RMNP, Colorado Springs and ?
 

After spending a week in Vail on business, I'll be picking up my 21 year old in Denver for a weeklong vacation. We have booked 4 nights in Estes Park and I want to spend the last night in the Colorado Springs area. I had originally thought we might spend a night in Grand Lake but after reading about the beetle devastation, I'm not sure that will provide the scenic location I was hoping for. Any ideas for 1-2 days/nights between RMNP and Colorado Springs?

We enjoy scenery, hiking and history. Not interested in biking or whitewater rafting.

You might want to consider Leadville--http://www.leadvilleusa.com/
Lots of mining history, beautiful scenery (the two tallest mountains in Colorado--Mt Elbert and Mt Massive) are just south of Leadville. http://www.14ers.com/photos/photos_14ers1.htmlp
Turquoise Lake is west of Leadville http://tinyurl.com/6xzlwl

St Elmo is west of Mt Princeton Hot Springs--http://www.coloradoghosttowns.com/st-elmo-area.htm

Hot springs pools at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and Cottonwood Hot Springs around Buena Vista (south of Leadville)http://www.cottonwood-hot-springs.com/water.htm -
http://www.mtprinceton.com/pool_spa.html.

Your 21 year old son might enjoy spending the night in Boulder, rather than Colorado Springs (which I think is out of your way for one night, anyway).

Or, if he wants to see more mountains, I wouldn't let the beetle kill keep you from driving over Trail Ridge Road, to Grand Lake, and spend a night or two in Winter Park.

Thanks for your suggestions. To clarify, we definitely plan to go to Colorado Springs and will spend 1-2 nights there. I'm trying to figure out the possibilities between RMNP and Colorado Springs which we could do in 1-2 days.

Then I'd recommend Boulder, because it's great for your son. Very hip and young scene there. Great restaurants and shops. The Tea House is a very 'Boulder thing' to do, for lunch or dinner, sitting by the creek. Chatauqua Dining Hall at Chatauqua Park for dinner. Also good live music there. The CU campus is beautiful, and maybe something could be going on there for your son. Go to the hill across from campus for a burger at The Sink, or Pan-American sushi at Hapa. Drive up Boulder Canyon to the Red Lion Inn. Lots to do in Boulder.