Colorado Vacations: Be Prepared

If you look around, you can find some great deals on your next Colorado vacation. High up in the Colorado mountains in Summit and Eagle Counties there are plenty of hotels and condos. Depending on the season, you could spend anywhere from $150 per night to $1000 per night. It is rumored that an average family of four could easily spend $25,000 per week during the skiing season.

Or, you can plan your Colorado vacation during the summer months and spend next to nothing. Many of the local outdoor events are free and there is plenty to do and see in the mountains. During the summer months a hotel can run you about $100 per night or you can camp in our mountains for nothing.

Needless to say, it's cold here most of the year. Don't like the cold? Wait five minutes, the weather will change!

It is very cold during most of our snowstorms, but at other times it could be snowing like crazy and you could stay nice and warm in a tee-shirt. If you plan your Colorado vacation during the winter months, be sure to not only pack a heavy coat, but also a light sweater.

Colorado summers are perfect. During the day you can be perfectly content in a tee-shirt but at night the temperatures drop quite a bit. If you plan your Colorado vacation during the summer months, be sure to not only pack a light sweater, but also a light heavy coat.

Many of our restaurants have beautiful outdoor dining areas. As you sit outside, you are surrounded by spectacular mountain views and it is an experience you would not want to miss, so always keep a sweater or coat handy.

Our Colorado mountain peaks are topped with snow almost all year. As the snow melts, the amount of ground moisture increases and so do the mosquitoes.

To avoid memories of being eaten alive by bugs on your perfect Colorado Vacation, make sure you have some insect repellent handy. We also have bees the size of airplanes so be careful!

Need I say more?

We live above the town of Silverthorne, in a heavily populated area. I have seen deer, moose, foxes, mountain goats, and bears in our front yard. I have seen and heard about moose and bear attacks and they are not pretty pictures.

To avoid wild animal encounters, make sure you always keep your food and your trash tightly covered. Also, when you walk through the forests make lots of noise to scare off anything you don't want to meet up close and personal.

Many wild animals smell very bad. If you smell something stinky, it is probably something you should avoid.

Always use caution when you see a wild animal. And remember, these wild animals have lived in our Colorado Rocky Mountains all their life, they don't need any Oreos.

The Colorado Mountains range in altitude from almost nothing to 14,000 feet. Sometimes people get sick at high altitudes. Lack of oxygen causes this problem because at these high altitudes, the air is much thinner. With each breath you take, you are getting less oxygen, which also means that the oxygen in your blood declines. Both heart rate and breathing rate increase as the body tries to send more oxygen to its tissues.

Symptoms of altitude Sickness can include:

Headaches, breathlessness, fatigue
Nausea or vomiting
Inability to sleep
Swelling of the face, hands and feet

Here are some tips for avoiding Altitude Sickness:

To avoid or lessen the effects of altitude sickness, increase altitude slowly.
Avoid strenuous activity for the first day or two.
Drink extra fluid.
Be careful of drinking alcohol. Its effect is magnified at higher altitudes.
Spend your Colorado vacation in one of our many Oxygen Bars.

Colorado Mountain Resorts are major tourist destinations during the summer and winter months, so needless to say, our stores get heavily crowded. If you find the need to visit one of our grocery stores, the earlier you go the better.

We have most of the major grocery chains. Although they do their best to get you checked out quickly, going later in the day can easily triple the amount of Colorado vacation time you waste standing in line at the grocery store.

Our restaurants are more expensive than those in the city. Nearly all the hotels have microwaves and refrigerators. So if you want to save a few bucks, pick up most of your meals from the grocery stores.

Many of our restaurants serve wonderful breakfasts. Unfortunately, you must arrive at your restaurant before 8:30 am to get seated quickly. If you cannot arrive by 8:30 am, wait until around 10:00 am or so.

Arrive early or later for lunch and dinners also. If you are willing to wait, our experience has been about a 20 minute wait.

You can sit in the bar area in many of the restaurants while you are waiting, however some restaurants want you to pay your bar tab in full before moving into the dining room.

To save money, stay off the dinner menu. Eat a late lunch and get a few munchies from the local grocery store and you will be amazed at how much you can save.