where to stay, etc. Comments? Does the order make sense?

22-24 July - Arrive Sunday. prairie time. Still trying to figure out where and what

24-26 July - Alamosa area, Great Sand Dunes National Park

26-29 July - Cortez Area, Mesa Verde National Park, Four Corners Monument

29 July - 1 August - Ouray/Silverton Area, jeep tours, gold mining

1-6 August - Glenwood Springs - visiting family and wedding (This is non-negotiable. Hotel already booked.)

6-7 August - Back to Denver, Red Rocks, flight home (Airport hotel already booked)

Speaking of the Cortez area, you'd want a day for Mesa Verde, half a day for the Four Corners Monument, but if you wanted to, from the monument, you'd be pretty close to Monument Valley in NE Arizona - which is spectacular - see link.

And then you could wander back though the desert, hitting Mexican Hat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monument Valley

There's a fun motel in Monte Vista (near Alamosa) called the Best Western Movie Manor.
You can watch a drive in theater from your room!
There's a fun Mexican restaurant there too..Nino's

Maroon Bells---#1.

During your week in Glenwood, if you have time, try to include at least a short trip to see Maroon Bells. Honestly, when we made that last turn, and they appeared, it really took my breath away. It's about an hour's drive from Glenwood.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maroon Bells

However, because it's so gorgeous, it was in danger of being "loved to death." so they made rules to limit access during high season, summer.
No private vehicles between 9 am and 5 pm. So you would need to get there early, or plan to arrive after 5.

Here is a link that might be useful: rules

Great plan, PixieLou!

For the Alamosa/Monte Vista/Del Norte part of the trip, except for the Sand Dunes there's not really anything else in the area that's "touristy"---at least as far as I know, so I'd plan your time there just long enough to go to the Sand Dunes, and one day will be way plenty for that, and if you're there for a half a day, 4 or 5 hours, I'm guessing you're gonna be worn out and covered with sand enough that you'll be ready to leave! If you decide to spend the whole day there, know that there is no food available in the Park! I was trying to remember if I saw vending machines the last time I was there, but I can't remember! There are picnic areas/tables (and potable water), but you'd need to pick up a box lunch or something before you leave "town" if you want to do that! Kid Alert! (Fun for the grownups too!) There are lots of ways to slip and slide on the sand, including on your feet and your tushy (not too highly recommended since the sand will be HOT, and kind of like sandpaper!), but if you want a "vehicle" to ride on you need to plan that, like the food, in advance. The linked NPS page has a place where you can rent "vehicles" in Alamosa!

I think you'll enjoy the Silverton and Ouray area! Silverton is a very small town, and its primary purpose these days is as a destination for the Narrow Gauge Train from Durango. Good place to stop for some pics of the train, at least one of which will probably be parked there when you go thru, and, especially if you happen to arrive as a train is arriving there will be the gun fights and other touristy hoopla that happens for the passengers!

Ouray is much more of a low-key mountain town, which, because of its mountain setting, is nicknamed the Switzerland of America! I'd recommend finding lodging in Ouray rather than Silverton! If you check out their Business Directory you'll see you can find mine tours, ballooning, jeeping, and just about anything you want to do in the mountains! Ouray has hot springs too, but I suspect you'll get enough of that in Glenwood!

I don't know what kind of jeeping you have in mind, but if you're at all interested in checking out a Ghost Town, there are lots of them in the area, and you can rent and drive your own jeep if you're game for that! I happened to have the link to that map saved, BTW, because I kind of hope to go see the ghost town of Animas Forks some day!

And the Black Bear Pass I mentioned above, that goes from the top of Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, can be toured from the Ouray end of the pass too--IF you think you're up for something like that! This is just one of the tour companies that do jeep trips over the pass, and this one does custom ghost town tours too if you wanted to do something like that but not drive yourself!

Before I forget! Be sure to bring your woolies with you! It will always be cool/cold after the sun sets in the mountain, and even in the daytime--in July!--it will be cold when you get up in the higher altitudes! You will definitely want/need a warm jacket of some sort, and long pants, depending on what you're doing.

