fruit, the area is also establishing itself
in the wine industry and we happily
guzzled cabernet sauvignon while the
kids munched on peaches.
Stunning scenery
Last year, we undertook a Texas road
trip where the landscape was flat and,
at times, uninspiring. Colorado offered
us ooohs and aaaahs at every turn. As
we drove into Ouray, it was easy to see
how this town has been nicknamed
the Switzerland of America. Indeed,
if you love hiking, Colorado is the
vacation for you. I had grand designs
on dragging the family on beautiful
mountain hikes. The reality with two
young kids is that they don’t want
to walk far (if at all). Luckily, Ouray
has several toddler-friendly hikes,
including Box Cañon Falls.
Ouray also offered one of the
highlights of our road trip: a visit to
the Bachelor-Syracuse mine. At the
end of the long, dark, damp walk
into the mine, the guide entertains
you with tales of the mine and a
demonstration of olden-day tools.
You also can’t leave Ouray without a
visit to The Ouray County Historical
Museum, billed by the Smithsonian
Institution as one of the “best little
museums in the Westˮ. It is a little gem
with rooms recreating different scenes,
from a 1890s hospital operating room
to a children’s bedroom.
Although I was sad to leave
Ouray, the journey East to Crested
Butte was spectacular, including a
drive above the Black Canyon of
the Gunnison National Park (the
fifth-steepest mountain descent in
North America). Crested Butte is a
captivating mountain town, and we
timed our stay perfectly to enjoy a free
outdoor musical festival in full swing –
the perfect way to spend an evening.
Unfortunately, our stay in Crested
Butte was short as we were meeting
friends in Denver for the weekend.
Frankly speaking, Denver is nothing
to write home about. However, we
weren’t there to sightsee (although
the Air & Space Museum is good),
we were there to eat. Denver also
provided a nice break from motels as
I had booked a huge, six-bedroom all-
American dream home through
, which worked out to
be the same price as two hotel rooms.
Denver is home to three restaurants
featured in
Man V. Food
. Enormous
juicy burgers at The Cherry Cricket
(no need to choose between fries
and onion rings when you can order
“frings”) and weird and wonderful
meats on offer at the 120-year-old
Buckhorn Exchange didn’t disappoint.
The
pièce de résistance
was watching our
husbands take on the “50 wings in 30
minutes” challenge at the West End
Tavern in Boulder. Sadly, they only
managed 22 each in over an hour!
Highest highway
After a waist-expanding weekend in
Denver we bid
adieu
to our friends
and set off on the three-hour drive
to Steamboat Springs. We spent
a wonderful few days of outdoor
adventure, including tubing down the
Yampa River, hiking Fish Creek Falls,
even more hot springs and a campfire
dinner. Continuing with the outdoor
theme, we drove on to Grand Lake,
the deepest natural lake in Colorado.
I could have spent a week there, but
we only had one day to enjoy boating
on its water (think pedalo rather
than yacht) and strolling around the
Boardwalk.
I know I keep telling you about
how spectacular the drives are in
Colorado, but we really saved the
best for last: driving the Trail Ridge
Road to Estes Park. At 12,000 feet, it
is the highest continuous paved road
in the US. Each twist and turn leaves
you gasping in awe at the mind-
blowing scenery. Make sure you have
a confident driver at the helm! Sadly,
our final stop in Estes Park was the
only time we encountered rain, but
we made the most of it with indoor
rock climbing (my four-year-old is a
natural despite coming from a mother
with vertigo) and a visit to the fantastic
MacGregor Ranch, a 19th-century
homestead.
If you’re looking to swap the
Hong Kong heat and enjoy fresh
mountain air, add a trip to Colorado
to your to-do list. The state offers
the perfect blend of family-friendly
activities, from experiencing the great
outdoors to fascinating museums.
And, of course, the Colorado
Mountain Pie!
