Re The Stanley, yes I think no problem eating in the bar with kids. Food and drink is overpriced but quite good, and it's a neat looking bar. Worth a stop to check the place out at least. Great view of Longs Peak from the front porch and you can see the poor beaver who is trying to get up the mountain clearly from that angle. Last year an amazing Jack Nicholson look-alike was hanging out there one day, with his axe.

My wife and I have booked the ghost / history tours a couple of times but had to cancel on each occasion. We are going to try again this fall, it's supposed to be good. But your time sounds short and maybe better spent in RMNP?

I would choose either Sprague or Bear Lake loop. Both have classic postcard RMNP scenes. Rather than Lake Irene just stop at Milner Pass and have a look at pretty Poudre Lake.

If the Maple Brown Nut is sounding good to you then be sure to try some Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter!

Are the ghost tours, etc. good for kids your ages? Just my thought, but you really seem to be adding rather than paring. ;o)

I believe the Stanley does some tours, which would be a neat way to experience the place without the scary room rates. But, especially for October, you surely would need to book in advance.

Nelson, I just Googled Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter and that logo looks familiar. I looked up on Beer Finder and see it’s sold here in MN, which gives me an awesome idea. I’ll give, among other things, a pack to my husband for our wedding anniversary this weekend. Yahoo! …and “classic postcard” sums it up perfectly. Thank you.

Also, “….Jack Nicholson look-alike was hanging out there one day, with his axe.” I would be thrilled to the bone. Haha. Lunch there would be the perfect pit-stop.

Gretchen, good point. I think all are kid-friendly except for a few of the Stanley tours. There are six different tours offered.

jayne1973, yes indeed. Need to decide and book asap. If only I could book TRR. Heehee.

Here’s my latest version of itinerary. Let me know if seems do-able. Thank you all!

Thursday land 8:30am
Sports Authority tour
1-2 of these:
• National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Pearl Street Mall
• Boulder Ghost Tour
Sleep Boulder

Friday
Estes Park via 72 (Nederland)
Bear Lake Loop/ Alberta Falls
The Stanley Hotel
Rocket Fizz
Trail Ridge Road
Sleep at/near Grand Lake

Saturday
Vail
Glenwood Canyon trails
Hot Springs
Glenwood Vaudeville Revue or Ghost Walk through Linwood Cemetery
Sleep Glenwood Springs

Sunday
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Leadville and/or Breckenridge
Loveland Pass
Georgetown

Monday
Coors Brewery Tour
Lookout Mountain
Red Rocks
Cathedral Basilica of Immaculate Conception
Visit State Capitol/area

I see you are going through Nederland. You might want to stop and take a ride on their Carousel of Happiness. www.carouselofhappiness.org.

That's a packed agenda, with lots of time spent in the car. I know my kids would rebel. The idea of packing up and moving every morning, would not suit any of us.

The kids will appreciate the Boulder's Pearl Street much more than touring inside of NCAR. I'd think they'll be bored with a tour of Sports Authority field.

Do you have lodging for Grand Lake yet? If you're looking for dinner there, Pancho & Lefty's is a good Mexican restaurant in Grand Lake. The Grand Lake Lodge is good, too, if it's still open. The kids might like seeing their log cabin lodge.

I'd cut out Loveland Pass. You will be seeing plenty of scenery elsewhere, without dealing with the trucks and narrow roads of Loveland Pass.

Are you planning on spending the night in Georgetown?

I'd cut the field tour--I don't even think ours is a great tour! It also requires you to go into Denver although admittedly not too far.
On the way to Boulder is Westminster and there is a great butterfly pavilion there, if you don't have one they've been to.
In Boulder your kids might actually like the Celestial Seasonings tour--it's only an hour--they'll remember the mint room!!
What are you thinking about doing in Vail? It will require you parking in a cavernous deck and walking along a street of shops. I love it for skiing, or did in the day, but with the stuff you have packed in...?
Leave time before arriving IN Glenwood Springs for the exhibit east of the town explaining building the road.
Georgetown has the train loop.
Your schedule just seems SO jammed. Colorado is so beautiful, and I know kids can get caught up pretty quick on saying "look at that beautiful mountain", but ours did enjoy watching on the road for mine openings in the mountain and things like that.

