Rocky Mountain National Park & Grand Lake – Colorado
National Parks Road Trip: Part 2 – Rocky Mountain National Park & Grand Lake Colorado
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Wow! What a great way to start a trip that involved visiting a whole bunch of national and state parks. Everything about Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado was breathtaking, pretty much literally because of the high altitude. We drove through the park on Trail Ridge Road, which rises to 12,000 feet, stopping along the way at various outlooks and hiking spots. The kids completed the Junior Ranger program, which I highly recommend as a way to force your kid to do something educational while on vacation. I also learned way more than I would have just driving through the park, so that’s a bonus too. Plus it’s free and you get a badge and booklet to keep as souvenirs.
We saw lots of wildlife, including elk, moose, and these really cute little chipmunk looking things (which, according to our Rocky Mountain National Park Junior Ranger booklet, were called Continental Divide, which we were interested to learn is an actual thing (you probably already knew that though).
Warning: Our travel buddies were in their rental car behind us and had to white-knuckle the drive for much of the time due to an extreme fear of heights. We watched them in our rear-view mirror slowly inching along the road while doing deep breathing exercises. They did it, so it can be done. But just be warned that this is a high and windy road, and at times you feel like you are practically in an airplane. A good thing for those of us who do not have this fear. For our friends, not so much.
GRAND LAKE
On the other side of RMNP is Grand Lake, Colorado. A lovely little town with a rustic looking main street with shops, restaurants, and a playground (good for the kids while waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant). We stayed one night at the Gateway Inn, which was a decent lodge-style accommodation. They let us book for only one night, which wasn’t the case for most of the local hotels. The balcony had a beautiful view of the lake, and the rooms were themed with rustic décor to match the feel of the town. They have a ‘lively’ locals bar scene, which only became apparent that night as we were trying to get the kids to sleep. It is not an ideal family hotel, but it was fine for one night.
SPLURGE: We rented a pontoon boat on the lake, which is always a preferred family activity for us. We had a boat large enough for our 2 families, and it was a nice and relaxing way to spend an afternoon and enjoy some Grand Lake scenery.
Next up: Denver
