Topic Wiki

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 375797 times)

Offline LEARNERBURNER

  • Dansdeals Gold Elite
  • ***
  • Join Date: May 2013
  • Posts: 138
  • Total likes: 10
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #820 on: August 15, 2016, 07:29:45 PM »
No and it's totally not helpful to you but I'm in Vail now.   While it's fresh in my mind, the Wal-mart in Avon has a nice kosher section just like in Denver, with Wacky Mac, Bamba, Tradition soup, etc. Also gots Kraft cheese sticks, literally all you need to bring is meat.

Also, did the hike today at Hanging Lake (just a few miles from Glenwood Springs) with my older kids and it was a short but difficult hike but the lake and waterfalls were gorgeous.

Does it make sense to go to vail from ny for 2 days?

Offline @Yehuda

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 9693
  • Total likes: 187
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 5
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #821 on: August 15, 2016, 07:32:54 PM »
Ah, I've seen those ramps and thought it was so strange/cool!

Thanks for the tip Steeve. Will see what happens.

Offline Denverite

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2015
  • Posts: 2006
  • Total likes: 181
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: Denver
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #822 on: August 15, 2016, 10:32:03 PM »

Does it make sense to go to vail from ny for 2 days?

Sure, if you're not dragging kids...should be fun

Offline LEARNERBURNER

  • Dansdeals Gold Elite
  • ***
  • Join Date: May 2013
  • Posts: 138
  • Total likes: 10
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #823 on: August 16, 2016, 12:05:55 AM »
Sure, if you're not dragging kids...should be fun
Any suggestions

Offline Denverite

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2015
  • Posts: 2006
  • Total likes: 181
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: Denver
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #824 on: August 16, 2016, 11:23:29 AM »
Any suggestions

Hanging lake hike (the drive there from vail through the canyons is gorgeous too) and maybe biking Vail pass.

And about the breaks I actually totally did mess up my breaks on my trip to Breck this summer on the way coming down from the Eisenhower tunnel so definitely down shift and drive in low gear instead of riding your breaks at 80mph!  :P

Offline myb821

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 7570
  • Total likes: 28
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #825 on: August 19, 2016, 01:05:10 PM »
Considering going to rocky mountain national park but cant figure out where to stay. There arent really even any decent hotels in estes park. We are only looking to go for 2 days sat night-monday of labor day. Anyone have any ideas or opinions on where to stay?

Offline mgarfin

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2012
  • Posts: 2566
  • Total likes: 294
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #826 on: August 21, 2016, 12:56:07 PM »
Does anyone have any jeeping in Colorado they would recommend. I'll be staying in Colorado Springs and Beaver Creek. I saw someone mentioned upthread about jeeping in Aspen. Does anyone have any experience with this, or have one place that they can recommend?

Anyone?

Offline steeeveknowsbest

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Gold Elite
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 934
  • Total likes: 4
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: denver, Co
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #827 on: August 21, 2016, 06:27:55 PM »
I went Jeeping in Ouray (they call themselves the jeeping capital of the world) it blew my mind, but i doubt you are up for the drive.

The way i see it, it is only worth doing jeeping if you can get to places that you cannot reach otherwise. so I don't know how much of that you will find in Vail/Breckenridge area.

Offline kalman

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: May 2010
  • Posts: 68
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #828 on: August 22, 2016, 12:10:06 AM »
Ok, so we have one day in RMNP. We'll be starting from Estes Park and taking Trail Ridge Rd to Grand Lake. What stops should we be making on the way? Which (not too difficult) shortish hikes are worthwhile?

Offline steeeveknowsbest

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Gold Elite
  • ******
  • Join Date: Aug 2011
  • Posts: 934
  • Total likes: 4
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: denver, Co
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #829 on: August 22, 2016, 12:36:42 AM »
The three i would suggest are within a few minute drive of one another near the highest point,
a) forest canyon trail on your left when coming from Estes park entrance there are often groups of elk and moose and long horn sheep up this hike, it will also give you a more expansive view of the valley.
b) By rock cut, which is shortly  before the the alpine visitor center, there is a trail on your right to climb up the rocks, i think it is called tundra communities trail-head.
c)The alpine ridge trail right past the Alpine visiter center. It will give a view of what it would be like coming from old falls river road.

You don't need to do all three or any, if you see a spot that speaks to you there are alot of little places to explore, these three are my favorites.
Remember to bring warm clothes with you, the air is thin it is cold and there is often a biting cold wind, not having proper clothes will mean that you cannot do any hikes.
The views from Estes park keep getting more astounding as you climb trail ridge road, but after Medicine bow curve and the Alpine visiter center it's becomes progressively more boring so bear that in mind. when pacing yourself.
Enjoy!!

Offline Yikes2179

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2013
  • Posts: 633
  • Total likes: 137
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #830 on: August 22, 2016, 01:01:48 AM »
I am in vail(avon) now - are there any hikes that can be done with a 2 year old?