Yep, it's a packed tour but you'll be flexible and able to modify on the ground, right?! The weather may dictate your final decisions and how much time you spend indoors vs. outside, and how far you drive.

I'll disagree with Tabernash on this one: the inside of NCAR is quite interesting and their website shows it as at least partially kid orientated. My wife and I really enjoyed the tour when we did it years ago. Keep that on the list as an indoor option. It's a unique place in a beautiful location.
http://scied.ucar.edu/visit

Also a second vote to the butterfly pavilion, Celestial Seasonings and Grand Lake Lodge. All good options for you depending on how things are going.

jayne1973, that name makes me laugh, Carousel of Happiness. Sound like a hoot!

Tabernash2 , Vasquez Creek Inn looks superb, but biggest room won’t accommodate 4. Loveland Pass, check. Georgetown, I don’t where to spend Sunday night.

Western Riviera is #1 on Trip Advisor while Grand Lake Lodge was 8th, but it’s not open. Was leaning toward Gateway Inn as we don’t need a kitchen, only to rest our heads after a long day.

Gretchen, the butterfly pavilion would be great for my 7 yo. More adding. Haha.
I had to scratch Celestial Seasonings due to packed schedule and tours only till 4pm, but our hotel is nearby so always a possibility.

Nelson, flexible is my middle name.

My son is quite interested in weather and science and I believe SCAR will be a worthy stop.

Packing up every morning I agree, bites, but I feel the need when husband’s #1 is Mile High Stadium, me RMNP and kids rides and hot springs. I’m thinking about adding a day in Estes Park to have a more leisurely second day. Would TRR be terrible on Saturday vs Friday?

What is the quintessential ski town? Maybe we only need to visit one. Vail interested us because of German motif and the Ski Museum. Breckenridge only interested us because of its popularity.

Breckenridge by far. It is an old mining town with a couple of the original building still standing. Actually the Vail is Austrian - not that there is that much difference - but all has been built since early 60s.

I think NCAR could be interesting, was there about 10'years ago. Pearl Street Mall is good for dinner & strolling after, better for restaurants & interesting shops.

For Breck vs Vail, either could be a good lunch stop. Breck is a little off I-70 but not too far. Parking could be easier. If anyone is interested in gardening, the Betty Ford garden in Vail is a treat. Not sure how much is blooming in October though.

I thought you might get a kick out of the Carousel-- Nederland is a funny little hippie/mountain man town and if you like it, you too can call yourself a "Ned Head" ;)

Vail parking is a mess. I think Frisco is a great little place for lunch with NO hassle.

I'm not a fan of Vail, but I don't think parking there will be a nightmare in mid-October. Unless ski season has started that early. Kidding.

Personally, I prefer the style of Breckenridge-- rooted in real Colorado, with historical architecture to prove it. It can be charming.

Not talking about it being crowded--just expensive and in a dungeon of a parking deck. And then finding where you are and getting to where you want to be. It is no longer "simple" as it was when we first went--imagine that!
Breck or Frisco would be so much better.

I appreciate Vail vs Breck info. Since Vail is just off I70, maybe we could drive through without getting out.

Lunch in Frisco would be a great stop Gretchen. Has anyone been to Babe’s Chicken Dinner House? Sounds like a hoot, but then I read it’s a chain.

I’m trying to plan my floaty day since Co Springs was eliminated. Where are we top-heavy? My thoughts float toward adding a night in Estes Park or in Breck (or nearby) to break up voyage from Glenwood Springs to Denver.

Is there much of a crowd difference between driving TRR on a Friday in October vs Saturday?

If I haven't said it lately...Thank you so much!!

Babe's is a Dallas/Fort Worth chain. I don't think there are any in Colorado.

Glenwood to Denver is only 4 hours tops. I am no longer real clear what your final itinerary is.

