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Colorado
A few pointers.
1) Drink A Lot!!! you are at a much higher altitude  than your body is used to and there is usually 0% humidity, this means you can easily dehydrate! and visitors often do!
2) Use sunscreen! being that you are that much closer to the sun, you get sunburnt that much faster, and 0% humidity means that it feels cooler than it actually is out.
3) when going to/up the mountains bring sweatshirts and other warm clothes, even on a scorcher of a summer day it can be freezing and windy on top of a mountain.




Denver
There are three jewish areas which are part of denver they form a rough triangle roughly 20 minute drive from one another so they kind of feel like three seperate cities.
West side: is the yeshivish neighborhood, home to the Yeshiva, the Bais Yaakov, the Kollel, 60-80 families, the oldest shul in denver (over 120 years old and only one currently on the west side) the Bronco's stadium, and quite a few homeless people.Not much else noteworthy for the vacationer. There are no jewish stores there and the bulk of stores that do exist there are pawn shops and used car lots, Oh yeah and retail marijuana shops! Sloans lake is a beautiful lake half a block from most of the jewish neighborhood, roughly 3 miles around you can get some nice views of the mountains over the lake, but it isn't inside the eruv and certainly not worthy of a special trip.

SouthEast/Greenwood village: Is a relatively new part of Denver, something like 10-20 years old the community is largely a kiruv community in all stages of growth centered around the only shul Aish. There is also a decent group of Bnai Torah who live there as well. The SouthEast is an upscale waspy suburbia and the stores and citizens are generally more upscale as well.
They have a pretty good frozen Yogurt shop called Yogurt Yuphoria which is certified by the scroll k (the local and very reputable hechsher) but is mostly cholov stam. They do have some sorbet and sometimes pareve frozen yogurts that are labeled "dairy equipment" and are surprisingly good, you can also get some parve razzles and the like. They close at 930PM. Also the King Soopers nearby(a grocery chain which is part of the whole ralph's/kroger thing) has a small kosher meat section, kosher product section and almost entirely kosher fresh bakery (note most things are cholov stam!).They are open either to 12PM or are 24hrs.

East Side: is currently the largest and fastest growing part of Denver, here is where you will find almost all of the jewish/kosher amenities. The East side is a diverse crowd but the bulk of it is modern orthodox.
 
The Shuls:
EDOS (East Denver Orthodox Synogogue)is made up of an older crowd, very few young people, and is modern orthodox.
DAT (Denver Acadaemy of Torah) is a shul inside a school. Here is where the vast majority of the 20 and 30 somethings daven, it is a modern orthodox shul and is strongly zionist.
BMH-BJ (bais medrash hagodol-beth joseph) is technically an orthodox shul as it is part of the OU, but they don't have a mechitza and most of it's mispallelim drive to shul on shabbos. They do have a smaller minyan in a side room known as sharai simcha or "the mechitza minyan" which does have mechitza and it's mispallelim are local.
Bais Yisroel/Beit Uriel/TRI are three shuls housed in one building, Beit Uriel is the local Sephardic Shul, TRI is an old minyan for russian jews and Bais Yisroel is the yeshivish shul on the East side, they recently renovated and is gorgeous and spacious,with almost a intown feel.

The Restaurants:
ESKD (East Side Kosher Deli) http://www.eastsidekosherdeli.com/ It is located in the back of the only kosher store in town. In the store they have very nice meat and dairy departments. (although if you are just looking for a steak to grill you might to better off going to trader joes and getting one of their luscious teva's black angus kosher rib steaks). They also carry a full line of heimish products and wines, they are both a bit overpriced, but not crazy for this far out of town. They also have a full delicatessen/bakery in the store, their coldcuts are usually excellent. They close at 9PM.

Back to the restaurant (literally). They have a lunch menu which is significantly cheaper for many of the same things. Certain nights of the week they sell sushi which i haven't tried but hear is all right. The ambiance is not to great but the food is very good for the price (18-35 a main). I would suggest  the sesame chicken, steak fajita's, cowboy burger, and onion ring brick, they are all delicious. They have some wierd things that you may like or hate for instance a burger with pastrami jammed between two greasy Latkes etc. Read the menu carefully. Also their shwarma is not up to par.Wine by the glass is surprisingly cheap for upscale restaurant standards, but ask when it was opened. They don't get a lot of wine orders.

