When my husband and I travel to Colorado we usually are based in Colorado Springs because of his business travel. However in order to get to and from Colorado Springs you most likely will be flying into Denver. While Denver is a great city and offers lots of shopping, dining and nightlife options, the reason that I like staying in Denver for at least a couple nights of our stay is it's closer proximity to one of my favorite places to visit:
Rocky Mountain National Park ($20.00/vehicle)
Rocky Mountain National park is one of my favorite National Parks. If you have followed me at all you know that I love traveling to the National Parks. They are all unique in their landscapes and offerings but few of them pull me back for multiple visits. This is one park that I just can't get enough of so I have to visit any time I am in the area!
We have visited in multiple seasons but the park is best viewed when the roadway is open all the way through. Make sure you check the official website at http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm for road closures. Timing of the opening of the roadway varies by year depending on snowfall so always be sure to check before you head out there!
When we travel from Denver, my favorite route is to start in Estes Park and take the roadway straight through to the western Side of the Park and Grand Lake. There are many quaint local places to dine in Grand Lake and the town has a western small town feel. There are also shops and it's great to take a walk around and check out the town. I usually try to hit Grand Lake for lunch and then head on back through the park and out again at Estes Park before nightfall. There are no lodging accommodations in the park itself. There are options both in Grand Lake and Estes Park. Planning ahead is essential especially in the peak tourist season.
All of the seasons are beautiful in the park. Fall is one of my favorite times. The changing leaves are beautiful and animals are plentiful as mating season begins.
Whether you simply drive through the park and enjoy the scenery or hike and get closer to nature, this is a great way to spend a day and not break your budget!
Estes Park - The Stanley Hotel
You can not drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and go through Estes Park without noticing the beautiful hotel that dominates the city. This is the Stanley Hotel. We drove past this hotel many times on our way to the park on various visits and every time I would tell my husband the same thing. "I REALLY want to stay there someday!" I mean who could not be drawn in by the architecture and the beautiful setting for the hotel? Well one October as a late birthday gift my husband had me book the hotel for a night! 
As I was booking the hotel, I started reading about the Hotel's history. If you are unaware of the history, in a nutshell it is listed as one of America's most haunted hotels and is the inspiration of Stephen King's "The Shining"!
While this intrigued me it didn't deter me from booking a reservation here. The hotel rates are rather steep so this is a splurge and is NOT a budget friendly stay. It is however a once in a lifetime stay so was worth the extra money to us. Here are a few things to keep in mind when booking your room. Room 217 is the room that Stephen King stayed in when he got the inspiration for The Shining. There is a ghost that has been seen in that room...Mrs. Wilson...who is said to take special care of the guests who stay in that room. If you stay on the Fourth Floor, you may hear the ghosts of children laughing. All the rooms have had some out of the ordinary experience so you never know what you might encounter.
We didn't know what room we were going to be given but when we arrived we ended up with a room on the Fourth Floor! I wasn't sure if this was good or bad! The accommodations themselves are decent....definitely not what you would expect for the cost but you are paying for the ambiance and history of the hotel.
Now the ironic part of our stay was that it was Halloween weekend! We didn't even think about it when I booked the room. Well as you might imagine there were several people who came to the Stanley looking for ghosts that weekend. We did not see any ghosts nor did we have any really strange experiences, although the furniture in the hallway was moved during the night. They even have one TV station that plays The Shining 24/7!
We had a wonderful Sunday Brunch in the morning complete with Mimosa's and Champagne. It was a really cool place to stay and a "must do" if you are a Stephen King fan or a ghost hunter!
Colorado - Full of Fun Inexpensive Things to Do!
So whether it is Colorado Springs or Rocky Mountain National Park, there are some major attractions in Colorado that are inexpensive and provide a lot of entertainment value for the entire family. Some states may have inexpensive attractions but they don't hold your attention or some may have expensive attractions that limit what a family can do....Colorado is really a great place to visit where you can get a lot of bang for your buck!
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