Also want to mention this! If there's a performance going on at Red Rocks you cannot get in to see it (I begged one time when I had out of state visitors and it didn't work!) so you might want to check their site to see if there is anything planned the day you'll be stopping by there! They close the place down and keep everybody out who doesn't have tickets starting several hours before an event. Since most things happen in the evening, you're probably safe if you'll be stopping there in the afternoon, but I'm not sure of that!

Now! Since David mentioned Monument Valley and Mexican Hat---here's another installment of things to see! I'm determined to get Colorado and the Four Corners area on your list of places to return to! :-)

From Mexican Hat--if you go north on Rt. 261 you go over something called the Moki Dugway!

FUN high desert mountain road! Great views of the immense valley looking toward Monument Valley--but you can't see that far! If you google it you'll find all sorts of hairy stories about the road, so I was amazed by how wide and well maintained it was!

And then! When you get to the top of the Moki Dugway you're already almost the whole way to Natural Bridges Natl. Monument! This is one of my favorite Parks, partly because it doesn't have the Mobs that many of the other Parks have! There are three natural bridges that you can view from an overlook, and you can hike to the bottom--and under--all three of them. And the "trails" to the bottom are minimally marked, so, unlike places like Mesa Verde where there are fences and ropes and signs all over the place telling you what you can't do, at Natural Bridges you're just kind of out there "all by yourself," and you're not constantly trying to find a way to take a pic without getting the railings and signs in the picture! Here's two of the bridges!

Sipapu Bridge from the trail!

Sipapu from underneath it!

Owachomo Bridge from the trail!

Owachomo from underneath it! (Yes! The sky really IS that blue out here!)

And then! You KNOW you're gonna come back! There's Arches Natl. Park near Moab!

Double Arch! (Just one of many!)

And there's Canyonlands Natl. Park, also near Moab!

A small part of the view at Grand View Point Overlook!

AND! Since David posted a great pic not too far from Cortez, I'm gonna post one of my Favorite Sunsets from the cabin I stayed in near Moab in '09! David, I saw a sunset that looked very much like your sunrise when I was driving over Lizard Head last fall, and also saw some from the Cozy House in Dolores last year! LOVE the soft pastel colors! Took a whole bunch of pics, but those are some of the post-crash pics that aren't in the computer yet!

Skybird

P.S. David, is there anything to see/do in Mexican Hat? Since it's a couple miles off the "main road" I've never taken the time to drive into town! Have thought about doing it a couple times, and then just went by when I got there! And, have you ever done the ferry ride on 276 south of Ticaboo? Another thing I've thought about doing!

Don't know what happened to the link to Animas Forks--it worked in the preview, but here it is again (below)! This is a great site with a lot of info, and if you want to see more ghost towns in Colorado, just click on the first link on the top of the left column.

And, I don't have time to live-link it, but here's a copy/paste link to some info about the history of Animas Forks if it's something that interests you. Found this site in my bookmarks when I went back to find the first one again!

http://www.unique-photography-concepts.com/animas-forks.html

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Animas Forks Ghost Town Pictures

We usually stop at the trading post right at the bridge - with any luck, you get the old Navajo Grannies with all the amazing turquoise jewelry in buying a sack of flour, sunburned river rats, a couple of cowboys, an oil field worker, etc.

Its kind of a nice break, get something cold to sip on.

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thanks, David! Interesting site you linked! They don't give the rates, but they have a "house" for rent that might be worth checking out! The place I stayed at in Bluff one year wasn't worth going back to! Maybe next year I'll head down that way, hit Monument Valley, which I haven't seen yet, then over to possibly the Grand Canyon--haven't been there since the 70's, and I really want to go back to Zion and Bryce---and Cedar Breaks again! And still haven't been to Canyon de Chelly yet either! Still months from THIS year's vacation--and I'm planning next year's already! LOL! Next time I'm near Mexican Hat I won't just drive by again!

Skybird

okay - i'm now looking into ghost towns. and seeing if maybe we could spend a little more time in the SW corner and maybe get to monument valley or those other national parks.

In the meantime - will i be able to see a saguaro cactus on this trip?

I know I know - you are all shaking your heads wondering what is wrong with me - I want to stand on 4 corners, dump a bottle of water on the continental divide, and I want to see a cactus.

