Cheap Denver Family Day Trips

Jaipi Sixbear
Denver is gearing up for summer fun. It's time to think about a few inexpensive day trips for the family. For those of us in shell shock over gas prices, cheap venues are a must. What you lose in gas, you can make up for by choosing the cheaper destinations. Denver is the perfect central hub for enjoying Colorado scenery, entertainment and more. We've dug up a few ideas for fun trips that may take more gas than staying in town, but won't break the bank in admission fees.


Royal Gorge Bridge
offers free admission for Mother's Day and Father's Day. There is a train ride through the Gorge that puts a bit of a dent in your wallet. Luckily, you can visit the bridge for free by car and on foot. Prepare yourself for spectacular views from America's highest suspension bridge. Kids will love the petting zoo and the western wildlife park. Brave adventurers can ride over the gorge on a suspended tram or pay for a thrilling helicopter ride. Watch simulated gunfights and take your picture in jail in an old time western town. There's also plenty of rides, music, food and fun. There's so many things to do at Royal Gorge, we can't even list them all.

Can't afford the gas to visit the Grand Canyon? How about taking a scenic drive through Glenwood Canyon to Glenwood Springs? It's a long trip so start early in the day. The scenery through the canyon will take your breath away. There are also hiking trails and numerous other ways to amuse yourself. Glenwood Springs is most famous for it's gigantic mineral pool. One end is a bubbling hot spa, while the other end is a great place to float, swim or dive. Fun fact: Even if you don't know how to float, this water will do the job for you. Admission to the pool is reasonable. If you stay a little too long at the pool or browsing the quaint shops of Glenwood Springs, there are plenty of overnight accommodations to choose from.

Ride a steam locomotive. The Georgetown Loop Mining & Railroad Park isn't just about a train ride. You know how much we love picnics in Denver. You can take one on this train too! What else does this venue have to offer? Well, there's the Georgetown Mining and Railroad Days Festival, the Moonlight in the Mountains Dinner Train, the Fourth of July Fireworks train and much more. There's even Wine and Hors d'ouevre Trains. So, forget the long drive to Durango. You can ride a train much closer to Denver and be back in time to tuck the kids into their own beds.

More from this contributor:

2011 Memorial Day Celebrations in Denver

Eight Budget, Kid-Friendly Denver Restaurants

Five Fun Denver Parks to Picnic In

Source:

Personal Experience

Published by Jaipi Sixbear - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle

This award winning web writer is co-owner of several writing websites. She's a featured parenting contributor on Yahoo! Shine and Yahoo! Voices. She enjoys helping fellow writers maintain a positive mindset...  View profile

2 Comments

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  • Sandy James5/2/2011

    Georgetown is always fun.

  • Charlotte Kuchinsky5/2/2011

    Doubt I'll ever get that far west again.

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