I was born in Colorado Springs so most of my insights involve that general area... Here are my recommendations, in no particular order.

1. Yes, definitely visit garden of the gods. They have horseback riding that will tour you through if you and your family might enjoy that. The horses are very calm and the instructors are very knowledgable about the area. Its a fun way to get to truly know the history behind the area and some of the folklore that has been created.

2. Manitou Springs is a must. It is near/in Colorado Springs at the base of pikes peak mountain. They have an old fashioned penny arcade perfect for the 11yo as well as other more modern/pricey arcade attached. There are cute boutiques and one of a kind stores. The city is so named for the natural springs that are prominent throughout the city.

3. Pikes Peak Cog Railway. This is in Manitou Springs. It is a train that will take you to the peak of the mountain. Its a much nicer trip to take the train and see the beautiful terrain than to white knuckle the narrow road with heavy curves all the way up. There isn't a ton to do once you've reached the top (food, souvenier store, picture taking, scenic viewing) but it is definitely worth taking a look.

4. If you're feeling brave and in the Denver area, go to Casa Bonita restaurant. Your 11 year old will LOVE it! They have shows with live actors, hidden passages for kids to play in, arcade, etc. The food is better than you would expect, but not stellar. It is definitely way more high class than a "Chucky Cheese" sort of place and definitely a unique experience.

5. Shops at Castle Rock. Between Denver and Colorado Springs there is a large outlet center full of great stores with great deals. I always make a point to stop here between the two cities. Coach, Nike, Adidas, Bath & Body Works, the list goes on and on. Miles and miles of discount shopping!

6. There are numerous Cavern Tours throughout the state. They are definitely "touristy" but I always really enjoyed them and they're actually educational as well as fun! I've been to "Cave of the Winds" (also in Manitou Springs) several times with various friends and family members. They have always enjoyed it, as have I.

Hope this helps!

If your budget can withstand it. www.soaringcolorado.com

It is zipline/Duragno Train combo. Outstanding. Best zipline ever.

Great Sand Dunes is an interesting stop between CO Springs, and Durango. Are you not going to Estes Park and Rocky Mountains?

Why not stay your first nights in Denver. See the Rockies game, go to the zoo (unless you have access yourselves), the Natural History Museum. Then go to Boulder, maybe stopping at the butterfly pavilion in Westminster en route. Stay in Boulder for a day--they will LOVE the Celestial Seasoning tour, especially the mint room!!
Personally I think RMNP is more interesting than Garden of the Gods/Manitou Springs.
If you want to work it in, it could be on the way back to DIA--at least driving through the Park from the west side. Possibility of wildlife sightings and beautiful mountains.
I think 3 days in Boulder as you are suggesting is too much for the time you have and what you want to do or could do.

If you need a shopping outlet fix other than Castle Rock, Silverthorne is also on I70 on the way west.
Casa Bonita would be fun for the kids, and it isn't really awful food, nor is it expensive. I have been more times than I need, but it's a good idea for entertaining kids.
And to me, with all due respect to the poster, Manitou is wall to wall kitsch. Very "precious". Just my opinion.

Thanks for the input. I was thinking of going to Estes Park as a day trip from Boulder. I thought staying in Boulder made it easy to get to Rockies game as well as get to Estes Park - is that not correct? And I thought Rocky Mtn National Park was a little too far north since I wanted to get to Southwest...is it something that we should not miss? Since we're not big hikers, I didn't know if it was worth the drive.

Personally I would skip the whole Boulder/Estes Park especially if husband wants to avoid a huge driving trip and if interested in SW Colorado. There is nothing in Estes Park or RMNP that you will not see else where during your trip. Spent a night or two in Denver, see the game, see local Denver sights, head south through CO Springs, Wolf Creek pass, and ending in Durango, spend at least one night in Mesa Verde - critical with the kids. Catch Telluride on the way to Montrose/Black Canyon. From there perhaps Gunnison, on Leadville (Mineral Belt Trail) or swing around through Glenwood Springs for a couple days and day trip to Aspen. Glenwood canyon should not be missed. Back into Denver via i-70 through Vail, Summit Cty, and Georgetown and the Georgetown rail road.

I'd agree with fmpden about RMNP and Boulder for this trip.