Bitcoin Grill https://bitcoin-grill.com/ Brand New(2023) Shwarma, Steak, Burgers, Schnitzel[/s]. (Update OCT 2023: CLOSED :-\. We really enjoyed back in August)

Brooklyn Pizza http://brooklynpizzadenver.com/ They have some really good pizza and some really out-of-the box toppings like fake pepperoni (which supposedly tastes legit), smoked lox and capers, mac and cheese, and chocolate and riccotto cheese, if you are into that type of thing.All the above are made to order so give yourself some extra time. Their fries are good and the calzones are beyond enormous (enough for two). At peak times there will be a wait and a dearth of seats.They close at 9 PM and are open late on Motzoi Shabbos.
Next door is a King Soopers with a pretty big kosher item section (3 small isles) a small fresh meat and dairy section and a fresh bakery that is kosher but mostly cholov stam. Across the side street is a liquor shop called the grapevine which has a pretty large selection of kosher wine at a fair price, they are open very late.

Rosenberg Kosher (formerly The Bagel Store) http://www.rosenbergskosher.com/ Note, open to the public on Fridays and holidays. makes solid bagels and challah, they also make amazing doughnuts but only sell them on fridays, and for some odd reason they get stale very very quickly, so enjoy them right away.

Mordy's Falafel https://www.mordysfalafel.com/ Falafel Truck

High Point Creamery: https://www.highpointcreamery.com/ Ice cream shop across the street from EDOS. Small batch ice cream shop with unique flavors.

Hotels:

Colorado
has enough amazing sites for one to visit one a day for several years and not run out. I have spoken to avid hikers and natralists who live in Denver for 20-30 years and gathered that they havn't hit all the popular spots yet and are constantly finding new places. Below you will find a long but limited list of popular trips, anyone will have different favorites, enjoy!

Unique Attractions In Denver
--Denver Museum of Nature and Science. hands-on interactive Kid oriented science museum. Very interesting exhibit on health/human body. Special exhibits and IMAX films are extra(Admission is free if you have membership at other science centers through the ASTC passport program. Good for a rainy day or if acclimating to the altitude). https://www.dmns.org/
--History Colorado Center: Museum (Admission is free if you have membership at other science centers through the ASTC passport program. good for a rainy day or if acclimating to the altitude). https://www.historycolorado.org/history-colorado-center
--Slick City Denver West (Check groupon for deals. Usually $30/pp). An indoor trampoline-type park with water-free version of water slides. You ride down various slides on low-friction mats. https://slickcity.com/denverwest/
--Hammonds Candy30 minute factory tour. Free. Runs every 30 minutes. Reservations are recommended. Some of their products are kosher. location is at 5735 Washington Street
Denver, CO 80216 https://hammondscandies.com/pages/factory-tours-new


Day Trips from Denver

Children friendly short trips from Denver:

Tiny Town- a little boring, but nice stop for little kids. They charge $5 for adults and $3 for kids above 2. This is about 25 minutes from Denver, it is a miniature kid sized city! All this houses and stores are built with great detail and there are about 10 of them the kids can climb into and peer out the windows and such. It also has a child sized railroad that drives around the town for an additional 2$ a pop. When it gets boring there is a nice playground and picnic area.The whole town is set in a scenic locale in the foothills and has small creek meandering through it. I'd say it would be a nice 1-2 hour trip (not including traveling for 1-6 year olds)
St. Mary's Glacier(town of Alice): is about 50 minutes from Denver. It is a easy/moderate short hike (hour round trip) with a rewarding view on top. A great day trip idea for those who don't want to work too hard to see the views. The top has a really pretty clear lake fed from a glacier melt with a mountain view surrounding it. Really nice!!
Red Rocks: closest really scenic mountainy spot to denver. Beautiful red rock formation and kid friendly hiking trails, 25 minutes from Denver and nice for adults and slightly older kids as well (figure 3 years old and up)
Lariat Loop: scenic/historic 40 mile drive with stops all around golden and lakewood colorado. (most stops are western/cowboy themed)
Falcon Ridge short hike/amazing view
Buffalo Bill's Grave and museum - see @Yehuda's TR below
Coors factory tour-see @Yehuda's TR below
Roxbourough national park: A short half hour drive from Denver, this park has huge striking dramatic red stones (couple hundred feet high) the park is set in the middle of wild country and warns that bears and rattle snakes are very often seen, while the scenery is some of the best this close to Denver, the trails are a somewhat distant from the rocks (50-500 feet) and i wouldn't feel comfortable going off trail with all the rattlesnake warnings. This kinda puts a damper on the feel.
Lookout mountain-see @Yehuda's TR below

Boulder- 45 minutes north of Denver has quite a few family friendly trip options
Celestial Seasons tea factory tour: interesting and fun, with free tea sampling. Entering the "Mint room" is a highlight you won't soon forget, watching the fully automated factory whirl is remarkable and exciting. Avoid going on a Sunday because the factory floor is not on and you lose that experience. You can also purchase all their discontinued teas in their tea store. They suspended tours during COVID and now charge $5/pp. (they don't allow children under 5 years old on the tour). https://celestialseasonings.com/pages/tea-tour
Eben G. Fine Park: is a nice place to eat a lunch dip your feet in the river or just relax a bit, there is also another gorgeous park across the street but i can't remember the name.
Pearl Street: get a taste of the eccentric lifestyle of boulder, explore the stores and watch street performers. You are guaranteed to be amazed and amused by the eclectic locale!
Breweries: Colorado is home to dozens of microbreweries, of which quite a few are located in Boulder. Consider a short tour to see the less commercial side of beer brewing.One example is Avery brewery.
Eldorado Canyon: Is not in boulder but right near it. It is a beautiful site with a supposedly "stroller friendly" hiking trail. I took my double citymini up there and about halfway up had to hide it in a bush and continue with both kids on my shoulders, that being said it is a fairly easy stunning short trail which you could take a jogging stroller on if you were so inclined. There are often people crock climbing hundreds of feet in the air which makes for a fascinating watch.

Longer day trips from Denver

Mt. Evans: about an hour west of Denver.Then you begin the long drive up to the top a 14er (one of America's highest paved roads) the trip up is exhilerating and the switchbacks are steep with huge drops on either side, you pass two incredibly beautiful lakes en route and usually some mountain goats and big horn sheep. As you get higher it gets colder and it is not unusual for there to be a hailstorm or even snow in the middle of a 100 degree day in Denver, so bring a sweatshirt. The view from the top is astounding (unless you are unlucky enough to arrive on a foggy day on top).

Estes Park: is the city at the base of Rocky Mountain National park and is set by a large lake with great views and a plethora of local activities and interesting shops. It is an hour and half north of Denver
Rocky Mountain National Park: It is large enough to spend a few weeks exploring(more than 400 square miles!!), one can easily spend two days there, although there are no upscale hotels nearby. There are two main scenic drives, The view from Trail Ridge Road is arguably the the most beautiful astounding sight in Colorado and is not to be missed! Old Fall River Road is a harrowing winding one way dirt road that will constantly have you on the edge of your seat and affords you rawer less commercialized views of the park. You can take Old Fall River Road to the peak at the Alpine visitor center and take Trail Ridge Road back down the mountain. If you're looking for a hike geared for Intermediate/Advanced hikers, Flattop mountain is a great trail ~3 hours hike up, ~1.5 to get back down. The bear lake area is the most popular with scenic Alpine lakes surrounded by mountains. NOTE: In addition to the regular entry to national parks You now need to reserve entry online to the park and to the popular "bear lake area", as they try to control the increase in crowds post COVID. see https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/timed-entry-permit-system.htm
Peak to Peak Scenic Byway https://estes-park.com/peak-peak-scenic-byway

