Seven Steps for a Fun Family Colorado Spring Break

Families who travel together reap a lot of benefits: better health, reduced stress, renewed bonds and shared memories. Whether travelling a long distance, looking to find affordable homes to relocate, an extended trip or staying closer to home for a long weekend, spring break is the perfect opportunity for families to escape their daily routines of work, school, homework, chores, practices and carpools, and have some good old-fashioned fun. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park offers families a sure-fire plan to get rid of the doldrums:

1. Gain a new perspective from Mother Nature: The Adventure Park is nestled in the Rocky Mountains above Glenwood Springs, Colorado. After a scenic 10-minute gondola ride with views of snow-capped mountains, two rivers and the Roaring Fork Valley, you will feel nature’s calming effect kick in.

2. Learn something new to spark creativity: A guided tour of Glenwood Caverns provides the chance to learn about the area’s rich history and geology in a beautiful underground setting. Who knows what ideas might be triggered by a visit to the most highly decorated cave room in Colorado, filled with glittering formations?

3. Pump up the adrenaline: Get the heart pumping with a race down the mountain on the state’s longest Alpine Coaster. Unlike most thrill rides, you control the speed and can fly screaming around the curves and over the bumps, or use the brakes and go at your own pace as you wind through the trees. You could even find a tennis coach for beginners if you’ve never given this sport a proper go before, you’ll all burn off some energy, and you might even have fun!

4. Yuck it up: Laughter really is the best medicine. Throw in a few surprises and a scream or two, and the 4D Motion Theater can be a real mood-changer. Featuring three films: “A Night at the Toy Store,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”

5. Take out frustrations with a laser: A game of laser tag, that is. A little healthy competition in an Old West setting, using the latest in wireless laser tag technology, can help get everyone laughing again. Airsoft and BB guns are also a great way to have fun with your friends; equipment can be purchased at onlybbguns.

6. Break bread together: Talk about the day over a meal. What was each family member’s favorite part? What did they learn? What was the funniest thing that happened? An impromptu awards ceremony with silly photos can be turned into a memory book for the family to share.

7. Start planning: Now’s the time for a family time-out. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of travel: travelers rate their health higher while on vacation and report that they sleep better upon return; employees are more creative and productive after a vacation; and couples who travel together strengthen their relationships.* While having a vacation can have numerous health benefits and bring you closer with family and friends, there are still a few worries that come with it. Some people worry about their finances and whether or not they have enough to go abroad, this worry deepens if they decide they would like to visit for longer than the normal period or even live in a country like the US. There seems to be nothing worse than being in a country and not being able to access money to tide you over until you are ready to leave. Luckily, you can search online for a credit card for foreigners that may be able to help you while you are visiting. There are also vacation spots that offer affordable holidays to groups who are looking for a relaxing and fun time with the family.

Our mission is to make people smile – so our employees are dedicated to helping you have a good time. The Funday Pass this winter is just $30 per person and includes the gondola ride and unlimited access to the Alpine Coaster, Laser Tag Arena and 4D Motion Theater. Guests can add the guided Cave Tour for just $5 more.

The mountaintop Lookout Grille has a cozy fire and menu choices that include nachos, bratwursts, hot dogs, salads, soup, sandwiches, wraps, chili and Colorado-raised hormone-free burgers, ranging in price from $5.95 to $9.95. Kids can choose mac and cheese, a hot dog or a cheese quesadilla, with chips and a small drink for $5.95.

Conveniently located on I-70 midway between Aspen and Vail, the Adventure Park is close to many of Colorado’s top vacation destinations: three hours from Denver, four hours from Colorado Springs and 90 minutes from Grand Junction. Vail, Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Beaver Creek, Snowmass and Buttermilk are located within an hour of the park. Breckenridge, Winter Park, Powderhorn, Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Ski Cooper and SolVista are within two hours.

Glenwood Springs features the world’s largest hot springs pool, hiking and biking trails, fishing, a vaudeville show, shopping, award-winning restaurants and affordable lodging options. The local Sunlight Mountain Resort offers downhill skiing and riding, trails for Nordic and snowshoeing, and snowmobile tours.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is currently open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday, but will extend its hours for spring. Beginning March 8, the park will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Follow us on Facebook for more information.

* More information about the benefits of travel is available from the U.S. Travel Association.

Visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Visit Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in historic Glenwood Springs, Colo., for a unique mountaintop adventure. Wholesome family fun, from kids’ activities and attractions to rides for die-hard thrill seekers, makes this the perfect vacation destination. Take a walking tour or an on-your-belly Wild Tour of Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves, one of the country’s leading show caves. Ride the longest alpine coaster in Colorado, with individual cars on tracks that race down the mountainside. Enjoy the highest elevation roller coaster in America, a 4D motion theater, a giant swing over Glenwood Canyon,  a zip ride, breathtaking views from the Iron Mountain Tramway, a climbing wall, sluice box gemstone mining, geode cutting, a Ferris wheel ride, a giant maze and more. The Lookout Grille serves lunch on the deck or inside by the fire, with a great kids’ menu. Perfect for parties, groups and reunions.

