Tom and I recently got away with the family over the long New Years weekend. Estes Park Colorado is within a short driving distance from our house/shop in Wyoming. We like to visit Estes Park in the winter because the summer crowds are gone and we can often get lower rates on places to stay. Since we are a family of five, it is nice to find a vacation condominium or house on rental websites.
We found this great downtown loft on homeaway.com. The owners live in Estes Park and were wonderful to work with. There was plenty of space for our family to spread out and relax.
This unit is a two bedroom unit with a t.v. room that can be used as a third bedroom. There is also a pull out couch in the living room that could sleep two. The kitchen, dining and living room area is open and spacious. There is a full washer and dryer located in a closet just off the kitchen. Another great thing about this condominium is that is has two full bathrooms. Each bathroom is outfitted with plenty of towels and a generous toiletries basket. The condo also comes with free wi-fi.
It is a brand new loft right above a small art gallery and coffee shop at the beginning of the downtown shopping district of Estes Park. Eds Cantina, a good Mexican restaurant and bar right outside the front door. The downtown condo backs the Estes Park River Walk. The Big Thompson River runs directly behind the condo. I can imagine in the summer time the river noise would be very soothing. There is a long stairway up to the loft, so it would be difficult for handicap or older guests.
Our family loved the location. We were able to park the car and leave it there for almost the entire weekend. We did venture up the mountain to St Malo retreat center to see the beautiful stone church. We also spent some time at the Estes Park Brewery where they bottle their own micro-brews. The movie theater is within walking distance as is the local Safeway.
Since Estes Park is one of our favorite weekend getaways we travel there at least once a year. Another must stop in the Estes Park area include Rocky Mountain National Park to see the wildlife and outstanding vistas. When we visit without the kids we always make time to stop in at Nikky’s Resort to enjoy the great bar there. They usually have a roaring fire and wonderful live music. The dinners are hearty and outstanding. The real reason to go to Nikky’s is the atmosphere though. The old wooden covered porch is literally littered with old Chianit bottles of all sizes. We aren’t really wine drinkers, but if you are… they invite you to order a bottle, polish it off, write your name on it, and then they will hang it from the ceiling. The last time we were there we saw one marked “Clint Eastwood”… hummm.
Estes Park is a remarkable location to visit anytime of year. The town and Rocky Mountain National Park tend to be more crowed in the summer months. Sometimes if you go in the winter off season then the lodging rates will be lower. Some of the downtown shops and restaurants only operate during the summer months, so be aware.
Check out our short “out of the shop” video with footage of the Estes Park condominium and the area.
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