Here is a link that might be useful: saguaro cactus images

The saguaro ain't gonna happen this time, Pixie! You have to go WAY further south and west to see those! (Future vacation!???) Actually you will see a lot of cactus out here, just not that kind! Short ones! Anywhere you happen to be out walking around where you're not "on a trail" you'll actually need to be watching where you put your feet! When I was out walking around the Cozy House in Dolores last year I was being careful, but I STILL managed to step on one somewhere (lots of prickly pear type out here!), and I wound up having to get out a pliers to pull the thorns back out of the bottom of my shoe!

I don't think you're wacky at all for wanting to do the things you want to do! And if I had never been to the "official" Four Corners, I'd probably think about doing it too! And just don't dump out your LAST bottle of water on top of a pass! LOL!

There's kind of a limit to how much you're going to be able to see this time in the amount of time you have. If you really wanted to, you could possibly get in Monument Valley and Natural Bridges and then come back into Cortez, with or without Hovenweep on the way (and you can come back into Cortez via McElmo Canyon--where that winery is!), but if you're at all serious about adding Canyonlands and Arches to the trip this year, you'd really need to cut out the Silverton/Ouray part of the trip and go to Glenwood by heading north out of Moab and up to I70. I really think you'll enjoy some of the things you're talking about in the Ouray area, so I recommend "saving" the two Moab Parks for another time. The one thing I am kinda shaking my head about is spending a couple days on "the plains!" I think you truly don't realize how much Nothing there is out there! Do you know that the the airport is "on the plains?" When it was built in '95 the standing joke was that it was the biggest airport in Kansas! Have a look around when you're taxiing in, and that's exactly what you're gonna see anywhere you drive "out on the plaines!" So if you still really, really want to go driving around out there, you can definitely make another day for yourself out in the hills by doing the plains for just one day. If I honestly thought you'd be missing something, I wouldn't be trying to talk you out of spending time doing that.

It's fun to be following along with your planning,
Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Where do saguaros grow?

OK - no saguaros. Gosh - I could have googled that to find out that answer. But then I wouldn't have gotten a lecture on skipping the plains!

OK - will rethink the plains stuff. My daughter is so into Little House on the Prairie. If my brother wasn't getting married this summer, we would have been headed for DeSmet, SD for vacation instead. As it is, we will probably be going to DeSmet next year. (Is everybody groaning??? Maybe she'll outgrow it in another year?)

So maybe we skip the plains and head straight to Alamosa/Great Sand Dunes? Is that too long a drive from the airport? Then add the prairie days out in the Cortez Area, or maybe add a stop in Utah somewhere? (Gosh if we sleep in Utah it can count as a state visitied!) I'm kinda thinking out loud here, not even looking at a map.

Great Sand Dunes looks really cool, and the mining and jeeping in Ouray/Silverton look really cool. So I don't want to miss those. And we can't eliminate the wedding!

Can you tell we love talking about our state?

The Great Sand Dunes park is just under 250 miles SSW from Denver International Airport. Depending on your route, it could be on your way to Four Corners.

As for prairies, Colorado is home to the Pawnee National Grassland, which has some awesome prairie, world-class bird watching, and a few buttes. However, it is in the opposite direction of the Four Corners, in the northeast part of the state. Logistically, I don't think it would fit into your timeline.

You mentioned a stop at Red Rocks. Since this will be your last 'hurrah' before hitting the airport, I would like to recommend a route and possible place for lunch that won't take you too out of your way.

From I-70 east, take exit 252 onto Evergreen Parkway (State Highway 74). Evergreen Parkway will take you into Historic Evergreen. On the drive (about 10-15 miles), you will see some nice scenery, including views of Mount Evans, and a few lakes (this will give you a last look at mountain scenery). As you come into Historic Evergreen, turn left at the light. On the right is a Colorado pizza institution, Beau Jo's. New York has thin crust, Chicago has deep dish, Colorado has Beau Jo's Mile High pie. You will know you have the right place when you see the statue of the cardinal (complete in red robes) holding a 'slice.' After lunch, continue on CO 74 (lots of twists and turns) and it will take you into Morrison, home to Red Rocks and two park entrances, about 11 miles. There is no admission fee to enter the park. After leaving the park, continue through the town of Morrison. The road will take you to CO 470, which will take you back to I-25 and follow the signs to the airport.

