Estes Park with Kids
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We had such a wonderful time in Estes Park this past weekend with my parents and the kids.
It's funny because my mom and I have been talking about doing this trip since my oldest was about a month old. Four years later and we finally went!Sometimes traveling with kids can seem daunting. We didn't start our kids off traveling at a young age so they don't adjust very well. It takes them a few nights to get situated and finally sleep. For weekend trips, we have to prepare ourselves, have low expectations, and drink lots of coffee. We have never done a really long trip or vacation with all 3 boys because of finances (see our family and budget-friendly ideas post) so we even have to work our way up to weekends away!Estes Park is a beautiful mountain town in Colorado. My parents have a WorldMark there so we were able to stay right on the river in a cute little condo with 3 bedrooms for a low price. This specific layout had a master bedroom, a room with a double bed, and another room with two twin beds. Andrew and I stayed in the master with all the suitcases and kid stuff and we even put Nate in the closet in his Pack 'n Play. We actually took the twin mattresses off the beds and put them on the floor for our 2 and 4 year old, and then my parents were in the 3rd bedroom. There are a TON of accommodation options in Estes. Check AirBnB, the local rentals, and other places to see what's available for your family.We arrived on Friday afternoon and stayed until Sunday afternoon. Even though it was a quick weekend getaway, there was still plenty to do with kids under 4!
Here were a few of our favorites!
Trout Fishing at Trout Haven Pond - I have all boys, so this was a total hit! Call in advance and make sure it's fishing season and keep in mind that you pay $1.25 per inch for your fish. Don't just catch 10 and think it'll be cheap; we caught 3 fish and it was $50 even. Also, if you go in the winter, you can rent skates from them and go ice skating! So much fun.Fun City - This place can get pricey if you decide to do a lot, but it sure was a blast. They have everything from bumper cars, bumper boats, an arcade, mini golf, the huge colorful slides, and even go carts! My boys (ages 4 and 2) could do everything but the go carts and one slide. Everything else they could do by themselves or with an adult.The Donut Haus - We are big donut fans over here and these were absolutely delicious! Stop in for a cup of coffee and huge donut before you start your excursions for the day. Call ahead for hours and to hear about the Donut of the Day!Lake Estes Marina - Depending on what time of year you go, there is plenty to do around Lake Estes! Since we went in September, it was beautiful just walking around the lake with our stroller, throwing rocks, looking for elk, and taking photos. We saw tons of bikers, people fishing, and couples sitting on benches relaxing and drinking coffee. It's gorgeous and being outside is my boys' favorite thing to do, so we had fun. Pack snacks, or even have a picnic.There are a ton of other things you can do in Estes Park, but these were our top 4 favorites! All three of my boys still nap (and they woke up extra early) so we had to work around that as well. But we also went swimming at our cabin, walked along the river, drank wine on our porch, played cards and games inside, and went to the park. Downtown Estes is beautiful filled with local shops and boutiques and it seems like the town always has a festival or something fun going on. This last weekend was a Beer Fest and next week is Elk Fest! Check the city website and see what's going on because this little town doesn't disappoint. Have fun!xoxoNicole