Stay in Denver for 2-3 nights - if you can afford it stay right in downtown and skip the gameday traffic/parking hassles by walking to the ballpark. There's plenty of stuff to do in downtown Denver.

If there's something specific you want to see/do in Boulder, maybe drive there on your way to/from Denver instead of basing yourself there.

I think you're a bit confused on Estes Park and RMNP - you mentioned wanting to go to Estes as a day trip but thought RMNP was a bit too far north....Estes is right on the border of RMNP so if you've made it as far as Estes, it is only 5 more minutes to drive to the park entrance. For me, RMNP is the real attraction not Estes Park - and I think you have enough on your itinerary already so you can probably skip RMNP for this trip.

Garden of the Gods pales in comparison to Utah or Arizona scenery. It's decent but don't plan a whole day around it.

Definitely stop in at Black Canyon of the Gunnison if it fits your itinerary.

Everyone has their opinion. The RMNP is a treasure. You can drive to Estes Park and then THROUGH the park to get "on down the road" toward Glen Canyon.
The distances are not great, and they pass quickly. The scenery is wonderful.
Some want you to go the southern route--sand dunes, etc.
Some want you to go through the mountains--I70.
I suggest you really take a look at the map which maybe you haven't since as someone said, you think RMNP is so far away.
It's a beautiful state. Have fun.
As for "skipping RMNP this trip", think hard about that--it is special. Some other places are purely tourist traps. It's hard to come back sometimes. Think about that a bit.

Thanks all for your input...I'm back to being so confused. We have been to alot of cities - and live near NYC - I know Denver has a lot to offer - just not sure I want to spend 2-3 nights there when there is sooo much else to see in Colorado. My children have never seen "country" like there is out West so I want to focus on that - I guess I was confused about RMNP...now just not sure my itinerary. You've all convinced me to skip Boulder - so maybe 1 night in Denver and then..where do I go next before I head down to Durango?

If going to a game is a priority,then stay in the city. It is an urban ball field not unlike Boston and part of the game is going to the game. Public parking is very limited and a pain. Depending on how you want to do a circle. You could head to Colorado Spring. The Garden of the Gods is decent, cog railroad to Peaks Pike is far more interesting. Hope for a clear day. If you interested in SW Colorado then my priority would be Mesa Verde with at least one overnight in the park (make reservations today!), Black Canyon, Glenwood Canyon. If you want exposure to the old west, especially the mining history which is the majority history of Colorado, places like the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville and Leadville are significant. The Cowboy mine in Breckenridge and Breckenridge is not a bad place to spend a few days. The silver mine mid way on the Georgetown railroad is very interesting. I have nothing against Estes Park and/or RMNP except that it is a heavy tourist area at that time of year. And it is 75 miles in the wrong direction for you. We have lots of mountain with terrific views everywhere.

I had a client tell me they were very impressed with RMNP even though they had just been to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. You should look up Trail Ridge Road. It is the highest continuous road in the US and many people really enjoy it. From Denver, you could go to Estes, have some ice cream at one of the old fashioned shops, spend 1/2 day driving thru RMNP with stops along the way to get out and see the sites, then on to Winter Park on the west side for some miniature golf or a ride on the Alpine Slide. Spend the night in Winter Park or Grand Lake.

The next day go through Breckenridge and down 285 to Del Norte. On the way, you can see the ghost town of St Elmo near Nathrop. You can make it from Winter Park to Durango in under 7 hours drive time, or break the trip and spend the night past Nathrop.

Then do the Silverton Durango Train and Mesa Verde and enjoy Durango for a couple of days.

Then come back on the Million Dollar highway and see Ouray and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. If you stay on highway 50 to Florence, then head up to Colorado Springs and see Garden of the Gods (and Cave of the Winds and Seven Falls if you wish).

We visited Colorado last summer with our 13 year old son. We loved RMNP. We did a few short hikes and drove Trail Ridge Road, which is fantastic. The views are more spectacular than anything else you will see in Colorado. Also briefly visited Colorado Springs. It is very nice, but doesn't compare to RMNP. If I could re-do our trip, I would drop C.S.

