Things to do / Travel Guide
There's no other way to say this: the Colorado Rockies is an expensive region to visit. The Northwest Colorado swanky ski resorts in Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge and the Southwest Colorado upscale ski resort town of Telluride are known to be among some of the priciest resort towns in the United States, attracting some of the country's wealthiest vacationers. That being said, the Colorado Rockies folk are a kind-hearted bunch - they have not neglected the needs of budget-bound tourists.
The biggest expense visitors will have in the Colorado Rockies region is lodging, especially in the winter ski season. If price isn't an issue, you'll find plenty of luxury hotels, resorts, and even mid-range lodging options available, starting at $150 a night - on average, you'll probably find rates of about $300 a night. If price is more of an issue, you can choose to vacation in the region off-season, in the spring, early summer, or fall, when prices are often slashed in half; a swanky Aspen ski lodge might even be secured for under $100 a night. And if you're bent on coming in the winter, but still want to save, you can always shack up in an affordable motel, stay in a youth hostel, or camp out, which usually means staying further away from the city centers.
Another main expense visitors have in this region is food. White-tablecloth gourmet fine dining is plentiful throughout the region, with many restaurants maintaining a classy ambience (and high prices, often starting at $30 per person). Nonetheless, cheaper dining options run the gamut, with a range of casual pizza joints, diners, and taco shops offering tasty meals that'll surely save the thrifty traveler a few bucks. Note that you might have to drive a mile or two outside the city centers for some fast food.
Gas prices in the Colorado Rockies region tend to be slightly higher than in Colorado's main cities. Northwest Colorado's Grand Junction usually has the best prices, with Durango in Southwest Colorado and the Northwest Colorado town of Steamboat Springs not far behind. On the other hand, travelers will be happy to hear that Colorado's sales tax is among the lowest in the nation. With the exception of the historic railroads, Leadville, Colorado, and Southern Railroad Company in South-Central Colorado's Leadville, and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Southwest Colorado, which cost around $25 and $50 respectively, transportation costs in and around Colorado Rockies region are not more expensive than the norm.
Predictably, festivals, tours, adventure activities, and attractions in posh Northwest Colorado's ski areas Vail, Aspen, and Breckenridge can break the bank. Even off-season gondola rides in these areas and Steamboat Springs, also a Northwest Colorado ski town, can cost close to $20 a head, but these activities and the areas' high-quality events are generally well worth the expense. That being said, many attractions including botanical garden visits, hot springs, tours of historical attractions and centers for the arts, admission to gold mines and nature centers, and day passes to state parks cost around $5-$10, and a good number of these attractions even cost less.
And for those on really tight budgets, there are some nice freebies available in the region too. For instance, in the summers, the Southwest Colorado town of Telluride offers free tours of the popular Telluride Mountain ski area and free gondola (cable car) rides, and the lovely Telluride Balloon Festival in August is also free for spectators (if you volunteer, you can ride in a hot air balloon for free). In terms of attractions, you can go for a free self-guided tour of many Colorado Rockies ghost towns, while outdoor activities the region is known for, like hiking and biking, don't cost anything either. And if you're not in a money-spending mood, you can spend the day walking around the Southwest Colorado towns of Delta, Gunnison, Silverton, Telluride, Crested Butte, Ouray, or the South-Central community of Leadville and taking in a town's history and architecture.
|
|
|