My husband & I will be flying to Denver & renting a car on July 17th. We'll be there through the 22nd. Neither of us have been to Colorado & need advice on what to see, where to stay & car rentals. We were considering the RMNP for part of the trip & maybe the Breckenridge area as a base for day trips but are open to any advice. We're both 51 & loved our trip to the Canadian Rockies. We're not really city people but love interesting places & great scenery. We don't mind some hiking. Are room reservations necessary or will we be able to find accomodations there this time of year? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A very general reply:
Staying in a ski area, where there are nice places going for cheaper summer rates, is a good idea (but make reservations). Many activities are available on the various mountains, such as ride the lift up and bike or hike down, etc. (Steamboat, Winter Park, Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, Keystone, Telluride; lots of lodging. Copper, Wolf Creek, not so much).
If you stay somewhere on the western slope such as Winter Park or Sol Vista, you are very near Grand Lake and the west entrance of RMNP (and can avoid staying in Estes Park; make res. early if you plan to stay in Estes, tho; I have no problem with Estes, but some think it overcrowded and touristy, which shouldn't be a surprise).
For great scenery, a trip south to the greater Telluride area is spectacular; you could also head west to Grand Junction (Colorado National Monument), Black Canyon of the Gunnison, etc. Colorado Springs also has a lot to do and see. But, it would be wise to make some plans for accommodations and not trust that you'll be able to waltz in where you want.

Thanks so much for the information. We'd already decided to try to stay somewhere other than Estes due to the crowds. I'll start lookinging in some other locations & check out the locations you mentioned to visit.

We enjoyed a short visit to Breckenridge last summer. We stayed at the Allaire Timbers Inn which is a very nice B&B--small rooms, great breakfast. Great deck, where we enjoyed a bottle of wine one afternoon. Can walk into town.

We ran into friends who stayed at the Lodge and Spa at Breckenridge. I had considered it--great rates. They were very happy--you can't walk to town but it has some beautiful views--sits up on a hillside.

We had a good time hiking. The town of Breckenridge has good restaurants, a summer music program.

We have also been to Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park and love it.

Our favorite mountain destination is the Canadian Rockies.

Thanks for the input. We're looking forward to exploring the area. I'll check out the Inn & lodge. We still haven't booked rooms. I can't wait to go!

Drink water, take your time. Remember to apply sunscreen. Drink water. Drink water. Oh, and eat small snacks all day. You will burn those calories and need the energy!