If you have the time, your daughter might enjoy Dinosaur Ridge and seeing the dinosaur fossils and footprints. Dinosaur Ridge which is right next to Red Rocks.

Hi Zinnia. Thanks for the comments. Is Dinosaur Ridge the place with the Brontosauraus Foot prints?

I'm now thinking to see if we could spend a night at that cool river place that skybird posted photos of. DH reminded me that he wants to go fishing with DD. Granted the Frying Pan River has world class fly fishing - and that is where we will be for the wedding.

Hi Pixie Lou! I am not sure if Dinosaur Ridge has Brontosaurus footprints. It does have a lot of Stegosaurus footprints, a T-Rex or two, and other prehistoric animals/reptiles. I am thinking the Brontosaurus may be at Dinosaur National Monument, which is in the extreme NW corner of state and extends into Utah. Dinosaur Ridge is much smaller, and will only take and an hour or two.

As for fishing, heck, people fish all over CO! You will see fly-fishermen and women in waders in just about every stream you pass. Even in parks within a few miles of Denver. In Silverton is an outlet mall. You will even see people in waders fishing in the stream that runs through the outlet mall!

Wow, friendly crowd with lots of advice, aren't we?

I just have to say that if you are planning on going to the Denver Mint (I see someone above had recommended that), that you will need to get online and find out when they have slots open. These days, it takes about two MONTHS in advance to find some open timeslots, and then you have to sign up--I don't remember it being so difficult when I was a kid, but I do remember seeing coin blanks and all sorts of cool stuff.

Also, there is a really cool Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit on the 16th Street Mall at the Denver Pavilions--it's on loan from Italy, and there are some neat ones that you can demo (but others are "don't touch") and they may be below her excitement level at the tender age of 7. Still, it's a rare opportunity that may not pass this way again.

Now, if you're going to be in the Colorado Springs area at all, I recommend a stop by Fargo's Pizza. It's kitschy, but they have the coolest player-band (it's like a player piano, but it's got about 15 instruments in it), and the staff dress up in Victorian-era clothing. It's set like an old riverboat, and the pizza is fair to good, depending upon your preferences. I remember I was about 7 the first time we went to Fargo's, and it was a BLAST. There's also an arcade there. Might satisfy wanting to see some of that era, even thought it wouldn't be Little House On The Prairie.

No matter what, though, you'll have LOTS to do while you're here!

And congratulations to the bride and groom!

Zinnia - on one of my numerous business trips to Denver, I went somewhere once where I walked along the edge of a road and I saw brontosaurus footprints in the blasted rock ridge. OK - maybe they were another type of dinosaur -they were big foot prints and we were seeing a cross section of how deep they were as opposed to looking from the top at thx shape of the foot print. It was some specific dinosaur site seeing place. Can't remember if I paid admission or not. This would have been close to 15 years ago.

That was at Dinosaur Ridge! Since Dinosaur Ridge is literally right next to Red Rocks, you might want to take another look. Your visit there will only take an hour or two (the guided tour is $4). By the way, if you are music lovers, Red Rock as a mini hall-of-fame museum of the artists that have played at the amphitheater over the years. Worth a look-see! No admission charge.

Hi Pixie,

When you posted about Little House on the Prairie I looked some things up and was planning to post but just haven't found the time! I'm glad you explained why you wanted to do the plains! At least now it makes sense! After you posted I looked up DeSmet on google Earth--to get the "lay of the land," and I think your daughter would be really disappointed with the "plains" we have out here compared to the terrain you'll find in eastern SD. The link I posted to a pic of "our" plains up above really is pretty accurate--there is simply nothing out there! If you do DeSmet I doubt that she'll actually be looking at "the land" very much when you do it, and she'll have all the Little House things, which is what she actually thinks of when she's reading the books. (Love it when kids are reading books!) So rather than taking her for a hot, dry, flat drive, and destroying her mental image of Little House, I now very definitely think you should skip the plains and enjoy the extra time in the hills!