Offline Tzadik Nistar

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 1003
  • Total likes: 16
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #831 on: August 23, 2016, 08:16:18 AM »
I am in vail(avon) now - are there any hikes that can be done with a 2 year old?
When you go up vail mountain there is some easy trails up there

Offline kalman

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: May 2010
  • Posts: 68
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #832 on: August 25, 2016, 12:30:53 AM »
The three i would suggest are within a few minute drive of one another near the highest point,
a) forest canyon trail on your left when coming from Estes park entrance there are often groups of elk and moose and long horn sheep up this hike, it will also give you a more expansive view of the valley.
b) By rock cut, which is shortly  before the the alpine visitor center, there is a trail on your right to climb up the rocks, i think it is called tundra communities trail-head.
c)The alpine ridge trail right past the Alpine visiter center. It will give a view of what it would be like coming from old falls river road.

You don't need to do all three or any, if you see a spot that speaks to you there are alot of little places to explore, these three are my favorites.
Remember to bring warm clothes with you, the air is thin it is cold and there is often a biting cold wind, not having proper clothes will mean that you cannot do any hikes.
The views from Estes park keep getting more astounding as you climb trail ridge road, but after Medicine bow curve and the Alpine visiter center it's becomes progressively more boring so bear that in mind. when pacing yourself.
Enjoy!!
thanks

Offline Yikes2179

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2013
  • Posts: 633
  • Total likes: 137
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #833 on: August 25, 2016, 10:54:49 PM »
When you go up vail mountain there is some easy trails up there
Thanks

Offline myb821

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 7570
  • Total likes: 28
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #834 on: August 29, 2016, 11:28:50 AM »
I'm trying to plan a short 2 day trip into the mountains for Sunday and Monday of labor day. Plan on going Saturday night and returning Monday evening/night. Looking for hiking and outdoor activities. Will have my 1.5 year old baby but I have a hiking backpack to carry her in. Looking for opinions on what city to go to, where to stay, and what hikes to do.

Offline Denverite

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2015
  • Posts: 2006
  • Total likes: 181
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: Denver
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #835 on: August 29, 2016, 12:36:44 PM »
I'm trying to plan a short 2 day trip into the mountains for Sunday and Monday of labor day. Plan on going Saturday night and returning Monday evening/night. Looking for hiking and outdoor activities. Will have my 1.5 year old baby but I have a hiking backpack to carry her in. Looking for opinions on what city to go to, where to stay, and what hikes to do.

You can stay in an SPG property in Vail or Avon or the Park Hyatt in Beaver Creek and maybe do Hanging Lake hike one day.  For only two days, I wouldn't bring any food, can eat a hot meal in Denver on the way up and back and get sandwich and breakfast stuff in the grocery store in the mountains.

Offline mike18

  • DansDeals Copper Elite
  • *
  • Join Date: Aug 2016
  • Posts: 3
  • Total likes: 1
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: brooklyn
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #836 on: August 30, 2016, 02:39:35 PM »
Im going end of summer with kids. I put together this list of attractions I planning on hitting. It's a mix of nature and more kid friendly places.


Mount Evans
Geoegetown Loop

Rocky mountain national park
   Trail Ridge Road
   Old Fall River Road
   Horseback riding

Maroon bells
Independence Pass

Vail Mountain
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Biking
Whitewater Rafting in Glenwood Springs

Anything musts Im missing?


how many time do i need to give for Mount Evans

Offline Mountain Man

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Gold Elite
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 892
  • Total likes: 34
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 10
    • View Profile
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #837 on: August 31, 2016, 10:53:10 PM »
Quote from: JTZ link=topic=10531.msg1695873
If you never had to eat crow then you lived one boring life.

Offline Denverite

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: May 2015
  • Posts: 2006
  • Total likes: 181
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: Denver
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #838 on: August 31, 2016, 11:06:57 PM »
Seems to be a pretty good deal for Georgetown Loop railroad. 2 adult and 2 children for 38.69. New accounts get $10 off and there may be other coupons.
https://www.livingsocial.com/cities/209-boulder-county/deals/1611306-adult-and-child-coach-tickets-to-historic-railroad?afsrc=1&cvosrc=email.blast-us.digest_funandevents&utm_campaign=digest_funandevents&utm_medium=email&utm_source=blast

That's a great deal.  Went last year with visiting family for Chol HaMoed Sukkot and it cost a small fortune...

Offline Friars500

  • Dansdeals Gold Elite
  • ***
  • Join Date: Sep 2014
  • Posts: 188
  • Total likes: 9
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: United States
Re: Colorado Master Thread
« Reply #839 on: September 15, 2016, 12:49:22 PM »
This was our one week itinerary. Note - there are so many other options and although we hit some amazing spots, we certainly could have done a completely different itinerary for the entire week and still missed tons. So know this if you are going for a week - you will miss something.  You cannot do all the musts in a week, so don't feel bad.  Also, this itinerary, while it does have some moderately difficult things, was made with having a large group ranging in age from mid 60's to 5 and a pregnant women.  In other words, the activities were not extreme and were done with a slower pace in mind.  We spent 2 - 3 hours at each spot.  You can either spend more time at a spot or cram more activities in.  Be aware that on any given day the initial drive could've been 2 - 3 hours and was generally an hour from activity to activity - so if you plan to go from place to place be prepared for a lot of driving.       

