Not Your Average Summer Vacation

Not Your Average Summer Vacation

            Planning the perfect summer vacation is usually an expensive process. These summer vacations fill beaches, amusement parks, and cruise lines each year, so the only way to get away from the blistering heat and crowded attractions is to travel a place of solitude. The hardest part of finding a tranquil location for the family is locating an inexpensive place that still offers a great get-a-way.

            Enter Colorado.

            As the June heat begins to roll through the country, one state maintains its perpetual chilled climate. Colorado, averaging a cool 68 degrees each summer, provides the family with a beautiful and scenic summer vacation. Most trips to Colorado take place during the winter and early spring months for ski and snowboard trips; however, Colorado still remains as one of the top states to take a summer vacation.

Colorado is filled with geological wonders. The mile-high state lives up to its nickname with massive mountains that seem to scrape the underbelly of the occasional low-lying clouds. The slopes of which are covered in trees and the peaks are crowned with boulders. Diverted by only rocks, the untamed rivers roar wildly through the valleys. Some eventually tumble over cliffs creating wondrous waterfalls that are the object of many famous hikes. The landscape is never ending, from one town to the next the beautiful scenery remains.

Mountains, rivers, and waterfalls aren’t the only things that hold dominance in Colorado. In fact, there are a few wildlife species living within Colorado’s beautiful biome*. Deer, much bigger than those of other states, roam the mountains alongside their much larger relative Elk looking for a safe place from big game hunters. Big Horn Sheep tower over most native Colorado species as they live their lives on the rocky tops of mountains and cliffs. Trout of all kinds swim in every stream and lake in Colorado giving fly fisherman around the world one of the greatest scenes for fishing. Don’t forget the big guys either; Colorado is home to the famous Black Bear who, like Big Horn Sheep, likes to keep to himself and isn’t seen too often. The majority of bear sightings are at night in small towns around the dumpsters, as bears like to pick up any extra scraps it can find.

 

Wildlife searches in Colorado are nothing like an African safari, but can be just as interesting as many of these animals don’t like to be seen by humans which makes for many adventures. These trips are fun for kids and adults because it encourages everybody to find their inner “mountain man”. Fishing is a great therapeutic activity in Colorado. Whether you are fly fishing with barbless hooks, or regular fishing with normal bait, fishing is a great way to relax and have fun by water with the family. Hopefully bear hunting isn’t on the daily schedule, but if it is, make sure you are an experienced outdoorsman with climbing and safety skills because bears hide in caves high above all hiking trails on dangerous cliffs.

The mile-high state is home to a few of the highest mountains in the United States. While most are made for experienced climbers, there are a few that are great for a day hike. Creede, South Fork, and Durango are all quiet get-a-ways which have mountain access for novice climbers. Don’t think that your feet are the only way to scale mountains though. All over Colorado, there are mountains made for UTV’s/ATV’s to assist hikers on their ascent. Pool Table in Creede is a prime example of vehicle-assisted climbing. Within 20 miles of each of these mountains there are ATV rental stores that will supply you with a vehicle, training, and maps of all off-road paths available in your area. For those scared of off-road vehicles who would rather use more than two legs, there is another mountain climbing solution; horseback. Taking professionally guided horseback tours of mountains is a fantastic way to view Colorado’s landscape. In whole, there are a plethora of ways to climb a mountain for all different ages and skill levels, so don’t let your two feet limit you.

Another popular event in Colorado is biking. Many roads in Colorado will be filled in the summer time with speed suit wearing cross country bikers competing in competitions. The skinny tire bikes are seen from a car window or a town sidewalk, but the other famous bikes are only seen from a mountain. Mountain bikers from all over the country travel to Colorado each summer to rip and tear their way through some of the roughest terrain in the nation. Some events are televised, and others are just mountain bike trips, but all prove that Colorado has some of the best biking in the world.

White capped rivers and streams flow through every area imaginable in Colorado. If the spring months provide enough rain, then some of these rivers reveal dangerous white water rapids. Believe it or not, there are a few brave souls that drop into these rivers in a one man, streamlined boat called a kayak. These white water rafters fight some of the most dangerous conditions during the rainy years. However, when the water is low outdoor shops open kayak lessons to kids of all ages. Kayaking, like fishing, is a therapeutic activity; however, kayaking does get a little more intense and strenuous as the water levels increase. The safer alternative to kayaking is rafting. While the two are very similar, rafting differs in the size of the boat. The raft is similar to an inflatable pool, but is much stronger and has handgrips for each person riding. This is the most adrenaline filled family activity on the water as you all work as a team to stay in the raft.

Colorado’s high altitude and low humidity allow for the hot air to escape into the atmosphere much quicker, placing the cold air all throughout the state. This means that at night, temperature can reach the 30’s and in the morning it can be in the 50’s even in June/July. The low humidity in Colorado gives way to punishing sun rays on a clear day. Sunscreen is recommended on all days as the sun has less air to navigate through.

The only other downside to Colorado has come within the last 15 years. Wildfires have become a very real disaster during dry summers. These firestorms can last for days because Colorado has a dense population of forests with dead trees and dry grass. Once a wildfire starts, there isn’t much the park rangers or military can do. Usually, wildfires end when they have burned up all the dry vegetation in an area. Surprisingly enough, these deadly storms are good for the soil in a few areas because they act like a restart button for new vegetation to grow.

Colorado should be at the top of many family summer vacations because it’s a lot more than a winter wonderland; it’s a summer sanctuary. From the peaceful mountain ranges and streams, to the intense trails and wildlife, this state has everything a family needs to step out of the real world and enter true bliss. Not everybody will leave Colorado feeling like Bear Grylls or Ralph Waldo Emerson, but you will feel like you saw a slice of Heaven.