Frisco has a bunch of cute restaurants--it is just off I70.

The point about Vail is that you can't drive through it--there may be a frontage road, but no cars. Back when we first went to Vail, you could actually see the bottom of the mountain from the frontage--was pretty shocked a couple of years ago returning!! Solid stores and restaurants now.

I think you are planning to drive Boulder to Grand Lake in one day, which gives you no real time to enjoy Bear Lake Road, The Stanley, the elk rut, or the wine tasting in Estes mentioned earlier. Add a night in Estes so you can enjoy that side of RMNP. Then leisurely drive over TRR the next day and no stress on what time you arrive in Grand Lake.

Ditto what Gretchen said, you can't drive through Vail and it's not worth stopping. Frisco is a good option for a convenient lunch stop. I like Breck even more to walk around, nice path along the river, go as far as you want. You can pop into shops in the part that goes through town. But it's a 20 minute detour to Breck from Frisco.

My wife and I had dinner at the Stanley bar on Friday, it was delicious! It was a packed and lively scene but no sign of Jack. Last year on that date we ate at Hecks at Devil's Thumb Ranch, based on the recommendation by Tabernash, really fantastic as well.

We saw a bear on the trail while hiking in Glacier Gorge above Alberta Falls before dinner. Exciting!

Funny thing jayne1973, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House is in Frisco and the rest of the locations seem in to be Texas.

Gretchen, you can’t drive down the main street of Vail?

Nelson, I’m very excited about the Stanley. I'll have to do wine tasting later in trip.

Floaty day in Estes Park is a fail. I inquired with almost ten hotels in EP and all but one had a two day minimum. The one, who could accommodate, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I’m not sure if this is the norm or due to being a weekend.

Here’s our latest plan.

Thursday
11am Sports Authority tour
National Center for Atmospheric Research
(evening) Pearl Street Mall
Sleep Boulder

Friday
shortest distance to Bear Lake Loop
The Stanley Hotel
Rocket Fizz
Trail Ridge Road
Sleep Grand Lake

Saturday
Glenwood Canyon trails
Hot Springs
Glenwood Vaudeville Revue or Ghost Walk through Linwood Cemetery
Sleep Glenwood Springs

Sunday
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Leadville
Sleep in Breckenridge

Monday
Georgetown
Coors Brewery Tour
Lookout Mountain
Red Rocks
Visit State Capitol/area
Sleep near airport

...you can’t drive down the main street of Vail?....

There is no main street in the traditional sense in Vail. Vail is strung out along a I-70. Technically you can drive through Vail because there is a frontage road actually along both sides of I-70. You can get off at East Vail and follow the frontage road through Vail to West Vail and get back on I-70. You will see the back side of lots of condos as you drive through. There are some huge parking garages at Vail and Lionhead (just west of the Vail exit). At that time of year, I think the garages are free. The best garage to use is the garage just east of the main Vail exit. Just follow the signs off of the roundabout. Exit the garage and you should be on the path to the wooden cover bridge leading into the main village area for Vail. There is a free shuttle bus the runs the length of the Vail area.

That is a good time to be in Vail. The shops will be having huge sales. We buy most of our ski gear at this time of year. And many of the restaurants will have deals especially for earlier birds.

I still think your schedule is overly ambitious especially the last Monday. After Trail Ridge Road I would head towards Glenwood Springs. There is nothing special about Grand Lake. But the other days are not a whole lot better. You still have long driving distances over mountain roads with young kids.

Forget to comment on the the two night stay requirement. That is not uncommon in the high tourist areas. It is close to peak season in Estes Park because of the leaf changes and the Elk. In ski season you can bump into a week requirement in the ski areas at Christmas/New Years.

Fmpfden explained Vail also and better--you never have been able to drive in Vail--always parking and using their shuttles. Good to know about the parking fee waived.