Colorado Springs area: - 1-1.25 hrs south of Denver
Garden of the G-ds: https://www.gardenofgods.com/ Is a mind bogglingly beautiful park with the same redstone rocks found in red rocks and roxborough, the important difference is that you are allowed to and encouraged to climb on the rock in the Garden of the gods, this makes the view personal and significantly more fun, you can spend hours exploring and not get bored! (tip: don't spend much time in the first official parking area, it is all paved but not accessible or nearly as much fun as some of the other spots in this park, park in one of the pull offs later in the park or especially at the balancing rock at the end and explore! You won't be disappointed!
US Air Force Academy: https://www.academyadmissions.com/visit-the-academy/self-guided-tours/visitor-center-information/
Cave of the Winds: https://caveofthewinds.com/
Pikes Peak: https://www.pikes-peak.com/ Amazing views at 14,115 FT. You can also bike down from the peak with various tour companies.
Royal Gorge Bride & Park: https://royalgorgebridge.com/
Royal Gorge Railroad: https://royalgorgeroute.com/
Manitou Springs: https://manitousprings.org/
Manitou Incline: http://www.manitouincline.com/
White water rafting on the Arkansas river (royal gorge or buena vista)
brainard lake
Kruner rock hike
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (sounds pretty ordinary but this zoo has the beautiful background of the Rocky mountains, as well as many fascinating animals (lions, tigers, bears, and more!) It also has a chairlift that can take you above zoo level so you can see from bird’s eye view! 4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd. Colorado Springs, CO 719-633-9925


Vail Area:

Hotels:
Grand Hyatt Vail
Vail Residences At Cascade Village


Activities:
1. biking down from vail pass. Vail Pass is at exit 190 on Hwy 70 (about 15 miles east of Vail). It's several thousand feet higher than Vail. There is popular bike path from there to Vail, that stays near hwy 70 with stunning views that is 95%+ downhill (going west from 'Vail Pass' to 'Vail'), which makes for an amazing bike ride). You can rent bikes in Vail from many bike shops, and most rental places offer services to transport you and your rental bike to Vail Pass. Use of the bike trail itself is free. Bike rentals cost vary and the cost to transport bikes to Vail Pass can be more than the bike rental. 
2. Zip Lining
3. Gondola rides to top of Vail, (and scenic trails at the top)
4. Razor Tours Above & Beyond 4x4 Guides
5. Lake Dillon Boat Rental Dillon Marina
6. There is a BikeShare program in Vail called "Shift" with Pedal-Assist bikes (e-bikes). The first 30 minutes is $3, then $0.40/minute. You need a smart phone to get the bikes. There are various stations. They don't include helmets. Note: certain trails don't allow E-bikes. see https://shift-bike.com/
7. Copper Mountain is around exit 195 on Hwy 70. They offer Gondola rides at $15/pp (vs $50/pp at Vail). They also offer an summer activity pass with a package of rides including: gondola ride, zipline, go-karts, obstacle course, climbing wall, mountain coaster, bungee trampoline for $62-$80/pp. see https://www.coppercolorado.com/things-to-do/activities-amenities/summer-activity-passes
8. Hiking. There are many hikes in and around Vail. With Vail being in a valley surrounded by mountains, many involve substantial uphill sections. E.g Strawberry Lane (starts at Vail Gondola), Upper Piney River Trail (Stunning hike, but need to travel along a 10 miles unpaved, very bumpy road with potholes to get to the start, ideal to have an SUV when travelling on that road). See Alltrails.com or the alltrails app for more hikes in the area (including difficulty, length, pictures, user rating, and popularity).
9. Scenic Walking/Bike Paths: There are also relatively flat walking/biking paths in Vail, (e.g. Gore Creek Path) along the gore creek along the base of the mountain.
10. Sunday Farmers Market and Art Show in Vail.
11. Betty Ford Alpine Garden Small botanical Garden in Vail, (Free: less than an hour). There is also a nice playground there. https://bettyfordalpinegardens.org/visit/
12. In the nearby town of Avon (10 miles west of Vail). There is a small lake with Pedal boats, Kayaks, and SUP rentals ($35-$50/hour). see https://www.avon.org/431/Nottingham-Lake-and-Beach


