I can’t tell you enough about our latest adventure. We had the greatest week, and I truly owe it to creating an itinerary for us to follow. There were no moments of arguing or trying to figure out where to eat. Everything was already decided. The beauty of this itinerary is that you can play so much by ear! Switch restaurants or add in an additional hike, whatever makes you happy!
We decided to cut the drive in half on the way out there, but we would not do it again. Just suffer through and get to Denver – at least if you are driving from Omaha. The hotel was awful, the town was obsolete, and the food was appalling. (The lake was gorgeous, and the jet skiing was a blast, though! But something you can do on another lake in a better area.)
Day 1
- Bring snacks/lunch
- Check in to hotel in Ogallala, NE – Lake McConaughy
- Travelodge by Wyndham Ogallala (Think motel not hotel, here folks. We would skip this stop next time and head straight to Denver!)
- Jet ski rental $85 for an hour/ $135 for 2 hours — reservation is 3:30-5:30 (308.355.5555 Big Mac Marina in Arthur’s bay)
- Play at the beach all afternoon
- Eat dinner @ Urban Farmer
Day 2
- Up, eat, and go. (3+ hours drive)
- Check into hotel in Greenwood Village (Sheraton Denver Tech Center)
- Lunch at Mediterranean Place across from hotel— Quick and easy!
- Drive 35 minutes to Roxborough State Park – Hike – This was GORGEOUS!
- Stop at any local lake you find to skip rocks and play.
- Dinner @ Breckenridge Brewery in Littleton (10 minutes from hotel) Reservation was at 6pm – What an amazingly fun brewery!! They have live music, food trucks for those eating outside, and SO MANY BEERS. We played until 10:00pm because it was so much fun.
Day 3
- (pack lunch/snacks/waters)
- Hiking at Red Rock Ampitheater and Morrison Castle Trail (Castle Trail, Morrison, CO 80465) or Maxwell Falls Lower Trail (easy trail to a waterfall) – Note: Red Rock takes at least 2 hours! Make sure you run the stairs at Red Rock (if you are a running geek like me – it was a bucket list item!)
- Hike Dinosaur Ridgway!
- Bear Creek Lake – Kayaking and Beach Play – $10 entrance fee for the park — paddle boarding at Rocky Mountain Paddleboard. This lake is small with little beach area, but it was a great way to spend an afternoon.
- Horseback riding at Bear Creek Stables 1 hour $40/each person. We sent our 5, 7, and 9 year olds solo with the guide. She assured us they would be safe. They had an adventure that they will remember forever!
- Dinner @ Sazza Pizza (Get there for happy hour!)
Day 4
- Waterworld ALL DAY LONG. Pre-purchase tickets to save money.
- Dinner @ Homegrown Tap & Dough – Washington Park location. Note: This is a MUST to entertain the kids. They have a FREE arcade and patio full of games! (Not to mention, they have great beer and food.)
Day 5
- National Ballpark Museum
- Rockies Baseball Game
- Eat Dinner Downtown by Union Station Splash Fountain! The kids get to play and get wet while you enjoy happy hour and appetizers/dinner.
Day 6
- Switch Hotels and head downtown! (Hyatt Place Denver Downtown!)
- Children’s museum and explore downtown – The museum is fun, but it was so packed that my anxiety was on high. The ropes course was a blast, but again, they need to cap the amount of people allowed in each day.
- Walk the outdoor mall and pick up some Denver shirts!
- We were exhausted and the rain chased us all the way back to the hotel, so we opted to order dinner in and go to bed early. (We had planned to eat by Union Station at another restaurant, though.)
Day 7
- Walk around downtown
- Enjoy chocolate and cupcakes (of course)
- Pack up the car and jump back on the road for the drive home
I could have filled several weeks worth of Denver-Fun for our family, and I cannot wait to head back sometime to continue exploring!
