Hiking, Sandboarding, Glamping, and Hot Springs
Duration: 11 days, 10 nights
Budget: $4,500
Miles Travelled: 1,411
If you’re looking for a place to travel with your kids in the Fall, look no further! We experienced Colorado recently and the kids had more adventure than they ever could’ve dreamed of. From sandboarding down the tallest dunes in North America to swimming in the hot springs pools cooled to the perfect temperature for kids, this trip was amazing.
We flew into Denver where we grabbed a rental and hit the road south. We visited Colorado Spring, Mosca, Pagosa Springs, Durango, Telluride, Ridgway, Breckenridge, Estes Park, and back to Denver to fly out. Whew!! Can’t wait to share all that we did..
- Accomodations 90%
- Food 70%
- Transportation 50%
- Activities 80%
Activities: Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Colorado Springs, Great Sand Dunes NP in Mosca, Glampin at Rustic Rook Resort next to the dunes, Pagosa hot springs at The Springs Resort and Spa, Shopping in Durango, Camping, hiking, and gondola ridges in Telluride and Mountain Village, hiking the Blue Lakes Trail in Ridgway, relaxing in Breckenridge, elk rutting in Estes Park, hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Best Food & Drink
1. GrassBurger, Durango
You have to make this a stop when traveling through Durango. I ordered their Southwest Vegan bowl and stole some sweet potato fries from my son. I’m not vegan, but this was the most heavenly healthy food I’ve ever eaten. Menu
2. The Blue Stag, Breckenridge
Everything we ordered off their menu was a hit! The pizzas for the kids were homemade personal pizzas that my kids raved over. You can’t go wrong with this restaurant. Menu
3. Crave Burgers, Colorado Springs
This place gets 10 stars for having a creative menu. Their burgers are all out-of this-world unique. My burger was the Sweetheart with sour cherry onion jam, candied bacon, pepper jack, asian mayo, lettuce, sriracha brown sugar glaze. Comes with fries for $12. My mouth is watering just thinking about their food. Menu
Day 1
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
The kids and I had been studying about the cliff dwellings during our Colorado studies before the trip, so seeing them up close was great! These particular dwellings were moved from their original location and rebuilt with in Colorado Springs to encourage people to learn more about the history of these ancient cliff dwellings. This location is very small, but allowed the children to go into the rooms and explore. Their museum is also very educational. This was a good substitute for seeing Mesa Verde, which we were disappointed to miss because they were closed to tours because of Covid.
Day 2
Garden of the gods
Wear your good hiking shoes/boots. There are lots of opportunities to climb on the rocks (this is called “bouldering”).
To get the iconic picture that you see, go to P3 (Giant Footprints) on the map. There is a pull-off along the road that has space for 3-4 cars. If open, you can pull off and get the most amazing shot of the rocks. If there’s not a spot, drop someone off (not a child, lol) to get the picture and drive back around to pick them up or try to get the shot out of the window. Plan to spend 4-5 hours at this location, but it’s doable in just a few.
Day 3
Great Sand Dunes NP
These are the highest sand dunes in North America. We rented sand boards and sleds and had a blast climbing the dunes and facing our fear of heights to soar down the sand and try to make a smooth landing.
September is a perfect time to go!! The weather made for a breezy day with cool sand. If it’s going to be a hot day, YOU SHOULD DEF go early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid the heat. We took our shoes off and just walked in our socks or bare feet. It’s the softest sand in the world. IMO
Put sunglasses, hats, and mouth coverings on your packing list for this day.
More About Colorado
Check out our other blogposts to be fully prepared for your upcoming Colorado trip! Please let us know how your trip was in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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