Playing Tourist in Colorado

Do you live far away from friends and family?

As an Australian living in Colorado, I'm pretty far away from most friends and all of my family. It's not always easy being so far away, which is why it's extra special when we have visitors from home. 

Of course, having the chance to catch up with friends and family is always the best part about having visitors, but the other thing I love about it is being able to play tour guide! Having visitors is the best excuse for getting out and about to places we've been meaning to visit, but just haven't gotten around to, and for revisiting favorites. Playing tourist in our own backyard was one of my favorite things about living in California, and it's pretty great here in Colorado too.

My friend Daniela visited us from Australia late last year and we had so much fun playing tourist in Colorado together. We visited some of my favorite places, crossed quite a few destinations off my Colorado bucket list, and spent a lot of time catching up on the past eleven years since we last saw each other in New York. I was pregnant with Mathilde last time we saw each in other!

Here's a look at our week of exploring Colorado during Daniela's stay. Feel free to use it as an itinerary for your own trip to Colorado or for when you have visitors here.

Ashcroft Ghost Town

What could be more fun during spooky season than visiting a real life ghost town?

We recently had the chance to visit Ashcroft Ghost Town in the Rocky Mountains and it was such a delight to be able to do so at this time of year.

Ok, so Ashcroft Ghost Town isn't really all that spooky, but it's still a ghost town, and if you've been here a while you'll know that I'm a big fan of visiting historic sites, especially ruins and ghost towns.

Let's take a look at Ashcroft Ghost Town...

 

Spring Break in Colorado: Outdoor Fun

Spring Break is here!

In true Colorado form, the week off school got off to a snowy start, but the sun is back out and the rest of the week is calling for outdoor adventures!

I've already shared my favorite indoor adventures for Spring Break (you can find the post here) so today I will be sharing all of my favorite outdoor adventures for Colorado families and visitors.

You'll find zoos, gardens, historical sites, hiking trails, sand dunes, street art, engineering marvels, playgrounds, and lots of red rocks!

Read on for more...

12 Things to do in Estes Park with Kids

Estes Park up in the Rocky Mountains is a popular destination for Colorado locals and tourists alike. Located just an hour away from Boulder (or an hour and a half from Denver) it makes for a perfect quick and easy get away for the weekend. With warm Summers, colorful Falls, and snowy Winters, Estes Park is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. 

We've visited Estes Park a handful of times and we've always found something new and fun to do on each visit. Today I thought I'd share some of the fun that we've found in and around Estes Park. 

Here are my top 12 things to do with kids in Estes Park...

A day in the Canadian Rockies

Back to the Canada trip posts...

One of the highlights of our trip to Canada was our day in the mountains. We spent two days driving from Drumheller and Calgary to Vancouver and the vast majority of this trip (especially on the first day) seemed to be driving through the awe inspiring Canadian Rockies.

So exciting when those majestic mountains start to appear

I could get used to having this view out the windscreen