Thanks for the neat report, Maureen.

Hi Maureen. We took a drive out past Green Mountain Resevoir last week and I know what you're talking about. The backroads provide a whole different kind of postcard... different, but beautiful. But before everyone writes off Summitt County, we have lots of backroads as well as access to the activities that abound. I live way out a the edge of Keystone and in the summer I can go days without seeing anyone.

Wherever you choose to go in Colorado, don't miss it! It's truly God's country.

Good point, Grasshopper.

Maybe we should keep the splendor of Colorado under our hats!

Maureen,

Yup, there are two Colorado's. East of the continental divide and west of the divide. Once you get past past "The Resort" areas there is a distinct difference.

BeanMan
Western Colorado

BeanMan, didn't mean to exclude wonderful western Colorado. My husband worked in Montrose for the Division of Wildlife one summer on the Uncompaghre (sp?) plateau-- and we loved it there.

My analysis regards specifically the ski country near I-70 and Highway 40. Should have been more clear about that.

Maureen,

No offense taken, I know what you mean about the glitz. I grew up in Fort Collins and watched it change from a nice small town to what it is now. Lived in Steamboat Springs (tourist trap) and Durango (tourist trap) before settling in Palisade. I love living in a a town with no stoplights and where you wave at people regardless of whether you know them or not.

BeanMan

BeanMan: I grew up in FC also-then moved away for several years after college and now live here once again with my husband and baby girl! Small world. Did you go to HS here? If so what year did you graduate?
BTW-I actually LOVE the size of FC now...a little less boring than it was in high school

I know what you mean about that pleasant small town feeling. We went to a movie in Granby last week, where the cinema owner personally comes into the theater before the film, thanks his customers, and invites everyone to return on behalf of his 'two starving college students'. Now that's a personal touch!

I can appreciate your observations, Marueen. We take a summer vacation each year in the Vail/Beaver Creek area. We usually go with a couple of other families and another family from Denver usually joins us for a few days. We all have teenage children and feel they are happiest when they can stay on the I70 corridor also.

Personally, I'd really love to try the Grand Lake and Granby area one summer. My favorite summer activities are hiking and sitting on the deck in a sweater in August with a morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine and just enjoying the view. Maybe in a couple more years we can do adults only to a more remote and laid-back area.

Paige, if you get to Grand Lake in August, you will think you've died and gone to heaven if you sit on the porch of the venerable, old Grand Lake Lodge with your glass of wine and an excellent dinner, looking at the sunset over the incredibly gorgeous Grand Lake.
Ditch the teens and go there!

maureen, from a grandma's perspective. when those children grow up to be cowboys or whatever and leave the boring nest, you and your husband will have paradise all to yourselves. lucky you! then your grandchildren will come and visit and you will have the time of your life.

beanman, i always stop in grand junction on my way to moab and spend a few days. such a nice town. palisade is charming. love the western slope. the people are just and wonderful as the scenery.

Ani,
Colorado State Uni Class of 85
Rocky Mountain High School class of 78
Boltz junior High
Bauder Elementary

How about You?

To be sure there are a lot of things that make a bigger city fun that you won't have in a smaller town. Traffic would be the number one reason not to live in Fort Collins for me.

BeanMan

The past few years, dh and I have driven teens from our church in New Mexico to a summer camp up near Kremmling. Sadly, the property has been sold, so we won't be making the drive this year. We always enjoy Highway 40 between Dillon and Kremmling.

Last time, instead of driving home through Denver and Colorado Springs, we opted to go through Salida. There's a stretch where you're coming down out of a mountain pass into the valley, and boom! A whole bunch of 14ers just explode out of the valley. It was really spectacular.

Lee Ann

I fear we're giving away some of the secret hiding places in Colorado...
A related thread might be: what are the top three reasons you live where you do?
(We Coloradans will have to edit our much longer list to only the top three reasons.)

P.S.
ElendilPickle, are you aware of Snow Mountain Ranch, YMCA of the Rockies near Tabernash, CO, for your teen church group?

Maureen,

My Father was the USFS Snow Ranger for the Berthoud Pass area back when the Forest Service still did that. He used to measure the temperature under the Colorado River bridge in Tabernash in order to get the coldest temperature reported in the USA.

BeanMan

No kidding that CO is God's Country!
I was there in November for business and accidentally booked myself into the wrong hotel. I was in Boulder and working in Englewood. I arrived Sunday morning and headed straight to Nederland and Estes Park for a fun day of shopping and sight-seeing.
Sunday night I discovered my mistake and Monday morning I drove to Englewood, which was a traffic nightmare. They tried to convince me to move south but since I had to go back to get my stuff I figured I would stay the night in Boulder. So, I took a different way back, sort of circling the Denver metropolis on another highway. Almost ran out of gas and somehow ended up in Morrison. I stopped at a cute diner and talked to locals while I had dinner. Loved it there! Could live there! I decided I wanted to make the long commute around Denver each day just so I could soak up some views during my visit!
Just about every place I went I said the same thing... darn, I wish I could live in CO. It's just so beautiful and diverse.
If I were you I would clam up before more people move there!
I'd be happy to trade my new 'planned community' home in rural NE Texas for your 'boring' isolated, peaceful, beautiful place anytime!!!!

