Hello!

I am considering spending 5/26-6/01 in Colorado. I would like to see the natural beauty, but stay someplace comfortable. I have also heard that there are good outdoor gear stores where I can get some pretty good deals.

Any suggestions on what to do, stores to shop in and what cities to stay in?

Any assistance is appreciated.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/556b3/4fe/

See the Must See Activities link. I posted some pictures today.

You can also look at the tips at this WEB site:

http://www.virtualtourist.com/vt/4fe/

sonnenalp in vail. the best. period.

I would recommend Aspen (the St. Regis is fantastic) and Vail or Beaver Creek. These are nice upscale mountain towns with good shopping and restaurants as well as beautiful scenery and plenty of hiking/biking trails. As for outdoor gear--try REI in Denver if you fly into there.

forget REI unless you want to pay about 20% more than retail (unless you see sometihing on REI-outlet.com). Aspen is nice but you won't find anyting approaching a bargain.

Vail has many "comfortable" places as does Aspen.

As to bargains on gear well you might find some left over winter goods at that time, but "bargains" are tough to find.

I know that getting into a discussion of REI isn't exactly travel-related, BUT: I have shopped at REI in at least 3 different cities over the years, and after comparison shopping have found that their prices are AT retail--not above, not below. They have terrific gear at normal prices, and REI outlet has the same gear at outrgaeously low prices. And no, I don't work for them, although I am a member.

I just returned from Beaver Creek. I had a wonderful stay at the Inn at Beaver Creek. It's located in the village and only about 10-15 to Vail. Beaver's a little more quieter than Vail, but there's some great dining. The Area along Rte 70 is beautiful. Try heading towards Minturn and Leadville.

As for stores, I shop a lot online. Try sierratradingpost.com and campmor.com. I've gotten some great deals.

Don't miss Rocky Mountain National Park; the scenery is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in Estes Park, but I have forgotten the name of the hotel.

If you have time to drive around, Mesa Verde is interesting and Durango is fun.

I got some good deals at Gart Sports in Dillon. It is right off I-70 on the way to Vail.

I agree with the others. Stay in Vail, Beaver Creek or Aspen.

I just remembered thanks to the last post, but you might want to visit the outlets in Dillon--there are a ton of them (right along I-70)! Some are mediocre, but you can get some great deals at some of the stores. Just in case you need a break from all of nature's beauty and want to shop!

Not sure what you plan to do, but keep in mind that you'll be in between seasons in the high country. Still lots to do, but most higher 4wd roads and passes are still snowed in. Most ski areas are closed, but hiking trails may or not be open. In town you'll likely have nice weather, but likely snow/mud on the ground.
If you can wait 3-4 weeks you might get to see more of the mountains.
Just a thought...

"but hiking trails may or not be open"
Tomt whatever do you mean? We hike year round and have never found the trails to be closed. Never! Maybe Estes Park? Ummmm not a bit fan of estes, perhaps that is why.

I really like the REI Flagship store in Denver. My family was there on the weekend it opened, and we went back for a total of 3 trips to that store. My kids especially enjoyed the climbing wall - free for members. We got some great deals on random items, and the selection was really good for specialized equipment. I've never gotten deals at our local outdoor stores better than I can get at REI. I also like the yearly dividends. (Member since 1984).

If you want to see some beautiful scenery, I recommend visiting the Colorado National Monument south of Grand Junction. I have lived here all my life, and this is the best natural wonder in the area. About an hour drive all the way across, unless you want to do some hiking.

Coskier,
Of course I didn't mean the trails are "closed", just that many may be too snowed in for traditional hiking. I didn't know if the original poster know that the snow lingers in the high country until June or July in many places. Don't know about Estes Park - I really don't care for that area either.

I think southwest Colorado is the most beautiful. The peaks are more jagged and breathtaking any other part of the state. Of course Aspen, Vail and Beaver Creek are top destinations but you will be hit with high prices and the jet set crowd everywhere you turn. I'd go to Telluride and use that as a jumping off point for visits to Ouray, Durango and Lake City. These are MUCH smaller towns than others already mentioned but full of more history and natural beauty.

I have a question along this line. My husband and I live in Fort Collins. His parents are coming to visit in a few weeks and we were planning on taking them to Vail on the weekend of the 16th. I've looked at the weather records and it looks like the ave. high temp at that time is about 55, and below freezing at night. Of course, its CO, and weather could be ANYTHING I realize but I'm wondering if familiars could give me SOME idea of what kind of situation we would be dealing with, temp-wise?