A couple things about the fishing if you're gonna stick that in. Wherever you do it you'll need a Colorado fishing license, so be sure you plan ahead for that so you're not disappointed. And if you do decide to go to the Poma Ranch near Pagosa Springs, you'd really need to stay there two nites to have time for fishing. Checkin is at 3:00, so that wouldn't leave much time on the day you arrive, and checkout is at 10:00, so there wouldn't be time on the day you were leaving. The Weminuche River that runs thru the ranch flows very gently and it could easily be fished wading or from the bank. Check out their Fishing page at the link below, and there's more fishing info on their FAQs page, including that they rent "basic" and "kids" fishing gear at the ranch. I don't really know anything about fishing so I'm not sure what all that would include, but if you're seriously considering it and have any questions, call the ranch and ask for Karen! Also, since the river flows gently--and is shallow (a "river" out here is not the same as a "river" in the midwest or east!) your daughter might enjoy wading around in it (probably with a pair of cotton tennis shoes or at least flip flops since the bottom will be "rocky")! But she probably wouldn't stay in too long since water in the mountains is COLD--it's melted snow--and the ranch is at 8,000'! Also, if you're seriously considering staying there, PM me and I'd be glad to send you some more pictures of the inside (and outside) of the Hideaway cabin! I've stayed there three times now so I have pics of the outsides of the other cabins too. This is a favorite pic! I couldn't help but smile the first time I drove in there and saw the Welcome Home sign! I immediately knew I was gonna love the place! (The sign is on the back side of the "bathhouse" building that has the "waterfall showers!")

And before I got to the welcome home sign (on the small building on the right) I ran into this roadblock on the drive in! (If it looks gloomy, that's because it was raining on and off on the drive from Pagosa to the ranch the first year I stayed there! Then, right after I got there, the sun came out just in time for sunset!)

This was a view heading out of Pagosa toward the ranch that year! The ranch is in them thar hills!

I also highly recommend the "Cozy House" at Dolores for the Cortez part of your trip, and would be glad to send you a bunch of pics of that place too to help you decide if you're interested.

One more thing since Zinnia brought up Dinosaur Ridge! Just a little further down the road, in Morrison, is a place called Tiny Town! Perhaps in lieu of Little House your daughter would like to see some "little houses"---and other buildings! I don't have time to live link these pages, but here's a copy/paste link to their site, and if you google for images of Tiny Town you'll come up with lots of pics of the buildings with people standing by them so you can get the scale. I haven't been out to this place since the late 70's when it was a run down (tiny) ghost town all overgrown with weeds, but it's been all spiffied up and is back in business, and this could be a real fun Kid Thing! You could plan your whole last day to do Red Rocks, the dinosaurs, and Tiny Town, and then head to the airport for your last nite's lodging!

http://tinytownrailroad.com/

Out of time for tonite! I can't wait to find out what all you finally decide to do!

Skybird

Here is a link that might be useful: Fishing on the V. A. Poma Ranch!

I just looked at the Red Rocks schedule. And it appears that Neil Young and Crazy Horse is playing there on 6 August. So it appears that we will not be able to sing on stage that day. Oh well. Dinosaur Ridge will be cool.

I have tons of sewing to do for DD's ballet recitals in the next week, so I'll be back to finish my planning after that.

You can still sing, Pixie, if you get there by lunch time! And if you're gonna put on a performance, I might come out to watch!!! ;-)

This is from the Red Rock site!

"Red Rocks Park is open to the public from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the year. On concert days the Amphitheatre usually closes to the public after lunch for sound checks and other operational issues. However, the Amphitheatre may be closed to the public at any time on a day when a concert is scheduled. Once in awhile the Amphitheatre may be closed to the public on a non-concert day for a private function such as a rehearsal. Whenever possible, notice of these infrequent closures will be posted on the front page of this website. On concert days you may also call the Amphitheatre at 720-865-2494."

I think it's pretty unusual for them to close it to visitors before lunch when there's a performance since Red Rocks is a pretty big tourist attraction. The day I couldn't get in with my out-of-state friends we were there mid-afternoon, and they had just closed it right before we got there. Depending on what time you leave the western slope and depending on what you plan to do on your drive back over the Divide, chances are you'd have enough time to get there and see it before they close it if it's something you decide you still want to see.

