Family Vacation Ideas and Help for Family Vacations

Here’s a tip: Buy a Camelback. This backpack has room for more than 2 liters of water and you are hands-free. I wore it hiking and horseback riding. The altitude can create headaches and this is great for prevention. It’s all about pre-hydration, not re-hydration and this gadget is great when traveling with kids. If you have to carry your kids’ jackets, snacks, sunglasses, cell phones, etc., this Camelbak backpack is the best travel accessory you can find for a Colorado trip. I was hands-free most of the time!

    My 6-year-old even wore it so much that I am planning to get him one of his own. It’s like having your own water bottle attached to your back with a tube that hydrates you as you walk, ride or river-raft. They sell cleaning pellets, which bought, but didn’t use. Old-fashioned soap and water works fine.

     Lakota guides took us down the river. They met us at the hotel with the raft attached to the back of a van. We were with a few other families and they drove us to the drop-in point. Since it was a family trip, we chose a Class 1-2, rather mild part of the Colorado river to raft, but it was definitely enough action for the boys!

Upper Colorado Class l-ll
Great for young families and mixed groups!
Remote, peaceful stretch of river.

Minimum weight: 22 lbs.
¾ Day LUNCH
Adult: $ 76.50
Kids: $66.50
Youth: $30.50

    Certainly the West's most famous river is the Colorado. The Colorado comes alive high up along the Continental Divide and begins it's 1,440 mile journey through 3 states before ending at the Gulf of California.

    Half-way through our 2-hour tour, we stopped for lunch. The guides prepared a really nice fajita lunch, complete with chips, salsa and chocolate chip cookies. The nice part about the guided rafting trip is that you don’t have to do too much work, but you feel as if you are “roughing it.” And, let’s face it, the kids don’t care who brings the cookies!

• The mountain air tires everyone out fast. Eat a big breakfast. You always seem to be hungry, so in addition to the water bottles, bring lots of energy bars in your jacket pocket for the whole family.
  
• Always carry a jacket because the weather turns so fast. You don’t want to be caught without it. I had the kids tie theirs around their waists.
  
  
• I dressed the boys in zip-off khakis so that we could turn the pants into shorts or vice versa whenever we needed to.
  
  
• Altitude sickness can be very serious, so make sure to stay hydrated.
  
  
• Plan your day trips before you go. Many of them start early and you need to be prepared for the day.
  
  
• The rocks are slippery. Pack good shoes with traction. Even light hiking can be dangerous if you aren’t wearing the proper shoes.
  
  
• For summer trips, I recommend wearing Keens or similar water shoes. These are great for river-rafting trips, as they can get wet, but also have traction on the soles.