I just booked our airfare, got a GREAT deal, $49. each way with Southwest, LAS-DIA. We will arrive in Denver about 11AM and plan on driving straight to Estes Park and checking into hotel. We have booked the Comfort Inn Estes Park because we are a family of 5 and it is one of the few that allows that many in 1 room. Plus it is a 2-story room...kids can have the entire upstairs!!! We want to spend the rest of that day and the entire next day in RMNP. I have read from other posts that a drive along Trail Ridge Road is a must, so we will do this. Our kids are young, (4,4, and 2) but they love the outdoors, so they will enjoy just running around. Anything we really must try to do while there? We will be in the park area June 12-14. Are there any places we can rent a boat? Then we will head into Denver for 2 days there. Have not booked a room yet, but checking into Embassy Suites Downtown and Timbers, any other suggestions? Also what might you receommend for our family to do while in the Denver area? Is the zoo worth it? My kids love zoos, we have a VERY small one in Vegas and they even enjoy that so I guess I probably answered my own question...but any comments? I also saw on another post there is a sled ride in Breckenridge, is this one of those sled rides during the summer months? I have been on these in Canada and I know my boys would love it, know anything about this? Any other ideas or suggestions?

wow, lots of questions! Take the kids along the Bear Lake Trail in RMNP--it is level and easy (perfect for your age ranges), and beautiful. NOt sure about boat rentals on Lake Granby or Grand Lake.
Denver's zoo is very nice, so is the art museum. The museum of nature and science is also very kid friendly, they have a terrific dinosaur display, and it's right next to the zoo (do both, and I guarantee they will sleep that night).

If you're into baseball and don't feel your kids are too young, Coors Field is one of the nicest ballparks in america. We try to hit all the ballparks on our travels, and if not a game, then a tour. The US Mint in denver used to give a great tour but i think they've been somewhat limited lately.

In RMNP do Trail Ridge Road. It usually opens to traffic on Memorial Day, so barring a freak late spring high altitude snowstorm, it should be open.
An interesting feature you can not only see from Trail Ridge Road as you ascend from the east, but also drive up to and walk through is the Alluvial Fan. Ask a ranger how to get to it. The Fan is a flow of debris that came crashing down the Roaring River when the dam high above at Lawn Lake gave way about 25 years ago, killing several people in the campground that used to exist in the meadow at the base of the fan. The power of that destructive flood is still evident today in the boulders and debris that were moved by the force of the water into that meadow.

What Sylvia suggested. The zoo is very nice. There is a sort of amusement park area also.

forgot about 6 Flags, right downtown. If you just want to unwind, the botanic gardens will let the kids burn off some energy. Lots of things in Denver are very close!

Instead of Breckenridge, consider Winter Park for the alpine slide. If you cross Trail Ridge Road and then drop down to Highway 40 it could be an option on your drive back to Denver. They also have mini-golf and a maze set up during the summer. My kids love it.

Bear Lake Trail is perfect for the ages of your kids. My son at that age loved the chipmunks, dipping his toes in the water, climbing on rocks, etc.

The museum and zoo are both good. The zoo has a carousel and small train. The train moves incredibly slow, but my kids, being train nuts, could ride that thing over and over. There is also an aquarium downtown. I am not overly impressed with it, but my kids always love it - especially, the pools where they can touch the rays.

I would probably skip Six Flags, especially for kid in the 2 - 4 age range.

Have fun!

There is a restaurant in Denver called Casa Bonita and many people on this board really slam it because the food is like school cafeteria Mexican food. But the truth is, it's not about the food and your kids will love it. The restaurant is made to look like a Mexican village complete with a waterfall and cliff divers. There is "Bad's Bart Cave" and a puppet theater. There are pinatas and mariachi (sp?) bands and it's just a lot of fun. Our guests who have been there before always want to go back. It's not expensive - the all-you-can-eat meal is about $15. They have kids meals - even chicken nuggets. www.casabonitadenver.com

I have ordered a few books on RMNP and so I will check out Bear Lake Trail as suggested...thanks! wtm, thanks also for suggesting the alpine slide in Winter Park, I know my kids will love this and we want to take them mini golfing...have never been because we do not have one in Vegas (if you can believe that...the only one closed last year). I think they will like the maze too! I have read about Casa Bonita on this board before and I have heard people say it is terrible...however, having kids I know that the quality of food is typically not why we repeat restaurants...so I think we will give it a try because it sounds like it is right up our alley! Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions. We are looking forward to going, hope the weather will be nice for us!!

Vegas - here is a link to the summer activities at Winter Park.


http://www.skiwinterpark.com/activit...ties/index.htm

wtm, thanks for that great link. The alpine slide is exactly what I was looking for. Do you know if we can ride 2-at a time (parent w/ small child)? This will be a great place for us, thanks again!!!!!!

