Three Days In Estes Park, CO

A few weeks ago, the fam and I took a trip to Estes Park, CO for the wedding of two of our best friends who recently moved to Denver from NYC. We had three days to explore the town and to party at the wedding. It was the perfect quick trip, especially since we got to spend time with many of our good friends, which doesn’t happen all that often anymore since many friends have moved out of NYC.

WHERE TO STAY

There was a block of rooms reserved by the bride and groom at The Ridgeline Hotel. The Ridgeline is newly renovated and had just opened a few weeks before our stay. Some parts of the hotel were still under construction, but we not bothered by noise or anything during our stay.

The lobby was modern, but rustic and had a great seating area, as well as a station with infused water, coffee and the day’s paper.

We had a room with two double beds, which were very comfy. I loved the simplicity of the color scheme in the room and the accents on the wall. There was also a little seating area, and your standard coffee maker/ice bucket area. I really liked that each room came with yoga mats and a little card with ideas for workouts. If we were staying for longer, I would’ve totally taken advantage of them.

The bathroom was also updated with a new vanity and a nice big mirror. The tub/shower had a little timer in it with a challenge to shower in less than 7 minutes to preserve water. There was also a shampoo/conditioner/body wash dispenser in the shower, which is great if you forget to bring your necessities. 

The hotel also had a lot of cool amenities. The indoor pool was huge, and the flooring surrounding the pool was not tile, but like a grippy rubbery type floor which makes it safer for all the kids running around even though they’re not supposed it. [cough cough Alex] There was also a bunch of cool floats to use. Alex was a big fan of the whale. The hotel also had a game room off the pool area that had a pool table, cool bean bags for sitting and video game systems.

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WHAT TO DO

If you’ve ever heard of Estes Park, CO, you know that it is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. We had very little time for exploring between the rehearsal and the wedding itself, but we woke up early before the wedding to hit up the park. The park was absolutely breathtaking. We didn’t have much time, so we drove the road all the way through the park and back, stopping at the overlooks and information centers. Even though it was the middle of June, there was still tons of snow on the ground and our choice of attire for the trip wasn’t the best. Like at all National Parks and Monuments, we were able to pick up a Junior Ranger Activity book for Alex to complete while we were at the park and he got his badge and took his Junior Ranger oath before we left the park. If you visit the park with kids, I highly recommend getting the book. They are completely FREE and come in different difficulty levels for different age groups. It’s a fun way to get your child involved and interested in the park, nature and conservation.

We also stopped at Rike-A-Kart for the boys to go go-karting. 

The best part of the whole trip was the wedding! The ceremony and reception were held at the Historic Crags Lodge and everything was absolutely gorgeous. I mean check out this view from the ceremony site, could it be any more perfect? Alex kicked butt at his ring bearer duties and looked quite handsome in the process.

It was such a fun weekend with some of my favorite people. I love every chance we get to explore a new place, try new foods, and see new things. Estes Park, we will definitely be back!