Shul:
Chabad of Vail has a thriving shul centrally located http://www.jewishvail.com/ https://minyanmaker.co/s/Chabad_Vail

Food:
Kosher Vail - Run by the Chabad of Vail

Glenwood Springs:
1. Hanging Lake https://www.visitglenwood.com/things-to-do/hanging-lake/ (you now need to get passes online to enter $12/pp)
2. Glenwood Caverns (Modest size amusement park on top of a mountain with 10-20 rides including a mountain coaster, about 1 hour west of Vail. Need to take a gondola up to the park. Entry to the park also includes access to two cave tours they offer.) https://www.glenwoodcaverns.com/
3. Bike path from Hanging lake to Glenwood Springs, gently downward sloping. You can rent bikes in Glenwood Springs and some of those shops will transport you to the Hanging lake area, for a one-way gently downhill bike ride, or do the round trip.
4. Aspen is 1 hour from Glenwood Springs. It's a different feel than Vail, with more of a residential community, as opposed to just temporary vacationers. In Aspen there are various shops, bike rentals, art galleries, a Chabad, etc.
5. Near Aspen there is Maroon Bells lake with a short trail. Access is limited and requires a pass to drive your car to the trail head (only after 5pm) or you can take alternative transportation. For details see https://aspenchamber.org/plan-trip/trip-highlights/maroon-bells/reservations.


To be continued...
If you have any questions or need any help please feel free to PM steeeveknowsbest and i'll get back to you ASAP

TRs

Yehuda Summer 2014 (trip divided up by day into several posts, so keep reading!)

Yehuda's Trips to Denver

Something Fishy's TR

CGR

kivabb trip report

Joel TR

yungermanchik TR

Friars500  TR

LMB TR
« Last edited by yochai on October 20, 2023, 11:21:21 AM »

Author Topic: Colorado Master Thread  (Read 375961 times)

Offline yitzgar

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1180 on: July 28, 2019, 06:31:28 PM »
Is there enough to fill up Sun-Thurs in the area?
Depends how far you are willing to go

Offline nescafe

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1181 on: July 28, 2019, 06:49:18 PM »
Depends how far you are willing to go
My little one can get a bit jumpy so I would say probably about an hour (each way)

Offline yitzgar

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1182 on: July 28, 2019, 07:41:31 PM »
My little one can get a bit jumpy so I would say probably about an hour (each way)
How much relaxing/enjoying scenery, vs activities?

Offline nescafe

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1183 on: July 28, 2019, 08:39:56 PM »
How much relaxing/enjoying scenery, vs activities?
More relaxing than activities

Offline yitzgar

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1184 on: July 28, 2019, 10:26:39 PM »
More relaxing than activities
Then yes, definitely what to do for a few days. Walking around, taking the gondola, scenic drives alone could be a couple days. There are also activities in the area. I'm sure there are some more experienced than me, all I did nearby was ATV/Jeeping but I'm sure there is more to do.

Offline nescafe

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1185 on: July 28, 2019, 10:46:44 PM »
Then yes, definitely what to do for a few days. Walking around, taking the gondola, scenic drives alone could be a couple days. There are also activities in the area. I'm sure there are some more experienced than me, all I did nearby was ATV/Jeeping but I'm sure there is more to do.
Have any specific places that I should look into?
Where did you stay while there?
What did you do about food? Bought in Denver?

Offline nescafe

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1186 on: July 29, 2019, 03:06:14 PM »
Vail vs Beaver creek any reason to stay in one over the other ?(won't be there over shabbos so minyan isn't the issue)

Offline qsman

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1187 on: August 08, 2019, 12:13:52 AM »
Have any specific places that I should look into?
Where did you stay while there?
What did you do about food? Bought in Denver?

