Labor Day Getaway to Colorado- Need Your Help!
 

My husband and I would love to take a long weekend visit to Colorado over Labor Day and I have looked into the new Westin villas resort (set to open in May) in Avon or the Ritz Carlton. I would love to hear some feedback- we are not overly adventurous- but would love to stay somewhere with beautiful views, where we can take some nice lazy hikes, do some kayaking, fishing, and maybe some river rapids.

I don't know much about Colorado- and just checked out Avon based on the resorts (big fans of Starwood and the Ritz)- so would love to hear advice about if this would be a great area to stay or not- and its proximity to restaurants/shopping etc. We would likely fly into Denver and drive here.

We're looking for a relaxing getaway, but also with some beautiful scenery and great options of things to do while we're there. Please let me know what you think!!!

I am not familiar with the two resorts you mention, but Avon is basically a town strung along the freeway (I-70)that is a service area for the Beaver Creek ski resort. While you are very close to Beaver Creek, I would opt to stay in Beaver Creek itself given the option. It is beautifully landscaped, away from the highway, and the little ski-village is lots of fun for shopping and dining in the summer. The general area has georgeous drives and hikes.

Can't offer too much info on those specific as SW Colorado is my neighborhood, but I thought I would mention you won't find rapids in September. Long gone by then, you need to be here now, during snow melt and runoff. The rivers are running like crazy now.

I have wanted to head to Batchelor Gulch, it looks beautiful. Do you know about "Loan-a-Lab program with Bachelor, their resident yellow Labrador Retriever?"


Deb

Thanks for the responses. So how far is Avon from Beaver Creek?
That's too bad we would miss the rapids. Is there fishing and kayaking in that area?
I did see on the RC website for Bachelor Gulch- that you can take their yellow lab Bachelor for hikes!
Anymore information on these resorts and this area would be great! thanks!

If you want to fish you might look into something in Keystone or Breckenridge and fish the Blue River that runs along the road from Silverthorne. It is a trophy trout stream with beautiful areas to fish accessible along the road. There is an "outfitter" in Silverthorne that could advise.
Believe it or not, one of the best places to fish is right behind the outlet shops in Silverthorne in the tailwaters of Dillon Dam!!
I would doubt there is any kayaking either.
Personally, I would stay in Vail far over Avon. Avon is a "shopping center" on the road. Or Beaver Creek maybe.

How far is Avon from Vail? Any favorite places to stay in Vail? And what will the weather be like around Labor Day?
We're just hoping for a nice place to stay, beautiful scenery, and opportunity to do some lazy hiking, kayaking, fishing etc. We had looked at Avon mainly because of the nice resorts- the Westin and RC, so appreciate anymore input.

The weather around Labor Day will be lovely. I don't know where you live, but in Colorado - it will still be summer, with warm days and crisp, cool nights. Bring a jacket or flannel shirt, and a rain jacket. The area around Vail/Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge/Keystone has fantastic hiking, beautiful scenery and some fishing (as posted above, fishing is great around Breck) - Kayaking not so much that time of year. The ski resorts all have fantastic lodging - that is a often a real bargain at that time of year. Vail and Beaver Creek are more "up-scale" than Breck and Keystone, but Breck has the advantage of having been a real town long before skiing changed the landscape. Wherever you stay, get a good map and explore the whole area.

how far is breckenridge, beaver creek, vail from avon?

Beaver Creek, Vail and Avon are all in the same general area--15 miles or so. Breckenridge is 30 minutes from Vail. There are MANY resort properties at Vail and Beaver Creek. There is no real reason for staying in AVon which would be a small town on the highway--it has things to do but not like the ski resorts.
The weather will be gorgeous. Bring sunscreen for sure. The streams are low so kayaking isn't in the bill--and maybe not in that area most of the time.

Avon is about 2 or 3 miles from Beaver Creek. It's so close that in winter, the skier shuttle bus parking lots for Beaver Creek are IN Avon.

Avon to Vail is about 15 minutes via expressway.

Breckenridge is about 40-50 minutes away from Avon.

What kind of fishing are you thinking of? If you're a fly-fisher, you can fish the Eagle River right in Avon, or one of any other numerous places between the towns of Minturn and Eagle. You can flyfish Gore Creek right in Vail. Check with the people you buy your fishing license from about where exactly the public access points are on those rivers.

Check out http://www.flyfisherman.com/rmwest/rpeagle/index.html

You still may be able to raft/kayak the Colorado River through the lower part of Glenwood Canyon at that time of year. Glenwood Canyon is about 30 miles west of Avon. It is anchored by the little berg of Dotsero on the east and the town of Glenwood Springs on the west. Through much of the eastern part of the canyon, the Colorado River is backed up by the small Shoshone Dam. The dam uses the backed up water to generate electricity. Even in later August and early September there is usually enough water coming out of the power plant to sustain adequate rafting & kayaking in the lower part of the canyon. Numerous outfitters run this section. One I know of is Rock Gardens Rafting (http://www.rockgardens.com/).