“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
~St. Augustine
John and I have always loved to travel. We took advantage of my summer break as a teacher before we bought our house and had kids. John quit his job and we leased a car and traveled through Europe for 2 months. We drove through France, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Germany and Switzerland. We never knew where we'd be each night.
When we got a house and had kids we thought those days were over. However our love of travel did not dwindle. We thought it might. We were ready for it. However, we could not fight that travel urge. So, we brought them everywhere as babies. We started out slowly with car trips. We now manage to take a great trip once a year.
What happens when you can’t get up and go yet still have that urge to travel? All families have responsibilities, usually children to take care of and a mortgage to pay. Maybe you have the time but not the money. Maybe you don’t have a lot of time. Does that mean we can't travel, leave our Zip Code? No way! Try taking a mini vacation just for the day.
Our friend Nancy came up with the phrase “Sometimes you just have to get out of the Zip Code.” Staying home all the time can make a traveler feel stagnant! If you get up early enough and came home late, late night you almost have the feeling of a vacation. Ours kids love it, too.
We have many places in Colorado that we can visit all within an hour. Colorado Springs, Summit County and Boulder are three of our favorites.
A couple of Saturdays ago, we drove up to Boulder. Boulder is just 20 minutes northwest of Denver. We spent most of the morning at the Farmer’s Market. (See above picture) We tasted so much amazing food that we were full for lunch. We took a hike to Chautauqua Park and the Flat Irons. Then we were off to the Boulder mall. We walked up and down the street looking for the perfect restaurant of which there are many! We snagged a front row seat the Boulder Cafe for oysters and fondue. The people watching was great. At the Boulder mall there are many street performers to watch, too. It’s also a great place to window shop and see some galleries.
Our trip to Summit County was was equally fun. We started in Dillon at the the Marina. Dillon Reservoir was once a creek running by the original town. Now that’s covered and there are beautiful views of the mountain and lake. A bike path runs between Breckenridge, Keystone, Dillon, Frisco and Vail. We chose an easier ride to Keystone since some of our children were small We rode on the bike path to Keystone and back. There’s so much you can do in any of these towns, summer and winter. We ended back where we started at Frisco. There’s a wonderful restaurant near by called the Arapahoe Cafe and Pub.
We visit Colorado Springs often to see family. Every summer we make a special visit to Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City. There’s so much to do! You can ride up the Pikes Peak incline, explore the Manitou Cliff Dwellings, hike in Garden of the Gods. But the highlight, the boys’ favorite place there, the Aracade, We often picnic in the park there. But we’ve also enjoyed eating at the Balanced Rock Cafe, located in the Garden of God’s Trading Post. This summer they had a buy one meal, get one free for Colorado residents. Adam’s Mountain Cafe, next to the trading post is delicious! You can sit by the creek while the kids play in the arcade. In the Evening you can go to be fed and entertained at the Flyin’ W Ranch.
What a day we have when we get out of the zip code! We leave first thing in morning and are home at bedtime. It’s always a great time for the family to get close. We always feel like we’ve been on a vacation just an hour outside of 80123.