(We stayed in Frisco using VRBO for the first part and in Vail for shabbos)

Sunday - arrived late, picked up dinner at East Side Kosher Deli. (TIP: Denver Airport has been growing busier each year. Our wait at Avis was longer than any other airport location I have ever been too.  Whatever rental you use, Denver is a location where the loyalty program (like Avis Preferred) will save you a lot of time.)  Picked up other provisions in shop part of ESKD, including kosher/chalav yisrael dairy products and meat for grilling.  Picked up groceries in Kings Sooper and drove to rental unit in Frisco.   

Monday - Lake Dillon area.  Rented pontoon ($200 for 2 hours) and went hiking all in same area. Relaxing, not intense at all.

Tuesday - Glenwood Springs area. On this day, even though I have several activities listed, unlike the later days, all of Glenwood Springs activities are within a 15 - 20 minute drive of each other.

Hanging Lake Trail Hike (free) - moderately difficult hike but we all made it, so very doable.  The Hanging Lake and the later waterfall are stunning so well worth it.  Be aware that this trail is very popular and parking fills up.  If you get there much after 9, you will have ti wait for a spot and even run the risk of the rangers closing the lot if they feel too many people are waiting, so get there early!

Whitewater Rafting ($50 - $60 per adult) - There are several options throughout Colorado for rafting.  Glenwood Springs had family friendly rafting and was fairly calm (Class 2 and 3s).  If you are looking for mostly Class 4 or even a 5, you probably want to go to a different area (we did do one class 4).  Even in Glenwood Springs itself, there are several options.  We used BlueSky Adventures.  They were professional and their times worked well for us.  After we finished rafting, we walked around Glenwood Springs a little. (If your group is a little more time conscious, my suggestion would be to get to Hanging Lake around 7:30, not only will this help you with parking but it will get you to rafting (or whatever you second activity is) earlier and will probably allow you a third activity also.  In any case, if you are not to tired after your second/third activity, you can go to one of the many hot spring pools in Glenwood Springs and enjoy a relaxing evening.

Wednesday - Mount Evans Drive and Hikes ($15 for parking for the stay)  At the summit 14,000 + feet there are fantastic views and one of the highest point in the lower 48.  Drive is wonderful (go slow) and there are several small hikes to enjoy.  Hike is moderate and only tiring at all due to elevation - not terrain.

St Mary's Glacier (free) - snow in July.  Another fantastic hike with slightly difficult terrain as it is very rocky.  But the best part is not just the view but the ability to make a snowman, throw snowballs or go sledding in middle of the Summer! Probably not as fun during winter.

We did not get to Golden but with better timing one could go to Golden Colorado on this day as well.  Besides for several hikes and other activities in Golden, relax at the Coors Brewery with a free Tour and several samples of various Coors beer including fresh Blue Moon!

Thursday - Colorado Springs area.  Royal Gorge Park and Bridge (20 per person).  The park had a huge fire in 2013 and they are slowly rebuilding - but the bridge walk, Gondola ride and view are certainly worth the drive.  Each summer they plan to re-open, build or re-build several of the attractions.  I regret that the incline down is no longer available but they hope to reopen a path to the bottom by Summer 2018.  Also, besides for the Park and Bridge area, there are many other attractions that can be found in the general Royal Gorge area, including very good rafting. (Note - we were still staying in Frisco the previous night and it was a fairly long drive to the Gorge and then to Vail where we spent the weekend.  Denver is much more convenient to the Gorge, so if you are staying in Denver or getting to Denver, factor this in.

Garden of the Gods (free) - about 45 - 60 minutes from the Royal Gorge towards Denver.  A beautiful huge park with redrocks, climbing, hiking and beautiful views.  This is your chance to get real close and actually climb redrocks.  You can rent bikes or segways and take it all around the park.  An absolute must,  $9 per person if you go on the trolley tour.  Not necessary but nice.  Also, there is a European style castle just down the block from the Garden's visitor center that is worth checking out if you like old castles.

We then headed to Denver for dinner at ESKD, picked up food and provisions and drive to Vail for Friday/Shabbos.

Friday - Glenwood Caverns (cost varies depends on which package you buy- look for groupons on this) - a fun amusement park with interesting rides due to the mountain (like alpine slide down the mountain, skycoaster and swings over the side of the mountain).  It also has a gondola up the mountain (weather permitting) and 3 different cave tours (2 regular and one extreme caving for extra cost).  The cave tours were enjoyable as was the park.  If the rides don't tempt you (but they are fun) you can certainly add this to your day in Glenwood Springs as the third activity and do something different (If you are staying in Denver for Shabbos or not in the Vail area, you definitely should not come here on Friday and do something more local.  We only did this Friday because we were in Vail for Shabbos which is relatively close by).

Shabbos - Davened at Chabad (note: Friday night depends on the week, so call ahead!).  Walked around Lionshead Village and Vail Village, including Betty Ford Alpine Gardens/For Park.  Not the most exciting thing - but hey it's Shabbos so very relaxing.

Sunday - had early flight.