Happy sewing, and enjoy the recitals--as if you wouldn't!

Skybird

I will come out to watch the performance and cheer with skybird. I am in west Littleton and 20 minutes from Red Rocks. I would love to hear some 'live' entertainment! Ha!

So I'm back. School is over. Recitals are over. And I really need to finish planning this trip.

I've officially ditched the plains. If we want to do the Plains, we'll go to South Dakota next summer.

I really want to go to Great Sand Dunes. But it seems to be a bit tough logistically. It's pretty far from the Denver Airport. Plus the lodge that is right at the park entrance has no lodging available for Monday night (this is what I get for indecision - hotels book up).

So this is what I'm thinking of doing:
Sunday - our flight arrives in Denver at 9:00 AM. Which means we fly out of Boston at 5:50 AM. Which means we will be waking up at 3:00 AM. So I was thinking of just driving to Pueblo, CO. It's about 125 miles, so it would be a 2+ hour drive. (We'll stay at our favorite chain hotel, where we are rewards members, so we are allowed early check in).

Monday - drive to Great Sand Dunes, spend half a day at the park, then drive to Alamosa for Monday night lodging. It's 135 miles from Pueblo to Great Sand Dunes - which is a 2-1/2 to 3 hour drive. Then it's another hour to Alamosa. Sounds like a long day?

If this sounds like too much - then any suggestions on how I could better incorporate Great Sand Dunes?

On Tuesday, the plan would be to wake up and drive to the really cool ranch that skybird posted, VA Poma Ranch, north of Pagosa Springs. We would then spend a couple days there doing nothing but watching the river flow. (That is if they still have lodging available. I'll be calling them in the morning).

This would be followed by 3 days in Durango and 3 days in Cortez. Then off to the wedding.

Then yes, we will be performing live at Red Rocks. But rumor has it that our performance is already sold out!

That sounds entirely reasonable/feasible to me.

Excellent choices, pixie_lou! I am glad to see you scaled back your itinerary so you can enjoy the calm, beauty, power, and yes, spirituality, of being in the mountains instead of being inside your car driving.

Now, I am off to buy a lighter so I can sway during your performance at Red Rocks ...

Pixie Lou,
I know I'm a bit late to the party, but since you're going to be in Pueblo a neat side trip is to visit Bishop Castle. Its a beautiful drive taking the "back" way from Colorado Springs and isn't too far out of route.
At the other end of your tour, the likely route you'll be taking to Aspen from Cortez will take you through Redstone. Google "Redstone Castle".
Have fun, be safe

Here is a link that might be useful: Bishop Castle

Thanks for the additional input and suggestions. I can't believe we leave in 8 days!

Had to make some minor adjustments to the itinerary. Due to the wildfires, we won't be able to stay at Poma Ranch. So the new itinerary is
2 nights in Pueblo
2 nights at Great Sand Dunes National Park
3 nights in Cortez
3 nights in Ouray
5 nights in Glenwood Springs

Flights are booked, rental car is reserved, all hotel rooms are reserved, airport transport is arranged. We just need to pack our bags!

Only 1 little glitch - last weekend my wallet and iPhone were stolen (zinnia - you don't need to buy a lighter, you can just get the lighter iPhone app). So we had to cancel all the credit cards. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new cards - since it is impossible to travel without credit cards. And since I had bookmarked everything on my iPhone, I need to rebookmark everything. Which means I will be reading thru this thread a second time, which means I will start doubting my plans and will want to start changing things all over again!

Once again I want to thank everyone for all their help. I could not have planned this trip without the input from all of you. When we return I will be sure to check back in and let you know how much we enjoyed ourselves.

Wow, there is an app for everything! I bought an iPhone last year and let my tech-savvy 16 year old nephew set it up for me. Not only did he get it working and activated some little known features, but, unbeknownst to me, downloaded some 'essential' apps. The apps included Gibb's Rules (from NCIS) complete with head slap noises, an app for bathrooms of the world, and yes, a fart app.

Moral of the story, if you don't want a fart app on your phone, don't set a 16 year old boy loose with your phone!

Looking forward to hearing how your trip went.