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Gunnison/Crested Butte Colorado
Family Activity Guide
Summer 2007
One-Tank Trips

The Colorado State Fair

The 2007 Colorado State Fair commences August 24, 2007 and runs until September 3 in Pueblo. This annual event is an all-American family excursion. It's an ensemble of the usual carnival rides and games, but so much more. There are acres of livestock barns, live music within an earshot from every step you take, delicious food, a line-up of featured entertainers, rodeos (including a Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo), prize-winning chilies and other foods, and just good clean fun.

The evenings are warm (average low of 60 degrees) and the days are hot (average high of 90 degrees). General Admission is $8.00 over the weekend and $5.00 Monday through Thursday. Kids 6 and under are free accompanied with paying adult. There are promotional discount days as well, which are listed on the website at www.coloradostatefair.com.

You have to pay to park. Preferred Lot $7.00, which is closest to the main gate, and the South Lot is $5.00. There is also a free shuttle service running every half-hour from the Midtown Shopping Center.

The Colorado State Fairgrounds are located in the middle of town: Directions can be found on their website. Directions depend on which direction you come from, where your hotel is in respect to the location of the fairgrounds. It can be confusing getting there, so please get directions!

If you haven't been to Pueblo in awhile, check it out. The recently built Historical Arkansas River Project (www.puebloharp.com) features excursion boat rides, pedal boat rentals, and coupons are available online. There are always festivals going on.

The nearby historical part of town by the Union Station has great shopping and restaurants. Be sure to take the kids to City Park to ride the train and visit the Pueblo Zoo. The Buell Children's Museum has been ranked "The nation's #2 ranked children's art museum" in Child Magazine. (Click here.)

There's also great shopping in Pueblo, ranging from independent unique boutiques to trendy nationwide chains.

Feel free to stop at any one of Pueblo's Mexican restaurants, from the hole-in-the-wall (The Mill Stop Cafe) to a fancy restaurant featuring Mariachi bands (Jorge's Sombrero Restaurant). Absolutely every Mexican eatery is delicious! You can't go wrong.

Hint: Another activity in Pueblo that is loads of fun is held every fall. It's the Chili and Frijoles Festival. This year it will be held September 21-23 in downtown Pueblo. This free event features Pueblo grown chilies and pinto beans, artists and craftsmen. There is also live music and an array of activities daily. Stroll around and enjoy the aroma of freshly roasted Pueblo grown chilies! Visit www.pueblochamber.org for more information.

Take Hwy. 50 East all the way to Pueblo.

The Glenwood Caverns

Many of us have been to the world famous Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, but have you visited "One of the top 10 places to go underground?" (According to USA Today.) The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park offers a variety of attractions for all ages and fitness levels. There are three tours that vary in length and physical ability. The easiest is the Cave Tour, which lasts 70 minutes and is suitable for almost everyone.

There are no strollers allowed on this tour, however, because some areas are too narrow: You can either carry your little one(s) during the tour, or save the cave tours for when the kids get a little bit older. The Adventure Tour has some crawling and lasts 90 minutes, and the three-hour Wild Tour is an "on-your-belly" extreme caving experience.

Admission prices vary depending upon the package you choose which might include cave tours, horseback rides and tickets to attractions. The prices range from $10.00 to $50.00 for adults and $7.00 to $25.00 for children. Visit their website at www.glenwoodcaverns.com for more information on admission packages.

New this summer is a petting zoo where kids can feed and pet kid-friendly animals, and the Bungee Trampoline, which allows kids to jump, twist, somersault and soar with a safety harness to bring them safely down again. Kids can learn about geology as they pan for gemstones at Discovery Rock or play in the fossil dig sandbox.

For older, more adventurous kids, there are thrill rides such as the Alpine Rush, The Canyon Flyer or The Swing Shot. There is also a 32-foot climbing wall called "Doc's Rock," where kids can challenge their climbing abilities.

Waivers must be signed for certain attractions, and you can download and sign the waivers prior to your visit to the park.

There are two eateries in the adventure park. The Lookout Grill features burgers, salads, sandwiches, a kid's menu and a full bar. The casual outdoor Iron Mountain Saloon serves pizza, ice cream, hot dogs, bratwurst, and cold beer.

From Crested Butte, drive over Kebler Pass. Turn right on Hwy. 82 (north). Go all the way to Glenwood Springs, through town, cross the bridge over I-70, and to the stoplight. Turn left on 6th Street. Move into the right lane. Drive 1/3 mile to Devereux Rd. and take a left (go south). Then take an immediate right (west) onto Two Rivers Plaza Rd.

You can park at the Iron Mountain Tramway Station, or walk, bike, or take the free bus to the park entrance.

Waterworld

Consistently rated one of the top-10 water parks in the nation on the Travel Channel, Waterworld in Denver is not a privately owned amusement park. Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District owns and operates this 64-acre water adventure park.

They feature the biggest variety of attractions (42) in America, from Wally World for the tots, to Voyage to the Center of the Earth for the entire family. Water World has more family tube rides than any other park in America. Thrill rides are in abundance also, like the Red Line speed slide.

Day lockers (12x12x18 inches) are available for rental for $8.00. (That includes a $5.00 deposit that is refunded when you return your key and receipt.) A day locker gives you an unlimited number of times to access the locker throughout the day. Coin lockers are also available.

Picnics are also welcome. There are covered pavilions with picnic tables located throughout the park that are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Cabanas that are 10 x 10 feet , enclosed on three sides, located poolside next to Captain Jack's Wave Pool, and include ice chests filled with ice are available for rent for $75.00 per day.

There are also several eateries located throughout the park. The menus include burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, Mexican food, pizza and ice cream.

Tube rentals are $5.00 for the day including a $1.00 deposit. Swim diapers are required for tots 3 and under, and they can be purchased for fifty cents at the gift shop. Towels are not for rent, but they are for sale, ranging from $6.00 to $12.00, are available at the gift shop as well. There is an ATM located at the entrance of the water park.

Waterworld opens the last weekend in May and runs through Labor Day. It is approximately 15 minutes north of downtown Denver. From I-70, take I-25 North. Exit at West 84th Avenue (Exit 219) and go west. Drive to Pecos Street and turn right (north) to 88th Avenue and turn into the free Waterworld parking lot. There is also highway signage to direct you.

Visit their website at www.waterworldcolorado.com for more information on the attractions, directions, and park rules.

For more one-tank trips, click here for tips from our Summer 2006 issue.