Cliffhanger Roller Coaster at Glenwood Caverns

The Cliffhanger at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is the highest-elevation full-sized roller coaster in America! The highest part of the 50-foot-tall Cliffhanger Roller Coaster curves alongside the edge of Glenwood Canyon, more than 1,400 feet above the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.

Located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, the Adventure Park, which brought the first Alpine Coaster to the U.S. in 2005, also offers thrill seekers the Giant Canyon Swing, which swings riders out 1,300 feet above the Colorado River in a pneumatically powered, zero-Gs thrill ride; the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride; and a wild, on-your-belly tour of Glenwood Caverns and the Historic Fairy Caves.

Top 10 Things for Families to Do in Colorado this Summer

Photo op from Exclamation Point
Photo op from Exclamation Point

Go jump off a cliff! Trekaroo, a popular family travel planning website, just released its list of the Top 10 Things for Families to Do in Colorado…and Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is included! In the ever-popular Jump Off a Cliff category, written just for those thrill-seeking families out there, the Giant Canyon Swing is called out for “launching daring riders 1,300 feet out and over the Colorado River trailing below.”
The article also includes the Wild Tour, Alpine Coaster and Zip Ride, which when combined with the Bungee Jump and the new Cliffhanger Roller Coaster opening this spring, makes a pretty exciting day for adventurous families. Here’s how that day could play out this summer (many of these rides are seasonal, this is to help you plan your summer vacation) …

9 a.m. — Hop on board the Iron Mountain Tramway and enjoy a scenic ride to the Adventure Park, which is nestled in the mountains overlooking Glenwood Springs, Colorado, voted the Most Fun Town in America in the Rand McNally and USA Today Best of the Road program. Check out the park map during the ride so that you can hit the ground running when you get to the top.

9:30 — Ride the Alpine Coaster one or five times. It was the first in the U.S. and is still the longest Alpine Coaster in Colorado. You will love it. Kids at least eight years old and 56” tall can ride alone, kids three and older can ride with an adult.

10:15 — Ride the new Cliffhanger Roller Coaster! Located slightly above the rest of the park, sitting at 7,160 feet, you’ll get amazing views of the Roaring Fork Valley…if you can keep your eyes open as it whips you around the curve right along the edge of Glenwood Canyon.

11:00 — Head for the Giant Canyon Swing, which was featured on the Travel Channel and Good Morning America, and see what all the fuss is about. Watch it a time or two, then get strapped in for the ride of a lifetime. Make sure someone has the video camera going so you can prove that you rode it.

11:45 — Make your way to the Bungee Tower. You can try the Soaring Eagle Zip Ride first, which zips you down the mountain, over the Alpine Coaster, and then back up to the top again. If you’re really brave, it’s time to try the Bungee Jump. It’s 70 feet up; you can jump, free fall backwards, or dive head first. Again, make sure someone is taping it so you can share your screams with your friends later.

12:30 — Time for lunch. The Lookout Grille offers some of the best panoramic views in Colorado, and features burgers, salads, sandwiches, a great kids’ menu and more.

1:30 — While you’re in the building, head upstairs and try out the Laser Tag Arena. It was just repainted this year, and the kids will have a blast.

2:15 — Head back outside and take your pick: the new Mine Wheel or Wild West Express Coaster, perfect for the young ones in the group, or race through Fort WhereAmI, a giant Western-style human maze. Take your camera and snap some shots from the towers, the views are incredible.

3:00 — You might need a breather now, so grab a cold drink at the Snack Shack and try the gemstone sluice box mining, pick out a geode and have it cut, or see how good of a shot you are at the Mining Shaft Shootin’ Gallery. You can also get an old time photo taken at Silk’s Saloon.

4:00 — Take the guided 70-minute tour of Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves. It’s suitable for almost everyone, but there are 127 steps down and back up again, so be prepared to carry the little ones if needed. (Sign up at the base when you arrive in the morning, the tours can fill up during the summer.)

5:15 — Pick your favorite rides and try them again!

6:30 — Time for another cold drink on the deck at the Lookout Grille, and maybe a slice of pizza at the Snack Shack. If you can stay for the sunset, you won’t be disappointed.

If your family is not quite adventurous enough for the Giant Canyon Swing, and Cliffhanger Roller Coaster and Bungee Jump, never fear. You’ll find plenty to do. The park also features a sand pit fossil dig, climbing wall, Giddy Up Western Ride, Wild West Wagon ride, new Mine Wheel and Wild West Express Coaster.