Going 8/18 for 4 days with DW and DS. Got the Audi deal for less than regular car rental. Booked AirBNB in Westminister, NW Denver. The only AirBNB rentals around the frum areas were 402/cannabis friendly, and I didnt want to risk a smoky smelling house.

We have a (Dan recommended) Polar cooler for food, and since we are flying WN we can check 6 bags :). It really does work very well.

TripAdvisor helped us a lot in planning, I would look at their travel forums. We are doing a good deal of driving as we would like to see the scenery and take some small hikes, like Emerald Lake.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60945-i436-k10744483-Trail_Ridge_Road_Traffic_Parking-Estes_Park_Colorado.html#85710632


Do you want to drive? hike? whitewater rafting? Beer tours? jeep/atv tours? Gold mine? Spelunking? Museums? I would figure out what your goal is and go from there.

Look at the local websites for the various towns in the area, they will have online coupons for this stuff.

Offline knowitall

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1188 on: August 12, 2019, 01:18:25 PM »
Im planning a short vacay in Denver and I have a 5 month old baby. I would like to spend a night in either breckenridge or Vail, any recommendations?

Offline yungermanchik

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1189 on: August 12, 2019, 08:59:36 PM »
see post #1185 i did those stuff with a six month old. its worth investing in a good baby carrier.
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Offline Yehuda25

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1190 on: August 23, 2019, 02:41:01 PM »
is westin riverfront villas the same as the resort or are they two separate entities
Anyone have the GM's email?
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Offline kivabb

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1191 on: September 25, 2019, 04:40:14 PM »
Planning a 11 day trip with wife and 9 kids aged 3 - 21 in the summer BE"H. Colorado seemed like a great destination as we love nature and it seems you can be based in one or two places for the span of the trip (which makes life much easier and less stressful for my wife with the little ones).  I was thinking of doing Sunday to Sunday based in Denver doing day trips and then going 3-4 days to Vail area. I read all 81 pages in this forum and it has been so helpful.

RMNP seems pretty amazing. Granted that we can't take any intense hikes, but with some strong boys and carriers, we do okay. (We spent 2 nights in Yosemite West this past summer and being right there was amazing.) But after looking further, I couldn't imagine going to Colorado and just making RMNP a day trip.  But the lodging for a family our size is complicated as many of the places require a 3-night minimum and the 2-night places would probably run me $700 a night which is a bit. Not really any ideal one night places for our group that size. At the same time, it seems that the masses run to Vail and there's minyanim factories in the summer, but that there wouldn't be a minyan (to sat the least) in Estes Park. I'm sure the lodging selection is a heavy factor for many (especially with no point hotels in Estes Park)

So my question is, do I just make RMNP a one (or two) day trip from Denver? Do I prioritize making at least 1 (or 2 ) night in Estes Park work? Anyone nature lovers that went for one day wished they stayed overnight or vice-versa?

Thanks



Offline Denverite

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1192 on: September 25, 2019, 07:24:25 PM »
Planning a 11 day trip with wife and 9 kids aged 3 - 21 in the summer BE"H. Colorado seemed like a great destination as we love nature and it seems you can be based in one or two places for the span of the trip (which makes life much easier and less stressful for my wife with the little ones).  I was thinking of doing Sunday to Sunday based in Denver doing day trips and then going 3-4 days to Vail area. I read all 81 pages in this forum and it has been so helpful.

RMNP seems pretty amazing. Granted that we can't take any intense hikes, but with some strong boys and carriers, we do okay. (We spent 2 nights in Yosemite West this past summer and being right there was amazing.) But after looking further, I couldn't imagine going to Colorado and just making RMNP a day trip.  But the lodging for a family our size is complicated as many of the places require a 3-night minimum and the 2-night places would probably run me $700 a night which is a bit. Not really any ideal one night places for our group that size. At the same time, it seems that the masses run to Vail and there's minyanim factories in the summer, but that there wouldn't be a minyan (to sat the least) in Estes Park. I'm sure the lodging selection is a heavy factor for many (especially with no point hotels in Estes Park)

So my question is, do I just make RMNP a one (or two) day trip from Denver? Do I prioritize making at least 1 (or 2 ) night in Estes Park work? Anyone nature lovers that went for one day wished they stayed overnight or vice-versa?

