We escaped the Texas heat to Colorado this summer and I've got an epic itinerary for your family! We flew into Denver rented a car and spent the night with family. The next morning we drove less than 2 hours to Estes Park and spent 3 nights at the YMCA of the Rockies. Our second part of the trip we drove less than 3 hours to Vail and spent 3 nights. In this blog I'm sharing where we stayed, activities we did, and our favorite meals.
)-2.png "Colorado Summer Vacation | Estes Park & Vail")
ESTES PARK
STAY: YMCA of the Rockies has been on my family travel bucket list for years and it was everything I dreamed of! I booked on April 1 as soon as the bookings opened up online which was around 6 or 7am CT. Sign up for their emails so you know when the booking window will open because cabins go fast! There are two types of lodging options, a hotel style and cabin style where you have your own kitchen/living room/etc. Cabin sizes range from 2 bedrooms all the way up to 8 bedrooms for family reunions/summer camps. I saw lots of kids at various summer camps there! Do note that the "Summit" cabins are about a mile down the road so it's not on the main campus where all the activities are.
Cost = $1,500 for a 3 bedroom summit cabin w/a fireplace and a large porch/living room/full kitchen (note we were there during one of the busiest weeks of July 4 so I'm sure prices can be cheaper in different weeks). If you are a teacher you get 50% off lodging called the "Teacher Recess Getaway" for K-12 employees! Blackout dates apply for cabins but not for hotel-style lodge rooms. Call their reservation officer directly to book rather than booking online.
ACTIVITIES: The activities are the main reason I booked this vacation. They offer so many kid-friendly activities for every age! Most are free with your stay but a few have an additional cost including horseback riding, ropes course, archery and rock climbing. We didn't make it to half the activities during our 3 day stay! My kids did love the indoor roller skating, ropes course, and the huge sports field that offers sand volleyball, tennis, pickleball, basketball, soccer, putt-putt and more.
Fly Fishing: You can easily sign up for a fly fishing excursion through Sasquatch Fly Fishing which is conveniently located at the Y facility.
Hiking: The most popular activity at the Y is hiking and that's because it's surrounded on 3 sides by the Rocky Mountain National Park. We hiked Alberta Falls the first day which was an easy hike for kids and not too long. We walked straight from the Y into the National Park and then got on a shuttle that took us to the top of the mountain. The most popular hike is Bear Lake then you proceed to Nymph, Dream and Emerald lakes but unfortunately my kids were not up for it the next day so we stayed closer to the Y and did the Moraine Loop Trail.
Downtown Estes Park: In the afternoon we'd make our way into downtown Estes Park to dine and shop along the river. Main Street is adorable and has great shops including souvenir, clothing, art, candy, ice cream, etc. After dinner one evening we headed to the Stanley Hotel to see hotel that inspired "The Shining" and where parts of "Dumb & Dumber" were filmed. Definitely a highlight quoting the movie with my kids!
There were so many things we didn't do/see and we could definitely have stayed an entire week!
EAT: We ate at the Y restaurant and cafe for most meals, but we had burgers and gyros one night at the most talked about spot "Boss Burgers and Gyros" which had a lowkey hometown vibe! Another night Alex and I had dinner solo at Park Tavern (loved the Bison Ragu w/sweet potato gnocchi and the drinks were 10/10), and the kids + my mom ate at Penelope's Burgers which they recommend. Don't skip out on The Taffy Shop or caramel apples from Laura's Fine Candies!
Our YMCA cabin in the Summit area - This area is a bit further away from the area where the kids play so next time I'll book closer to the main facility so the kids can easily walk to the activities.
I visited Vail six years ago with my mom and sister and have been dreaming of bring my entire family back. It's pricey but it's extremely kid-friendly!
