Late May in Colorado
 

My family is planning a trip to Boulder for a wedding Memorial Day weekend. I'd like to extend the trip for 3-4 days to the west for sightseeing, easy hiking etc. Any ideas?

You would have the lower elevations hiking trails but could be muddy and snowy. You could try Estes Park. They try to get Trail Ridge Road open by Memorial Day weekend and usually do. Not all mountain passes will be open by that time. You could make a loop through the Frisco, Breckenridge, Vail areas but hiking would be limited. There are some hard surface hiking/biking trails in the Frisco area. White water rafting should be good out of Buena Vista with an overnight in the same area. Good scenery in that area. What is size and age of your group?

Adults are early 50's and "kids" are 21 and 18.

Any thoughts on a dude ranch for 3 days??

Dude ranches are a lot of hard work - only really for people who are "into" the cowboy lifestyle. I would recommend doing Boulder (a great town for kids that age), and hiking along the Poudre river, where it's lower and you're likely to have better weather. May can be quite nice, though still likely cold. Georgetown is also great, and you can hike along Guanella pass.

<Dude ranches are hard work>

Umm, most dude ranches involve no work at all. You have to hunt for the kind that involve actual work. Trail rides, jacuzzis, babysitting, tennis courts, swimming pools, even tennis and golf are quite common at many dude ranches.

Mountain biking in Fruita, Colorado.

BeanMan

we were supposed to go to a dude ranch last August - it was canceled due to the closeness to the due date of my first grandchild..but I assure you - no hard work was included in the rate!

There are so many beautiful places to visit in Colorado - many have already been mentioned - that I wouldn't choose a dude ranch for that extra time you have. Also, while I don't know much about dude ranches, I think often they're set up for week-long stays.

If any of you are runners, note that the very popular (and huge) 10K race the Bolder Boulder is held on Memorial Day (through Boulder). Lots of fun to watch, even more fun to run in!

You could easily decide, given the time of year that you'll be there (where higher elevations could be muddy and/or snowy), to stay in Boulder and do sightseeing from there. There are a number of easy day hikes right outside of Boulder, as well as canyons and lakes a short drive away. And your "kids" will enjoy the vibe of Boulder.