Thanks

RMNP is really quite close to Denver. No reason to stay there, especially if your wife values not moving places and you value minyanim. You’ll have a blast with day trips from Denver and your time in Vail.  :)

Offline jose34

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1193 on: September 25, 2019, 07:55:47 PM »
RMNP is really quite close to Denver. No reason to stay there, especially if your wife values not moving places and you value minyanim. You’ll have a blast with day trips from Denver and your time in Vail.  :)

+1. If your going in the summer its pretty easy to set out early spend a full day RMNP and they head back to Denver to stay.
That saying I went in the spring. In the summer there may be more traffic and it may take a little longer so you may loose a hour or so.

Offline kivabb

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1194 on: December 27, 2019, 12:06:38 PM »
Can anyone recommend some large suite hotels where I can get away with a few rooms for myself, wife and 9 kids aged 3 - 21? The VRBO & ARBNB are a fortune once I pass 9-10 people. I'm hoping to do the Wyndham in Avon, but getting stuck finding like a 3 bedroom suite situation in Denver.

Shabbos will be seperate challenge as 2 nights in that Staybridge Suites even if just for 2 nights would cost us over $1K for 2 nights and that's with check in after 3PM. And that's for a place with pretty bad reviews.

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1195 on: December 29, 2019, 09:30:07 AM »
Can anyone recommend some large suite hotels where I can get away with a few rooms for myself, wife and 9 kids aged 3 - 21? The VRBO & ARBNB are a fortune once I pass 9-10 people. I'm hoping to do the Wyndham in Avon, but getting stuck finding like a 3 bedroom suite situation in Denver.

Shabbos will be seperate challenge as 2 nights in that Staybridge Suites even if just for 2 nights would cost us over $1K for 2 nights and that's with check in after 3PM. And that's for a place with pretty bad reviews.
What dates?
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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1196 on: January 26, 2020, 12:10:34 AM »
Planning summer trip.

Hyatt House Tech Center versus Hyatt House Lakewood/Belmar. Both with points. Both seem to be about 10 minute drive to Minyan (Aish has 7AM Shachris and Yeshiva seems to have 7:30 Shachris assuming they have minyan bein hazmanim).

Plan to be here 4-5 days and take day trips with family and then go to Avon following week.

Is one location more advantageous over the other?




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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1197 on: January 26, 2020, 07:43:39 PM »
Yeshiva seems to have 7:30 Shachris assuming they have minyan bein hazmanim).
As noted below there is a minyan in the yeshiva during bein hazmanim. Also the shul around the corner has a special 8:00 minyan for Bh"z
Our Trip to Denver, CO!
We went for a week last summer. Stayed in hotels (Marriott Residence Inn Denver-Lakewood 1br suite with points!) and went to relatives for Shabbos.

SHUL
Congregation Zera Abraham (Rabbi Tzvi Steinberg) (8:00 shacharis during bein hazmanim)
1560 Winona Court Denver, Co
303-825-7517

Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Denver – shacharis 7:30

FOOD
East Side Kosher Deli (supermarket, takeout, and fleishig restaurant all in one building, open until 9pm)
499 S. Elm St. Denver, CO
303-322-9862

Brooklyn Pizza
890 S Monaco Pkwy Denver, CO

THINGS TO DO IN…

Denver, CO:
Sloan Lake Park (by 17th avenue – beautiful lake surrounded by mountains)

Golden, CO (about ˝ hr from Denver):
Coors Brewery Tours
1221 Ford St. Golden, CO
303-227-2337

Golden Gate Canyon State Park
3873 Highway 46, 29 Crawford Gulch Rd, Golden, CO
303-582-3707

Buffalo Bill Museum (Has a georgeous lookout area)
987-1/2 Lookout Mountain Rd Golden, CO
303-526-0747

Lookout Mountain Nature Reserve (hikes and walks with a pretty view)
Up the road  from Buffalo Bill Museum, on lookout mountain rd

Morrison, CO (not far from Golden)
Red Rocks Ampetheater (natural ampetheater made within red rock mountains, beautiful views, walks, hikes)
18300 W. Alameda Pkwy Morrison, CO

Idaho Springs, CO (about ˝ hr from Lookout Mountain)
Mount Evans (highest drivable peak in North America, a 15 mile drive up to the top of mount evans. Narrow roads, close to the cliffs, INCREDIBLE view, frightening to those who are scared of heights. Low temp at the top even in the hottest part of the summer so bring a sweatshirt!)