STAY: I booked a one bedroom condo at Lionsquare Lodge located in Lions Village which is about a 10 minute walk along Gore Creek into downtown Vail. There are two major Gondolas in Vail during the summer...Gondola One in Vail Village and Eagle Bahn Gondola in Lions Village. Our condo fed directly into Eagle Bahn Gondola so our condo is an ideal location for summer and winter. It was definitely more expensive at $2,000 for 3 nights but you can't beat the location and the pool/hot tub were the perfect way to relax after hiking.
ACTIVITIES:
Mountain Activities: You can book all mountain activities through Vail Resort which is where I reserved all activities in advance and bought lift passes/bike rentals. We took the Eagle Bahn Gondola up and got adventure passes to try out all the activities on top of the mountain including the Flyer Coaster which is their alpine coaster (our favorite), bungee trampoline, tubing, climbing wall, mini-hipline and mini-golf. We grabbed lunch on top of the mountain.
Hiking: I didn't get to hike as much as I wanted because the kids were tired but my mom and I took an easy trail (Meadow's Loop) from the top of Eagle Bahn Gondola over to Gondola One. Takes about 30 minutes. When you buy a Gondola day pass it lasts the entire day so you can go up as many times as you like.
Mountain Biking: My husband and boys did a half day mountain bike rental through Vail Sports along with a bike haul gondola pass that took their bikes to the top of the mountain. They mainly rode Gondola One to ride the super long green bike trails down to the bottom. They rode it twice and were spent! Helmets and gloves came with their bike rentals.
We skipped white water rafting this trip but there lots of options in the area if you're interested! And obviously shopping in Vail is another activity if your wallet is overflowing. Most stores are too expensive for my budget, but it's still fun to window shop. European inspired Gorsuch is by far my favorite and Aviator Nation has such a fun vibe!
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens: A walk along the creek in downtown vail will take you to the epic, Ford Park. It has large green spaces for sports, scenic walking paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, and free access to Betty Ford Alpine Gardens. It's a great place to spend an hour relaxing and letting the kids play.
EAT:
Alpenrose: Vail has a lot of great food options but my favorite meal is always at Alpenrose. It takes me back to Austria and Germany with its charming decor in a cozy atmosphere. You have to get the schnitzel (make sure. to put lots of lemon on top) and the homemade spätzle! The kids loved the cheese fondue and apple strudel, and Alex loved the German beer in steins.
We dined at home much more this time around because of the kids but one night we loved the Detroit style pizza at Alpine Pizza and crepes at The Crepe Girl for a delicious snack/quick lunch.
The Little Diner: This is a legendary breakfast spot that is tiny and exactly what you'd expect of a cute small-town diner. Everything we had was delicious especially the hash browns, but they are known for their German Pancake which is HUGE so definitely split between 2-3 people. Call ahead to get on the waitlist!
Vail shuts down pretty early at night but I do love a bottom of the slope local bar. We enjoyed watching the world cup at Garfinkel's, Bart & Yeti's and the Austrian restaurant/bar, Pepi's.
Overall, YMCA of the Rockies was the most memorable part of the trip for my kids, and truly the most family-friendly destination. It's much cheaper than Vail. Vail is jaw-dropping and I highly recommend anyone visit if you love epic views, great shopping and food, and a picturesque mountain town that makes you feel like you're in Europe. Check out my Instagram stories for more details about our trip!
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This sounds like such a fun family escape! Estes Park seems to have the perfect mix of easy hikes, outdoor adventures, and activities for kids, while the trip to Vail adds a completely different mountain-town vibe. I especially like that the itinerary balances nature with good food and a little movie-history fun at the Stanley Hotel. It definitely makes me want to plan a Colorado trip someday. By the way, I also came across https://gamrfirst-schweiz.com/
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This sounds like an amazing family trip, especially with such a good mix of hiking, outdoor activities, sightseeing, and great places to eat. I love that the itinerary includes practical details about the YMCA of the Rockies, as well as fun stops like the Stanley Hotel and downtown Estes Park. It makes the whole trip feel very easy to picture and plan.
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