2018-12-10 07:11:23
Attractions and activities to please every member — from tots to teens — are available around every corner in Colorado. ADVENTURE PARKS Whimsical worlds of gravity-defying ziplines, speedy alpine slides and other kid-loving activities await at Colorado adventure parks. Check out: Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs, Vail and Breckenridge’s Epic Discovery, Soaring Tree Top Adventures in Durango in Colorado Springs, Epic Sky Trek in Castle Rock, Top of the Rockies Zip Line in Leadville and AVA Cliffside Zipline Tours in Idaho Springs. COLORADO.com/AdventureParks MUSEUMS See colossal skeletons at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science or the Ice Age Discovery Center in Snowmass; learn about food, foraging and farms at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery; become a maker in the Google Garage at the new Museum of Boulder; or clamber aboard an antique fire truck at Trinidad’s Old Firehouse No. 1 Children’s Museum; explore tiny worlds at the Greeley Model Railroad Museum. COLORADO.com/Museums WINTER DIVERSIONS From tubing and ice-skating to horse-drawn sleigh rides and kid-centered ski and snowboard programs, giggle-inducing winter activities can be found on and off the slopes in Colorado. Slide down a snowy hill on a bouncy tube, then ride the lift to the top to do it again and again in Fraser, Frisco, Keystone, Vail, Copper Mountain, Snowmass, Winter Park, Durango, Steamboat, Telluride and Beaver Creek; or skate amid gorgeous winter landscapes at ice rinks all over the state. See page 23 for more ideas. COLORADO.com/WinterRecreation AMUSEMENT PARKS Theme parks satisfy all ages with towering waterslides and high-speed coasters for thrill-seekers and tamer rides for those who fancy moving at a slower pace. Plunge more than 200 feet at 60 miles per hour at Water World and Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park in Denver, conquer the canyon at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park in Cañon City, shake out your inner monkey at Bananas Fun Park in Grand Junction or revel in the Christmas spirit all year at North Pole Home of Santa’s Workshop in Colorado Springs. COLORADO.com/AmusementParks FAMILY ACTIVITIES BACKPACKS Twenty-nine Colorado State Parks have Family Activity Backpacks available for check out at the park visitor centers. With bug boxes, magnifiers, guide books, binoculars and more, the packs help explorers of any age discover how fun the journey through the great outdoors can be. COLORADO.com/CSPBackpacks HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS Well-preserved landmarks and captivating museums offer a peek into the past, when American Indians, pioneers and fortune-seekers made our state what it is today. Chip at a real gold vein and gain an understanding of the arduous work undertaken by miners at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek or Old Hundred Gold Mine in Silverton; ride the rails of the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad or Georgetown Loop; or explore the living culture of the Ute Indians at the Ute Indian Museum in Montrose. COLORADO.com/History ZOOS & ANIMAL SANCTUARIES Bears, gators and butterflies are a few of the critters that inhabit our zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries. Spy on black bears and mountain lions at the Wild Animal Sanctuary west of Denver; feed one of the world’s largest giraffe herds at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs; walk through a rainforest amid a fluttering of wings at The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster or toss fish to the residents of the Colorado Gators Reptile Park in Mosca. COLORADO.com/Zoos
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