Travelmomma

Hello, travelers. Need help. My family with young kids (2,4,6) are driving from Houston to Colorado. Want to explore Colorado cities. Do biking, easy hikes, picnic up in the mountain, ride Gondolas,Alpine glide ( is that Ok for my kids anyway?) Can't decide where to stay. We like comfortable place, nice hotels/suites but not too pricey. Are the home thru VRBO.COm ok, nice? Need to know where to stay so we can plan our trip. Please help ASAP.

fmpden

Check out Summitt County -- Keystone, Breckridge, Copper Mt. The center is Frisco -- hub of the bike paths, on Like Dillon, good accomendations.

marksfour

Snow Mountain Ranch (YMCA property) has fun cabins and lots of outdoor activities. Great for families of all ages. Cabins range in size and all are well maintained and well stocked. I know you need to have a Y membership but you can sign up for membership when you make a reservation.

MaureenB

We like the Winter Park area. You'd have mountains and a beautiful natural lake at Grand Lake, also everything else you mention. Try Destinations West for a good rental agency in that area. Be prepared for iffy weather anywhere in Colorado in June, even snow is possible. Bring layers!
The Alpine Slide in Winter Park is a favorite of my kids, but at the ages of 2, 4, 6, they'd be in the same 'car' as an adult.
Snow Mountain Ranch is a great place, too, as mentioned. It's more family-style, naturally, and relatively rustic. If you don't stay there, you can still go there for hiking and to use their facilities at a very small daily fee. If it's raining, they have a nice indoor roller rink, climbing wall, basketball court, etc.
Have fun in Colorado!
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BellaD

Winter Park is very nice but the town is somewhat limited, they don't have a grocery store and the town looks a little "tired". There is a grocery store about 10 miles away but I like them closer. I would go to Breckenridge instead. They have a ton of vrbo.com rentals in Breckenridge. We have rented 4 there and were thrilled. It is a great way to go with a family, so much better than hotels!! Most have hot tubs for mom and dad!

Breckenridge is a cute town and has outdoor free concerts in June. It has a nice park and of course the hikes and drives are gorgeous. Apline slides are fine for all ages as they will ride with you at their ages. My daredevil teenaged sons got burns from going too fast and falling off the cart, but they really pushed it. My 12 year old, who is much less "intense" went down at a snail's pace.

If you go the first week in June, it is considered "off season" and much cheaper and less crowded. You will want to have layers to wear. You will need hoodies in the morning and evenings. This is a great family trip!

Lexma90

You mentioned Colorado cities, but your activities are all mountain-type activities.

All the areas mentioned so far will provide a great vacation. If you want gondola rides, though, you'll need to stay near Keystone or Vail, which are the only places with gondolas (Breck has a new gondola, but I don't know if it will be running during the summer, though I guess it probably will.) You could stay anywhere in Summit County, or in or near Vail, and take advantage of the entire area.

There is an alpine slide in Breckenridge, at the Peak 8 area. That area also has mini-golf, a maze, zip line, the bungee jumping trampoline thing, climbing wall, etc. Oh, and you can mountain bike down the mountain. For non-mountain biking, the bike path goes from Breck all the way to Frisco; from there, you can ride to Keystone, Dillon, Silverthorne or even Vail. Lots of bike rental places in Frisco and Breck can provide any kind of rental you need, including trailers and tag-alongs.

In Vail, at the top of the gondola, there are a bunch of activities, but I can't remember what they are at the moment.

Much good easy hiking all throughout the area. In June, there will still be snow higher up, but where you're likely to be hiking with your age group, you won't encounter snow.

Can't help with VRBO.com, sorry, as I've never used it.

Enjoy!

bashawdi

The other suggestions were good. If you go near Aspen, I would be sure to take the kids to Glenwood Springs to the pool.
It's pricey, but well worth spending a day or two there. There is nothing like this for relaxation.

http://www.hotspringspool.com/

What about Steamboat Springs?