I'm going to make another pitch for the Denver Art Museums Native American exhibit. I know Atlanta has museums, but it has some truly incredible exhibits of western Indian tribes--totems and canoes from the NW tribes, teepees and elaborate costumes of all tribes, a collection of Maria Martinez pottery--and a video of her making it. Our grands sat transfixed watching it and two of them were 11--boy and girl.
I don't quite know what the capitol area offers you or your youngsters. The exterior of the Denver Library is worth a peek also as you pass.
That Monday looks overcrowded already.
I will also reiterate the Celestial Seasonings tour--kids DO find it interesting. Maybe more than Pearl Street shopping. and the idea of Chataqua offered by other is VERY good.

I think that is Frisco, Texas where you are seeing a Babe's!

While Gretchen is general correct there was a time when you could drive in Vail and there was no shuttle. That was in 66,67 when the gondola came out of Vail to mid Vail. The only closed off area to cars with the little intersection just off the bridge when Vail only extended a block in any direction from that intersection. You could drive up to the gondola for drop off. After the gondola accident, the gondola was moved to Lionshead and the area around the old gondola building was expanded and closed to traffic. There was a time when Vail was nothing but a gondola and two chair lifts.

I have to disagree that Grand Lake is a miss. It's the largest natural body of water in Colorado. I would choose it over Leadville any day. I don't understand the attraction to Leadville, and would drop it off your plan, except as a simple drive-thru or place for lunch.

I'd skip Georgetown, too, unless you're only planning a drive-thru. It's cute, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it.

Personally, I'd never want to follow your itinerary. Too much moving around, with sites that aren't all that spectacular.

I think it's much better to stay a couple of nights in one place and explore that area (like, from Glenwood Springs, Aspen is close enough to visit). And Independence Pass is a beautiful route back to Denver.

...Too much moving around, with sites that aren't all that spectacular....

Whoa !!! kind of a cheap shot. Fortunately we all do not have the same tastes. Remember there are a couple of young kids involved. Personally think the Mineral Belt trail in Leadville is one of the state's hidden gems especially if kids are involved. I would put it far ahead of a lake. It is unique.

Googs, I forgot to mention that it's a lot of fun to rent a motorboat and tool around Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain Lake. You might have warm enough weather in October to do that. If so, your kids would love steering the boat.

We have rented boats at Shadow Mountain Lake, because they were lower priced. It's connected to Grand Lake.

I'm not sure any of us love their itinerary, but as it is said, it IS their trip.
Seems a lot of "entertainment"/halloween for me.
But it is 'way too much moving around with kids for a short time, to ME. We've all tried to help, and hope they have a great time. Some choose one thing and others choose another.

<<I will also reiterate the Celestial Seasonings tour--kids DO find it interesting.>>

Especially the mint room!

Leadville makes sense if the weather is good. I'll second the Mineral Belt trail. You can also add a stop at the Leadville National Fish Hatchery where your kids can buy fish food (bring quarters), toss it in the holding tanks and watch the trout go crazy. There is also a picnic area and hiking trails. Then stop at Cookies With Altitude for a treat on your way out of town.

The kids might like Woody's Wood Fired Pizza in Golden. Pizza buffet, salad bar and beer. The kids can request their favorite toppings.

I'd skip the state capitol.

We moved around a lot when we vacationed with our then young kids. Keeping them busy made for a happy vacation. Everyone travels differently.

I'll also add that I used to take my kids on little adventures when they were young and off for summer break. They liked the machinery and conveyor belts at the Coors Brewery as well as the science exhibits at NCAR.

Have a great trip!

Thanks for all the well wishes. Hearing why you like this or that helps us decide how we’d enjoy it.

LOL jayne1973 – Frisco, TX!

Thanks for the clarification on Vail and parking tips fmpden! Everyone in CO must know about the gondola accident. Scary.

I choose Grand Lake to rest as day two is long and this is the closest lodging after TRR. Unless anyone knows of lodging on TRR…that doesn’t have a two-day minimum.

Thanks Gretchen for your museum enthusiasm.

Good ideas Tabernash2 on Glenwood Springs extended stay and revisiting Aspen. I love lakes, but fortunately we boat most weekends.