We have been to Durango several times, and really like it. The rafting trip is very enjoyable--a little bit of white water and beautiful views. Also, we rented bikes to ride the bike trail along the river, which was fun. On the way to Silverton, there is an alpine slide, which your children might enjoy.

kathie... ghost town of St Elmo?? Really? I've done a little googling and am cautiously excited about it! We'll be going from Breckenridge to the Great Sand Dunes and this looks like it's on the way, maybe 15 mountain miles off the main road.

Certainly no intention of hijacking this thread! Just want to thank kathie for mentioning it. Tips mentioned here are helping shape our trip as well!

A nice family hotel with swimming pool and breakfast is the Comfort Inn at Wheat Ridge. It is a short direct drive into Denver. About $100/night. Clean quiet with a great front desk staff.

If they are going to the Rockies game and staying outside of town they will then have to hassle with parking and driving in traffic, although I will say that Denver is not a really difficult town to drive in. There is a LaQuinta Inn somewhere near that part of Denver. Won't speak for its "rating".
IF they are headed south to CO Springs/Garden of the Gods they could stay in the Denver Tech Center area (look on Hotwire for good prices--there are efficiencies, etc) and take the light rail into town. The light rail is outstanding.
Coors Field is a beautiful beautiful ball park, and the area around it fun with places to eat.
Since the OP says they live near NYC, maybe the museums and zoo are not as attractive.
BUt as a final statement, I DO hope they see RMNP at the front end or back end of their trip. The OP says they have never seen country like this--that is especially true of RMNP, even when compared to the rest of Colorado.

your trip looks do able cept skip Colorado Springs and Garden of Gods cause if your going that route you might as well include the Royal Gorge and ventureing west will be a long long drive.. start as you said and venture west along I70 and down to Durango n Mesa Verde .. then venture back towards I70 and Denver

Thank you all for your input. I guess I am now a bit confused and need to re-look at plans. If I skip Colorado springs altogether then not sure my paty to get back to Denver airport from Durango without backtracking the way I came.

I think I would like to include RMNP but not sure where I shoudl stay then. Originally, I thought if I stayed in Boulder as our base for 3 nights - we could do rockies game, trip to Estes/RMNP, etc and just stay in Boulder. Now it souunds like I need a night or two in Denver and then a night or two somewhere else on my way to Durango.

If anyone has route suggestions based on above, I'd appreciate it.

I would stay at Estes Park for RMNP.

Now, you could rent a tent/camping equip at REI and there is another really good company right in Denver(but I'm blank on the name right now). Go Tent Camping for a couple of day-Morraine Park is great campground.

Here's my suggestion--based on the other suggestions you recieved--

2 nights in Denver--Rockies game

2 nights in Estes Park

1 night in Glenwood Springs (Estes to Glenwood via Granbyand Kremmling is about a 5 hour drive; Estes to Glenwood via Granby-Winter Park to I-70 west is also about a 5 hour drive. If you left Estes by mid morning you would get to Glenwood in time for a visit to the hot springs pool before dinner.

3 nights in Durango (it's a 5-6 hour drive from Glenwood Springs to Durango)

If you want to head back to Denver a different way than you came and not go by Colorado Springs--this is one way

Durango to Buena Vista (highway 160 from Durango to Monte Vista-then north on highway 285 to Buena Vista- if you'd like more another hot springs pool--Mt Princeton Resort, just south of Buena Vista is great (http://www.mtprinceton.com/ Then continue on highway 285 on into Denver. It is about a 4 hour drive from Durango to Buena Vista and about 3 hours from Buena Vista to the Denver airport-- you get to drive across South Park (yes that South Park)- one of Colorado's high treeless, surrounded by mountains valley. Or from Buena Vista, you could take highway 24 north to Leadville (an old silver mining town at 2 miles above sea level) -- then highway 91 to Copper Mountain where you get I-70 east to Denver.

Now to really deal with your husband's wishes to spend at least 3 nights in at least a couple of places--if you get into Denver early enough to go to the Rockies game the day you arrive, you could spend 3 nights in Estes. Otherwise, you will have to not go to as many places.

If you and your kids like seeing lions,tigers,bears, wolves and more, go to the wild animal sanctuary near Denver. Here is my report on my most recent visit:

www.fodors.com/community/united-states/colorado-wild-animal-sanctuary.cfm


If you can get reservations (apply online), visit the mint

www.fodors.com/community/united-states/a-short-trip-to-the-denver-mint.cfm