Once again it’s summertime in Colorado!  If it has been a little too hot in the city, you just may want to plan a weekend or day trip to the foothills or mountains to cool off and get some fresh air!

Generally the traffic is not as bad heading up to the mountains in the summer time as it is in the winter with skier traffic.  Even if you prefer not to wander too far away with your all too short weekend, there are lots of places nearby that are entertaining and relaxing for the whole family.

Two of my favorite nearby summer destinations are Estes Park and Winter Park.

Estes Park is the gateway community to Rocky Mountain National Park, and boy is it beautiful in the summer time!  When heading into Estes Park it is hard to miss Lake Estes and downtown.  Summertime at Lake Estes has lots of outdoor activities.  At the marina  you can rent a kayak or boat to explore.  Or if you would rather stick on land, bring your bike or rent one to go along the Lake Estes Trail.  It is also a nice spot to sit on their small sand beach to soak in the mountain sun or for a picnic.

For those looking for dining and shopping Estes Park has the cutest little downtown which is easy to walk through.  There are galleries, souvenir shops, and food and snacks aplenty.

Summertime is also the best time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park while you stay in Estes Park.  There are numerous easy hiking trails that you can walk to see scenic lakes and streams.  Trail Ridge Road is only open in the summer and is a site to see for those who haven’t driven on the highest paved highway!  There is a visitors center that you can stop at and look out at the scenery, high above treeline.

Estes Park, being located near the North Central part of the state is very accessible to front range residents, particularly from Boulder or Fort Collins.  If you are travelling on a busy weekend, you can avoid I-70 altogether—just another perk of Estes Park for a day or weekend destination.

Winter Park is another great destination not to miss.  During the winter, it is a popular ski town to Denver residents, but in the summer time it is just as fun with activities to do on the mountain.  Once the snow melts you can take a ride on their alpine slide—it’s the longest in the world.  Or if you find adventure in mountain biking, the mountain’s ski trails open up for the fearless mountain biker.  There are also Frisbee golf and miniature golf courses for those who prefer not to participate in gravity accelerating sports.

One advantage of weekending in a ski town during summer is that there are usually great last minute rates to book a room or condo for a Denver getaway.  The drive from Denver to Winter Park has only a short distance on I-70, with a scenic drive over Berthoud pass.

These are a few popular destinations.  If you’re feeling stir crazy and need to hit the open road, there are lots of great Colorado destinations within a short distance to your home in Colorado!

They say, in Colorado, if you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen minutes, it will change.  While it has felt extremely hot for too many consecutive fifteen minute intervals to me, the adage holds year after year.  In fact, only a month ago heavy snow filled my sidewalks to be melted by afternoon sun.

Perhaps one of the greatest part of living in Colorado are the number of sunny days each year- over 300 annually to be exact.

Yet on days that the weather hits, it helps to be prepared.  Here are a couple tips for Colorado residents to be prepared for snow, rain or even tornadoes, all of which occasionally hit “home”

1. If you’re planning on driving, it’s often your best bet to check the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website for road conditions.  This foresight is helpful for choosing your highway route, or postponing driving depending on the road restrictions.

2. Local television and radio stations are good at alerting Colorado residents year round of imminent weather.  When the metro cities and counties such as Denver or Boulder are on ‘accident alert’ for winter driving, you’re sure to learn about it on your TV screen or radio, but can visit websites such as Newsradio 850 KOA.

3. As we are currently in tornado season, its worthwhile to know what to do in the case of your neighborhood emergency alarms going off.  Just a few years ago the city of Windsor was hit hard with hundreds of houses damaged or demolished by a giant tornado.  Further South on the Front Range, Parker, and surrounding cities were taunted by a funnel cloud that did less damage.

While we’re not Kansas, it is important to know what to do during a tornado watch or warning in your community.  A tornado watch indicates that you should be on a lookout for funnel clouds while a warning indicates that a funnel cloud has been detected by site or radar.  Should you be in the path of a funnel cloud, go to a basement room of your house, if there is no basement, protect yourself by staying in the bathtub.  If you are outside in the open, leave it to professionals to chase the tornado storm, but make yourself small, and away from large objects that could be thrown in the funnel cloud’s fury.

Hopefully these words of advice are not necessary this season for Colorado residents, but when the weather is likely to change as quick as a coin toss, it helps to be prepared!

For many who can’t claim the Colorado native license plates, one trip to Colorado was all it took to entice them to a relocation.

That is probably because there is something for everyone in Colorado.

Are you an avid outdoorsman? There are year round activities accessible across the state for those looking for an adrenaline rush.  Besides resort and backcountry skiing, many visitors and residents enjoy snowmobiling and ice climbing in some of the most popular yet secluded destinations such as Vail or Ouray.

For those who are a little less inclined to pack an emergency kit there are cities and small towns across Colorado that entertain the rest of the family.  Many local artists have relocated to Colorado because of the beautiful mountain scenery – don’t be surprised to see a few thriving art galleries in some of the small towns in the backroads of Colorado including Redstone and Ridgeway.

While the small towns are often vacationers’ favorite places to go in Colorado, many times it is difficult to continue professional careers there, and choose to relocate to the front range.  The Denver metro, Boulder and surrounding communities have been recognized for their recovery with a growing Boulder technology sector.

While these front range communities may not have the same small town character, the convenience for weekend trips is still first rate.  With just a weekend communities like Red Feather Lakes and Estes Park are popular destinations in Northern Colorado.

Boulder residents can easily take a trip into Nederland in an afternoon, or hike and camp at Gold Hill.

From Denver or Evergreen, a short drive can take you to hike Colorado’s 14ers such as Grays and Torreys Peaks, Mount Evans and Mount Bierstadt.  Restaurants, breweries, and specialty shops are abundant for those who would rather not lace up the hiking boots on a weekend.

From the Southern Front Range and easily accessed from Castle Rock or Colorado Springs, there is the cute little town of Woodland Park, or go further south to Canyon City and visit the Royal Gorge bridge.

If Colorado lured you into becoming a resident, be sure to share which city or attraction, big or small, that convinced you to wait at the Colorado DMV for your new driver’s license.  And of course, if you haven’t been to Colorado before, and are reading up about it to plan your trip, but be sure to pack enough – you just may decide to stay!