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is located just off I-70, midway between Vail and Aspen. During the winter and spring, guests can enjoy the Iron Mountain Tramway, Alpine Coaster, Laser Tag, 4D Motion Theater and guided cave tours. The rest of the park’s attractions are scheduled to open by Memorial Weekend. For more information, visit glenwoodcaverns.com or call 800-530-1635, ext. 0.

Read the whole Trekaroo “Top 10 Things for Families to Do in Colorado” list.

Now, who’s ready for summer?

Glenwood Springs: Most Fun Town for a Colorado Spring Break

There’s a reason Glenwood Springs was named the Most Fun Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today. It really is fun, and that makes it a great destination for spring breakers. Whether you live on the Front Range and need a staycation, or are coming from out-of-state for your Colorado ski trip, we hope you’ll consider Glenwood Springs.

During March and early April, here’s a look at what you can do in Glenwood Springs:

Spend a day with us! In the off-season, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park has smaller crowds than you’ll find here in the summer. Our Winter Fun Pass will still be available, and it’s an incredible deal. For just $31 per person, you get a round-trip ride on the Iron Mountain Tramway, or a bus in inclement weather, a 70-minute guided Cave Tour, and unlimited access to the Alpine Coaster, 4D Motion Theater and Laser Tag Arena. You can add lunch at the Lookout Grille and spend around $160 for a family of four.

Ski or ride at one or more of the seven ski resorts located within an hour of Glenwood Springs, including Vail, Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Beaver Creek, Snowmass, Buttermilk and Sunlight Mountain Resort. That’s especially nice because the lodging in Glenwood Springs is significantly more affordable than in neighboring Aspen and Vail, and you are located right in the middle of these world-class resorts.

Play and relax at the Glenwood Hot Springs, the world’s largest hot springs pool, which is well known for its healing mineral waters. Weather permitting, the pool’s two water slides will be open the last two weeks of March, which adds even more fun to your swim. The pool is open until 10 p.m. every night, so you can spend the day with us, and then relax in the pool afterwards.

You can also laugh the night away at the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, get pampered at one of several spas in town, take a snowmobile tour, go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, choose from an amazing variety of restaurants and go shopping. With more than 100 stores, Glenwood Springs is the largest retail shopping area between Denver and Grand Junction.

You can learn more about visiting Glenwood Springs on our website. Hope we see you soon!

Visiting Glenwood Springs in the Fall

Fall views from Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Fall views from Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park

Viewing Deck

Fall is my favorite season in Colorado, and it’s arrived in Glenwood Springs! The days are clear and warm, and then it’s sweater weather once the sun goes down.  This is a great time of year to visit, here’s why:

Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is open daily, the lines are shorter – and rare on weekdays, and almost all of the attractions are still open. I love seeing the fall colors on the tram ride and from the deck at the Lookout Grille. With shorter lines, you can ride the alpine coaster over, and over, and over again.

The forecast: sunny or mostly sunny, with highs in the mid-to-upper 70s and lows in the 40s, for the next week! The weather is perfect for hiking and biking on the trails around town, or in the White River National Forest. The foliage is just starting to turn at higher elevations, so there’s plenty of time to plan your trip to catch the colors at their peak.

At night when the air is cool, sitting in the Glenwood Hot Springs is very relaxing. It’s open until 10 p.m., and the night rates apply after 9 p.m. You’ll find that throughout the town, and the Roaring Fork Valley, there are a lot of ways to enjoy the beautiful fall weather without the summer crowds. Come for a visit soon!

Glenwood Springs named Most Fun Town in America

Giant Canyon Swing

Glenwood Springs named Most Fun Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today

One of the great things about living in Glenwood Springs is the number of choices we have when it comes to having fun. While we’ve known this for years, Glenwood Springs garnered national attention last week by being named the Most Fun Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today in the inaugural Best of the Road Rally.
Narrowed down from more than 600 submissions, 30 top towns in five categories – Most Beautiful, Most Patriotic, Friendliest, Most Fun, and Best for Food – were selected for review. Five teams of amateur travelers completed a three-week cross-country road trip, for a combined 25,000 miles traveled, personally visiting the six top towns in their assigned categories.

Giant Canyon Swing

The mother-daughter team, TravelingJules and TravelingJoan, reviewed the six finalists in the Most Fun category: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Santa Claus, Indiana; Park City, Utah; Vacaville, California; Yellow Springs, Ohio; and, our favorite, Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

The ladies spent the 4th of July weekend here in town, packing what many visitors might do here during a week into two action-filled days. Highlights included attending the hilarious Glenwood Vaudeville Revue, rafting the Colorado River, exploring Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves and riding the Alpine Coaster, Soaring Eagle Zip Ride and Giant Canyon Swing at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, soaring high above Glenwood Springs in a tandem paraglider, exploring the back country by ATV with Glenwood Adventure Company, soaking in the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, and relaxing with a soothing pedicure at the Spa of the Rockies.

Sounds like the definition of fun to me!