Boulder CO (about an hour from Denver)
Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory (not recommended for small children. They don't let you bring them on the actual tour, because of load noises and tea dust)
4600 Sleepytime Dr. Boulder, CO

Chautaugua (beautiful place to walk and see mountains)
Baseline and 8th St. Boulder, CO

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) (a place where research is done but you can drive up to the parking lot and enjoy breathtaking views of the mountains)
1850 Table Mesa Dr. Boulder, CO

Colorado Springs, CO (about 1 ˝ hrs from Denver)
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (sounds pretty ordinary but this zoo has the beautiful background of the Rocky mountains, as well as many fascinating animals (lions, tigers, bears, and more!) It also has a chairlift that can take you above zoo level so you can see from bird’s eye view!
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Rd. Colorado Springs, CO
719-633-9925

Garden of the gods (a goyish sounding name, but this is a must-see. It’s about a ˝ hr from the zoo. Incredible sights like you’ve never seen. Carved out cliffs, etc. There are walks, hikes. You can choose your level of difficulty they have something for everyone.)
1805 N. 30th St. Colorado Springs, CO
719-634-6666

Vail, CO (about 1 hr and 45 min from Denver)
Vail Mountain Pass (When you get here you will see the bike rentals and the information center, where they can tell you what there is to do in the area including hikes, biking, easy trails, and the gondola (cablecar) that you can take to the top of the mountain.
555 E. Lionshead Circle Vail, CO
800-525-5995

Note: you can turn Vail into a couple of day vacation since there is so much to do there. You can stay overnight. We did it as a day trip and did one long hike and took the gondola back down the mountain.

THINGS WE DID NOT GET TO, BUT WE HEARD WERE BEAUTIFUL AND FUN:
Lake Dillon Bike rentals – 149 Tenderfoot St. C. Dillon, CO (georgeous lake where you can walk around, picnic, etc. not just biking)
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens – 183 Gore Creek Dr. Vail,CO (like a botanical gardens)
Ford Park – Vail, Colorado (great for kids – jungle gyms, etc. and walking area for adults and families)
Denver Mint – Denver, CO
Pikes Peak – Highway 24, Colorado Springs, Colorado (like Mount Evans – driving up a road to the peak of a mountain, beautiful views)
Maroon Bells (the aspen tissue box picture) – Aspen Highlands, End of Maroon Creek Rd, Aspen, CO (3 ˝ hrs from Denver)
Johnson Park Miniature Golf – 51579 Highway 6 & 24, Glenwood Springs, CO (970)945-9608
Rifle Falls State Park – 5775 Colorado 325, Rifle, CO
Gunnison National Park – Montrose, CO
Denver Museum of Miniatures, Toys, and Dolls – 1880 Gaylord St. Denver,  CO
« Last Edit: January 26, 2020, 07:49:02 PM by yungermanchik »
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Offline shmoe joe

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1198 on: May 07, 2020, 12:44:42 AM »
Planning a family Colorado trip kids ages 7-5-3 in June. Debating if I should stay in Denver (Gaylord) or vail/Avon in Sheraton. As far as my research went I couldn’t see anything interesting in vail for my younger kids. If anyone did go with kids this age please share. Thanks 
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Offline Traveler718

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Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #1199 on: May 14, 2020, 09:43:37 PM »
I wouldn't base myself in Vail for a family trip. Our kids loved our time in Glenwood Springs and Colorado Springs. Ouray is also stunning, but quite far.