Cabin camping, YMCA Estes

We'd heard a lot about Estes Park, even before we'd made it to Colorado.  We didn't know how much hiking our little kids could do, but then Sarah told us about the YMCA resort up there, so we booked a quick get-away in April, right before the giant tourist rush. We didn't do any research, so we had no idea how much fun it would be.

First, of course, there was the absolutely amazing scenery. I gotta say, it was NICE being back up in the mountains - that clear, crisp air, the stunning views and the slow ascent. Amazingly, it's only about two hours away from Denver, not including a quick stop at McDonalds :). 

Checking in at one of the resorts many buildings

Our cabin was very comfortable.  A small, cozy space, with enough room to make pancakes, drink wine, and stare at the scenery. 

  

  

  

We realized pretty quickly that the resort had a ton of free activities.  The first thing we did upon unloading and making ourselves at home was go to the roller skating rink. The kids were terrific, and spent hours on their feet, rollering around with us or with the little kid-pusher things. 

Then, bright and early, we rolled out of bed for the Little Explorers.  This was a quick 30 minute activity, where a nice lady told us all about what animals we would see, what their poop would look like, and then took us outside to look for animal footprints in the snow.  She also gave them an activity to do: make a work of art with only materials you find around you

We went to the bird feeding spot too

Then on to the library (yep, there was a library!) for storytime.  And what a good storyteller he was!  He sang us songs, and read way more books than he meant to. 

Since we also wanted to do something "hike-y", we left the resort to get lunch and do a mild 0.2 mile hike at Bear Lake.  What we didn't realize was we weren't just going around it - Bear Lake was still frozen, so we could go right through it too. Bonus: there were a few people, but coming from New York, it was incredibly silent and sparse.

Standing at the edge of the lake with nothing but snow and ice all around.  The point right in the middle of the picture is the opposite side of the lake, which we were aiming for. 

Walking across, with nothing but snow and ice all around

Touching the stone, all the way across. I couldn't believe it.  I can't wait to go back when it is warmer, just to get a sense of how we were on the other side of the lake!

Then, on to hot chocolate and bed.