Wtm003, for the longest time when food with altitude was mentioned, I always thought there was pot baked in. Fish Hatchery sounds superb.

I value the votes for Celestial Seasonings, but it’s only open 10-4. I will try, but day one we will have woken at 2am Mountain.

We drive two hours, one-way, most weekends to arrive at our cabin, so I think kids can handle daily drives to new locations during trip. If I could do Coors (another 10-4) on first day, I think two nights in Glenwood Springs would be pleasant with the extended options of the area that surrounds. That could also improve the last full day, Monday, to meander back to Denver.

Our family loves Halloween. We’ve already purchased my daughters costume. LOL.

Googs, thanks for posting more about your travel preferences, and for answering our questions, too.

I hope you didn't think I was taking a "cheap shot" at you. That's certainly not what I intended, when I remarked on the sites you are considering. Some posters just like to take pot shots at other posters. Don't let it distract you.

What does your itinerary look like now?

:)) Thank you Tabernash2

I'll be back in a few days -- off to the MN Twins and State Fair!

I was working our itinerary for a two-nighter in Glenwood, then….

The Glenwood Vaudeville Revue is not on during our stay.

The Ghost Walk to Linwood Cemetery has a moderately strenuous hike, so not sure if hubby can walk it. Has anyone been up the trail to the cemetery?

There’s a fish hatchery in Glenwood Springs, has anyone ever been? It’s operated by operated by the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

Thursday
Sports Authority tour
National Center for Atmospheric Research
(evening) Pearl Street Mall
Sleep Boulder

Friday
shortest distance to Bear Lake Loop
The Stanley Hotel
Rocket Fizz
Trail Ridge Road
Sleep Grand Lake

Saturday
Grand Lake to Glenwood Springs via Kremmling and Bond
Glenwood Canyon trails
Ghost Walk through Linwood Cemetery?
Sleep Glenwood Springs

Sunday
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Aspen
Glenwood Hot Springs
Sleep Glenwood Springs

Monday
Breckenridge
Coors Brewery
Red Rocks Amphitheater
(if time) Cathedral Basilica of Immaculate Conception
(drive by) State Capitol
Sleep near airport

The plan logistically looks ok, I think, if that's your travel style. Personally, that schedule of moving so many times, and being in the car so much, would make my family dangerously cranky. I think you're missing the real Colorado. IMHO.

(Please do not interpret this as a cheap shot-- I'm just being honest from my local POV)

We rarely do paid tours, either-- preferring to look around on our own. There isn't much nature exploring on your itinerary. It's so pleasant to just take a walk in the mountains. No guide needed. Get some trail maps and take a hike. Decompress from all the hustle bustle.

We like Aspen a lot, and I recommend you devote a full day in Aspen, from Glenwood Springs. Read up a little on Aspen's Wild West heritage, and recent years' shenanigans (I.e. Hunter S Thompson stories).

It's also fun to: wander in Aspen's original neighborhood with its Victorian homes; catch some outdoor music if you're lucky; go to the skate park if interested; window shop in town; visit the library for a break; have a really nice meal at the Hotel Jerome, or grab a burger in the hotel's infamous J-Bar.

And a visit to Maroon Bells, of course.

(Please do not interpret this as a cheap shot-- I'm just being honest from my local POV)

Hahaha, Thank you, Tabernash2!

It's not our style to advance each day, but so trapped to fit in a ton. ...And a ton, I mean, quarter-of-A-ton from my first itinerary. I'm going mental, as Edward Grimley would say.

Ahhh the Maroon Bells, perfect. That was on the earliest of itineraries! Thanks for restaurant tips. Was hoping to try the vodka nearby, but closed Sunday-Mondays. Is it worth squeezing in on Saturday night?

Try the vodka? Sure. That never closes. Ha

Did I mention we like Aspen? http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...some-aspen.cfm

I imagine the gondola would be open in Aspen to ride to the top of Ajax? Eat at the restaurant at the top if open?

For a drive by in Denver, do the new public library also.