Yes, I have seen parents riding with small children. You'll have a blast!

Heads-up: When you take yourselves and the kids straight up to the top of RMNP, don't be surprised if you feel groggy or nauseous or headachy or otherwise out of sorts, the altitude change within the short drive time can really get you. It even happens to people from Denver where it's already a mile high.

WK

FYI on the alpine slide at Winter Park. If it's anything like the one at Breckenridge, then your kids will not be allowed to ride alone; I think at Breck you have to be 7 years, or so. There might also be a lower age limit; your 2-year-old might not be able to ride.

Your kids would probably enjoy parts of the Museum of Natural History (that Sylvia3 mentioned). Lots of hands-on activities for that age. I still blush to think of taking our then 5 year old and 2 year olds there--we walked into a room depicting cave men. All around us, very enlightened parents were talking quietly to their children about the displays. We blew in the door and my 2 year old took one look around and screamed, "MONKEYS!!!" Now that she's 14, we still laugh about it and the fact that back then we were always the noisiest people in the room

Casa Bonita--I'm one of the regulars who bashes Casa Bonita but in this case, I'd say go for it. Your kids are at the perfect age(just go early or at lunch or you will stand in line forever)and they'll be enthralled with all of the activity. Be warned. The food is worse than cafeteria food but the other posters are right--your kids won't care! The dessert sopapillas are actually pretty good if you put enough honey on them.

Downtown Embassy Suites is nice and in a perfect location. It has a nice outdoor pool.

Have a great trip--sounds like a lot of fun.

As I recall, there's also an alpine slide (and lots of other kid) stuff at Heritage Park (outside Golden, right off I-70); and right across the way there's a self-guided tour of dinosuar tracks (can't remember the name of the site, though). Dinosaur Ridge, maybe?

When you get to the top of Trail Ridge, stop in Grand Lake. You can rent a boat there. Grand Lake is a natural lake, and it is connected to Shadow Mountain Reservoir, so you can cruise around both lakes. You can rent motor boats, kayaks, canoes, or even paddle boats. There's even a little bumper boat place that would be fun for the kids and you too! There's a great ice cream/hamburger takeout place right across from the lake, so you can sit out there and enjoy the view while you munch on a cold treat!

I'm also one of the regular Casa Bonita bashers. I'd still say skip it. I went a few years ago, with out of town relatives, and what bothered me more than the gross food was that the floors, walls, etc. were just dirty. The kids didn't even care for it. Just my two cents.

If you are staying downtown you might want to check out the Wynkoop Brewery. Good food and beer. They also have a menu for children and yummy rootbeer. Definitely family friendly.

I am a Casa Bonita advocate and I think they would love it. It does have lousy food but it is so fun and campy. Your kids will probably love raising the flag for more sopapillas and seeing the cliff divers. All of my kids loved it, hubby too. Nothing else like it (thankfully as it so funky! Imagine Chucky Cheese on steroids). Six Flags has an area for smaller kids and a water park. It is tough to get to (no signs) but they would probably like it.

We went to Winter Park two years ago and I would strongly recommend Breckenridge instead. Breck is so much prettier with much more to do. Winter Park just seemed "tired" in the summer. And for the Alpine Slide in Winter Park, careful with the little ones! Definitely ride with them. My two oldest sons (ages 15 and 17) had to be treated at the fist aid center for burns from the slides. One of the boys' shorts actually melted on him in a few spots. Granted they were going as fast as possible, but still, be careful. Grand Lake is pretty and you can rent boats but the water will be too cold for swimming when you are there. We had to really look to find someone to rent a boat to us, no one was around. We had seen ads for skidoos and bumper boats but none existed. Same with ATV rentals, none available. Not even a grocery store in Winter Park. In Winter Park, it says that the slide and all opens up June 10 but don't trust that. Only the slide opened on time. We never got to do the mini golf etc. We were disappointed in Winter Park but it is a gorgeous area.

Dress in layers as mornings and nights will be chilly. We usually go the first week of June and we have seen a touch of snow but generally days are cool and sunny, Denver can be very hot, it was about 90 when we went around June 8.

Vegas - If you want to take your kids mini-golfing, Adventure Golf is another option. It is close to I-25 and the Boulder Turnpike (U.S. 36). It is fun for kids and adults - great landscaping, an exploding volcano and a water-spitting Tiki statue. If your kids are sensitive to loud noises, it might scare them, though.

http://www.hylandhills.org/adventuregolf.html

Waterworld is fun on a hot day. There is a section for small children.

http://www.waterworldcolorado.com

Another word on the Alpine Slide - last summer we saw smaller children (too big to ride on the same sled with a parent) follow right behind their parents on separate sleds. That way the parent controlled the speed. Being reckless is the only reason for getting injured.

In case you are interested the place Sylvia mention is called Heritage Square.