This trip marked the first time went intentionally went on vacation someplace colder than home. The beautiful town of Estes Park, CO at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park is a dream come true.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Stephen King, The Shining
Our flight arrived early in the day before we could check in so we spent our time in Golden, CO, and around Dinosaur Ridge exploring dinosaur fossils and Red Rocks Amphitheater and Park in the snow. The snowy Colorado welcome was perfect.
My husband is a big Steven King fan and The Stanley Hotel is located in Estes Park. The famous horror author stayed there and the hotel became the inspiration for The Shining. Staying there was out of our budget compared to Estes Park Resort where we ended up with a beautiful lake view of Lake Estes. Sledding in Rocky Mountain National Park and wildlife sightings everywhere – just how we pictured Colorado.
On Sunday, we drove two hours to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I wasn’t sure what to expect at Terry Bison Ranch but feeding and petting bison is hands down, one of the coolest experiences we’ve ever had. It was only 40 minutes to the Nebraska border so we made the journey in order to cross off another state.
Until next time – stay colorful, Colorado.
4-Day Itinerary With Kids
| Day | To | From | Mode | Departure Time | Arrival Time | Trip Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Fri. | DEN | DUL | United Airlines | 4:00AM | 8:45AM | Non-stop flight to Denver from Dulles |
| Dinosaur Ridge, Golden, CO | Airport | Rental Car | 10:30AM | 10:30AM | A must-do! This is the #1 dinosaur fossil site in the US and home to the world’s first Stegasaurus fossil discovery. It was really snowing so we didn’t take the full hike but did walk up the ridge and put our hands in dinosaur tracks! | |
| Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, Morrison, CO | Dinosaur Ridge | Rental Car | 11:30AM | 10:35AM | A must-do – perhaps the most unique music venue in the U.S. Although the weather could have been better, seeing the snow against the red rocks was pretty spectacular. | |
| Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza, Golden, CO | Red Rocks Park | Rental Car | 1:00PM | 11:45AM | A must stop if you’re hungry in Golden. They have a great pizza and salad buffet that hit the spot! | |
| Golden History Park and Coors Brewing Facility, Golden, CO | Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza | Rental Car | 1:15PM | 1:30PM | A free outdoor museum with original homesteads from 1876. We didn’t tour the Coors Factory but it’s close to the downtown area and seeing it from the road gave us an understanding of just how big the factory is! | |
| Drive through Boulder, CO | Golden, CO | Rental Car | 2:00PM | 2:40PM | We didn’t stop but got a feel for the town of Boulder on the way to Estes Park. | |
| Estes Park Resort, Estes Park, CO | Boulder, CO | Rental Car | 2:40PM | 4:00PM | Beautiful lodge-feeling hotel – splurge for the lake view! There’s a great Safeway nearby the hotel that we stocked up our room’s kitchenette with and had dinner in our cozy room by the fireplace. | |
| 2 Sat. | Breakfast at You Need Pie! Estes Park, CO | Estes Park Resort | Rental Car | 7:30AM | 7:35AM | A must-stop! We loved this place so much that we came twice in one day and had breakfast again the next day. Apple pie milkshakes, anyone? |
| Estes Park Mountain Shop, Estes Park, CO | You Need Pie! | Rental Car | 8:30AM | 8:40AM | A great place to stop to rent sleds, snowshoes, skis, or even snow boots if you forgot them. We rented sleds for $5 a piece. | |
| Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP), CO (Estes Park Entrance) | Estes Park Mt. Shop | Rental Car | 9:00AM | 9:30AM | It goes without saying that this is a must-do. RMNP is one of the most beautiful national parks with abundant wildlife you are sure to encounter. Note: park reservations are required to enter the park from May-Oct. | |
| Hidden Valley inside RMNP | RNMP Visitor’s Center | Rental Car | 9:50AM | 10:00AM | This was a former ski resort inside the park that is now the only place you can sled in the park. There are two hills for sledding and we brought our sleds from Estes Park Mountain Shop. There are no rental places once you’re inside the park but there is a bathroom and warming hut. Get here before 10:00am to ensure you have parking! | |
| Long’s Peak and Bear Lake, (RMNP) | Hidden Valley | Rental Car | 12:00PM | 12:30PM | Traffic jam to get into the Bear Lake parking lot. Be sure to get there before 10:00AM. | |
| Lunch at Lonigans Saloon and downtown shopping, Estes Park, CO, | RMNP | Walk | 2:00PM | 3:00PM | There aren’t a lot of great restaurant options (no shortage of ice cream though!) downtown. We stumbled into this restaurant but I do not recommend it. Slow service, overpriced, mediocre food. There are lots of great shops to explore along Elkhorn Ave. | |
| Mustang Mountain Coaster, Estes Park, CO | Downtown Estes Park | Rental Car | 3:15PM | 3:45PM | New mountain coaster located with beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains. | |
| Dinner at The Post Chicken & Beer at The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO | Mustang Mountain Coaster | Rental Car | 5:45PM | 6:00PM | Located in a renovated Carriage House at The Stanley, The Post is a modern take on fried chicken. We got the family sampler and a side of deviled eggs with fried chicken skin – the best I’ve ever had! | |
| 3 Sun. | Breakfast (again) at You Need Pie!, Estes Park, CO | Estes Park Resort | Rental Car | 8:00AM | 8:15AM | We loved it so much that we had to come back again. |
| Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, Cheyenne, WY | You Need Pie | Rental Car | 9:00AM | 10:40AM | Home of the largest rodeo in the world and the 3rd largest carriage collection. We really loved our time at the Frontier Days Museum. | |
| Terry Bison Ranch | Cheyenne Frontier Days | Rental Car | 12:00PM | 12:25PM | Absolutely must do! We took a train ride to get up close and personal with bison. We were able to feed and pet them – normally unheard of! Great Trading Post and other activities located on the ranch. | |
| Senator’s Steakhouse and Brass Buffalo Saloon, Cheyenne, WY | Terry Bison Ranch | Rental Car | 1:30PM | 1:35PM | Great saloon with an exotic menu. We decided to try the bison burgers which were some of the biggest burgers I’ve ever had. | |
| Nebraska State Line | Senator’s Steakhouse | Rental Car | 2:30PM | 3:10PM | The NE state line is only 40 mins from Cheyenne so we put two feet over the state line and crossed off NE from our list! | |
| Dunraven at the Estes Park Resort | NE State Line | Walk | 3:15PM | 5:30PM | We ordered room service from our hotel’s Italian restaurant. The restaurant books early and reservations are highly recommended. | |
| The Stanley Hotel Ghost Tour | Estes Park Resort | Car | 7:45PM | 8:00PM | The inspiration for Steven King’s The Shining, The Stanley Hotel is rich in history and ghost stories. | |
| 4 Mon. | DEN | DUL | United Airlines | 9:50AM | 3:08PM | Home! |
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