TxTravelPro, I got a kick out of you saying we should 'clam up'.
Several years ago, there was a semi-popular bumper sticker around Boulder saying "Don't Californicate Colorado", sending the message that Coloradans better close the door, clam up, and be happy we're here-- but not encourage any others to move here! A hedonistic attitude for sure.

Too Late! I think Boulder has already been Kalifornicated.

Farmer of beans

The hustle bustle of Summit County? That cracks me up.

We spend most weekends in Summit, like Grasshopper in Keystone. With the exception of peak weekends it is pretty darn sleepy. Maureen maybe the intersection of 1-70 and hwy 6 meets your description other than that I found your summit county unrecognizable from mine.

To each his own, thankfully, or we would all end up in the same place.

We need the help of all of you Coloradians. We are going on our first ski trip to Colorado March 31. We love Sun Valley, laid back, wide, smooth, intermediate to advanced runs. Don't need lots of night life, but do enjoy walking and shopping quaint towns and good restaruants. Can't stand snobs and crowds. Thanks for any input!

BeanMan:
I'm also a RMHS grad ('89)-such a small world! I, however, went to U of Wyo

Are you flying in? What length of stay?
For quaint towns, Crested Butte is charming. Or Telluride. Or Steamboat Springs. You might research the snow conditions at each different mountain in late March. With its south-facing slopes, Steamboat can be slushy in the afternoons with chunks of ice in the mornings-- not fun.

Maureen, thanks for the camp suggestion. I'll mention it to the people who are in charge of planning.

Lee Ann

We are flying into Denver, so a resort within 1-2 hour drive would be desireable. We will have 3 days to play. So far, Winter Park or Copper Mountain seem to fit the criteria, but we need first hand opinions. Thanks!

Will you have a car? If not, you can take a shuttle from DIA to Summit County, which run rather frequently, I think. Or the train to Winter Park, except you would need to take a shuttle from DIA to the downtown Union Station to catch Amtrak. Amtrak's California Zephyr to Winter Park/Fraser goes up at 8:20a.m. and departs for the return trip around 4:30pm. It's $33OW, as I recall.

For a quaint town about 2 hours from Denver (a bit longer from DIA), you might look into staying at Breckenridge. That town has a Victorian influence and lots of restaurants and lodging to choose from. And you could ski at Copper, Keystone, Breckenridge or Arapahoe. The good thing about that plan is that Arapahoe is open later in the season because it's higher. End of March can be iffy, but you'd have four mountains to choose from, and a nice non-snobby atmosphere. It might be spring break, so prepare for crowds, though. You could even drive the extra 30 minutes or so to Vail.

P.S. That's $33 OW, of course (not $330!)

ttt

I laugh as I read this thread. I am an ex-New Yorker living in Colorado (suburban-not mountains) and when I first came here in 1992 to now -- huge change! Not only has the population doubled but once vacant areas are now filled in.
No offense, could never live in the mountains, you guys get way too much snow and cold--a reason why I left NY. Also I hate to drive to far to go to the market....but nevertheless, love it here in Colorado.

The real question is Colorado versus Dallas. Personally I'd rather vacation in Dallas, which is of course substantially the same as Colorado. For that matter, it also has a striking similiarity to Maui and Alaska. In fact, the only place that Dallas doesn't resemble is Chicago.

I'm sorry, I know it's off topic and I should just let it go. I don't know what got into me.

flamingomonkey, I don't get it. Off topic, but also maybe an inside joke?

there is a humungous post on whether chicago or dallas has more to offer. the vote is about 20,000 for chicago to one for dallas. got pretty tiresome!

Needthemountain - I, too, vote for Breckenridge. I think there is more of a town than Copper or Winter Park.

Maureen, thanks for your perspective. While I too like the rugged, more rural Colorado best, thank GOD for I-70. It has made travel thru the mountains so easy. The construction in some places (Glenwood Springs) is amazing and the tunnels thru the mountains are impressive too.

However, we are choosing Crested Butte for our ski trip this year because we want a contrast to Copper/Summit county for a nice change. I'm looking forward to our drive south of Summit County thru Colorado Springs and west along smaller highways and thru less populated countryside to get there.

Stephie, Crested Butte is a great choice. That part of the state still maintains the more rugged and rural aspects of Colorado, also. We haven't been there for years, but did spend a few Christmases there before we bought our place in Grand County. You will love it there. Try to remember to post a travel report, ok?