1st day in Colorado
 

We will be arriving in Denver next Thursday at 7:30 am and want to do something on the way to Winter PArk which is our first stop. We are thinking about Georgetown and doing the railroad or seeing Mt Evans. Does one sound better than the other? Is Georgetown worth it? Any other ideas are appreciated.

The Georgetown Loop train is fun and doesn't take too long. You could explore Georgetown shops and it has some ok restaurants. The drive to the top of Mt. Evans allows you to see some amazing scenery and gives you a good view of Denver and the plains and allows you to tell friends that you stood on the top of a 14,000 ft mountain. So which you choose depends on what you like to do most. Be sure to take a jacket--it is always cold and windy up there. If you are not used to driving mountain roads, the road to the top can be anxiety provoking though perfectly safe--at least that's the report some of our flatland relatives have given us. Here is a website with more information--http://www.mountevans.com/.

bump

You could get to Winter Park by going over Trail Ridge Road, through Rocky Mt. National Park, then stop by Grand Lake (lunch on the porch at the lodge just outside the park, terrific views),then it's a scenic easy ride to WP.

We have done MT Evans and GeorgeTown both in the same day...do MT Evans early in the morning and you should be rewarded with seeing lots of wildlife on top..Its one of our favorite drives. If possible park at the top and hike to the summit for a spectacular view. This is an amazing ride and we try to do it everytime we are in CO. Georgetown is a cute little tourist town, train ride just OK for the price.The town does not take long to do, unless you stop in all the shops..though we usually do lunch here after our ride at the Happy Cooker. If you are going to Winter Park you can do Trail Ridge from there. There are so many day trips you can do from this area. Hiking St Marys Glacier is another great trip...4wheeling..stop at the visitor center right off the Mt Evans exit for lots of tips & info..Be sure to drink LOTs of water to combat any altitude problems.

I 2nd Sylvia's suggestion.

Where are you coming from? We are from Phila (sea level) and on our first day we drove to the top of Mt. Evans. That turned out to be a big mistake going from 0 to 12,000 ft. - the altitude really got to us. It is a neat drive, though.

ttt

we are flying in from the midwest so altitude could be a problem I suppose.

If you decide to drive the Mt Evans road, make sure you stay well hydrated and when you get to the parking lot at the top, see how you feel before you walk the short trail to the very top. You can see a lot without doing that if you're feeling light-headed. I find a headache remedy helps me (sometimes I get a little headache at altitude).

Mt. Evans seems a little ambitious for a first day...I 3rd my idea! (Lots of animals in RMNP)