We've been taking our son to Steamboat since he was a toddler.

I would look for a condo given that you have 3 children as everyone would be more comfortable. Plus, you'd have coffee and can cook when you want.

http://www.steamboat.com/home.aspx

Cbbi

VRBO rentals are great. We also have 3 children and made our first trip to Colorado last summer. I highly recommend VRBO over a hotel. We stayed in Silverthorne/ Wildernest and looked for a condo with great views, washer/dryer, internet access. Watch Hill is nice in Wildernest. You will be surprised at how great the rates are in the summer! I'd search rentals in Breckenridge, Keystone, Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne/Wildernest. All are within a 20 minute driving radius. Take a day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. Also take the drive up to Independence Pass - my Louisiana children LOVED playing in the snow and ice up there in June. Also highly recommend "Best Hikes With Children in Colorado" by Maureen Keilty and thanks to the fodorite who recommended it to me!

historytraveler

All of the above suggestions are good but Bella has Winter Park completely wrong. You certainly do NOT have to go 10 miles to a grocery store. And, I would not describe Winter Park as 'tired'.

You really can't go wrong with either Winter Park or Summit County

CAPH52

Another vote for Summit County. We've gone twice; first time our kids were 13 and 9, second time they were 16 and 12. We all loved it both times. We stayed in the same condo in Frisco both times which we rented through Americana Properties in Dillon. It's been five years since we were last there. But, at that time, the deal was a fourth night free when you paid for three.

CAPH52

As soon as I hit post I realized that I should have told you that, if you do decide on Summit County, I highly recommend a book called "The Summit Hiker" (or a title very close to that!). The hikes are rated by difficulty. But, as great as the book is for help with hikes, we liked it even better as a guide for wonderful drives in the area.

JRP

I agree that Summit County should be a focal point. Regardless of our weekend plans we ususally find ourselves passing through or stopping by in Summit. It's a nice central base for most any interest or activity.

tovarich

Three places come to mind.
-Estes park
-Durango
-Colorado springs or Aspen
Paul

travelisfun

We stayed in Vail last summer with our 2 year old and it was great. We rode the gondola up the mountain...there is a restaurant and some kid-friendly activities as well as biking/hiking once you are up there. Vail and Beaver Creek (they are 10-15 minutes from each other) usually have outdoor concerts in the summer that are fun. Both have nice walk-able shopping/people watching areas. We also made a trip to Piney Lake which I HIGHLY recommend. It's about a 30 minute mountain drive from Vail (but a safe one), but once there there is hiking, canoeing, picnic areas, fishing, and one of the most beautiful views ever.

If you decide on the Vail area (or even on Summitt county, which is also very nice with tons to do), definitely make a stop at the Georgetown Loop train on your way. It's along I-70 between Denver and Summitt Co/Vail and your kids would love it...riding through the mountains on a train! Great views and lots of fun!

tracys2cents

Pueblo area has a zoo, and the Rock Canyon Recreation area nearby has a nice swimming lake with water slides & fun stuff for kids.

I don't think I'd go VRBO with so much to see in Colorado...wouldn't want to be stuck a whole week in one spot. However, changing hotels with 3 kids can be tough, too.

ajcolorado

Are you considering Colorado Springs? There is a lot to see and do:

Garden of the Gods is beautiful with lots of easy hikes.

The same is true of Helen Hunt Falls. Palmer Park and other nature areas offer great trails for biking and hiking.

Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City are quaint areas for shopping.

You can drive or take the Cog Railway to Pikes Peak.

We have a lovely zoo. The Cave of the Winds and the Royal Gorge are nearby. The Chuckwagon Dinner at the Flying W ranch is always fun.

Here's a link with great visitors information: www.experiencecoloradosprings.com/

Travelmomma

Thanks for all your replies! We went there this summer now we plan to go for ski there. I will post questions about this too