I live in Minnesota. Later this week, the wife and I will be taking my E out to the Breckenridge Colorado area for a week (renting a cabin with the wife's family). Then we have a few days after that to go where we want.

Anyone have suggestions for fun places to go that the E will be able to handle?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I can help a little with this one. I currently live in Minnesota but I lived in Denver for 6 or 7 years.

First off you are going to love Colorado. BRING YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA! Breckenridge is one of my favorite places to visit. It's a beautiful city minus the overwhelming tourists you find in Vail.

Breckenridge Website:
http://www.gobreck.com/

Secondly, if you can buy a GPS unit, I suggest getting one. I had one on my trip to the Element Owners meeting in Ohio and I am now hooked on using it. I will not travel without one again. Simply for the fact that the one I used had information on exits as you are rolling along the highway (like gas food lodging). I borrowed a small Handheld my friend got at Gander Mountain (A Garmin E Trex Legend C) It's simply an amazing little gadget.

Thirdly GET OFF I 70 when you can. The interstate is a great way to get places quickly but not so great to see everything Colorado has to offer. Just keep your tank filled up and let your sense of adventure take over. If you have a GPS unit with an updated map you probably can't get too lost.

One suggestion is to take 40 from I-70 through Winter Park (north of I-70) to 34 through Rocky Mountain National Park to Estes Park (about an hour north of Boulder) it’s a Spectacular trip. Maybe you could tackle this on your way out of the mountains. Estes Park in also home to the Hotel that served as the inspiration for the movie The Shining starring Jack Nicholson (HEEEEEREES JOHNNY!). http://www.stanleyhotel.com/

Rocky Mountain National Park site
http://www.nps.gov/romo/

Another RMNP site:
http://rockymountain.areaparks.com/

Another thing that was VERY memorable for me was to mountain bike down Vail Mountain. You buy a lift ticket, they place your bike on the side of the Gondola and you have the chance to ride down the mountain. It's a BLAST! The ticket is good for all day but I suggest you go early. They shut down the lift when and if the afternoon lightning storms roll in.

Go Rafting! Buena Vista is a great place to start: http://www.fourteenernet.com/buenavista/

If the weather is crappy one day you can kill an afternoon shopping in the Sivlerthorne/ Dillon (outlet malls right off I-70). It's the same crap you can buy at the Mall of America but in a Mountain setting so you feel OK about being ripped off.

Another thing that I thought was very cool is the Colorado Ghost towns. Old mining towns that went bust but you can still see the ruins of a once great town. http://www.coloradoghosttowns.com/

Leadville is a great place to visit. It's still a thriving community but it still holds true to its mining roots. http://www.leadville.com/

There is some cool stuff around Colorado Springs as well. Garden of the Gods, great road trip up US 24 to Woodland Park.

The North American Atmospheric Research center is in Boulder. I have never been inside but I have hiked in the foothills above it many times.

http://www.ucar.edu/org/visitus.shtml

Need more shopping? Flat Irons Mall is outside of Boulder off HWY 36 between Denver and Boulder. It’s a nice place to kill an afternoon if needed.

I'm sure the folks that actually still live there will chime in with a few great palces to visit.

I am envious of your trip except the trip through Iowa,and Nebraska. I generally stop in Story City IA (gas station next to the McDonalds) then I stop in Council Bluffs (just south of the HWY a block or right), Kearney NE (Stop and GO two lights up), Ogallala NE, Fort Morgan CO then I scoot along the top of Denver on 76 to I-70 and get gas just off the hwy on Wadsworth Blvd then you should be good until you make it to Breck.

I miss Colorado everyday. I hope to move back there soon. You will love it out there. If you are going to spend some time in Denver here are a few things that I would suggest to do:

Go to a Rockies Game. Outdoor Baseball. You can buy good tickets on the street or the box office right before the game. The statium will blow you away. You will never want to see a game in the Dome again.Plus there is some really great places for dinner close to the Ballpark.

Coors Brewery tourin Golden Colorado. Cool tour and Free Beer.

Denver Mint: Return the pennies and nickels to their birthplace.

Take a short trip to Boulder. Great place to people watch. There is always something going on in town. Good selection of shops and restaurants. Great short hikes that leave right from Pearl Street Mall. Just follow the hikers west.

If you do stop in Denver for the night. If it's on a weekend you can get some really great deals at a very nice hotel downtown. My last visit I got a sweet room at the Grand Hyatt for less than $80 a night with an amazing view. There is a new Westin Hotel in Westminster that has some great deals as well. If you are more of a downtown person you can't miss with The Hotel Monaco. Both are pet friendly as well.

Enjoy your trip!

Joe Mama

Consider getting DeLorme Atlas for Colorado if you want to take backroads. If that seems too much, keep an eye out for a 'Topographic Recreational Map' (about $4, gtrmapping.com).

JoeMama, you're fantastic. Wow! I NEVER expected to get that much information. Although we have never lived in Colorado, I've been there a few times, and like you, I miss it. My wife and went there last year for a whirlwind road trip to see as much as we could (we visited Denver, Boulder, drove through RMNP, Winter Park, Grand Mesa, Silverton, Durango, Telluride and Grand Junction, Frisco, and finished by driving up to the top of Mt. Evans). We stayed to the main highways for most of the trip. This time, we hope to get off the beaten path a little more.

We have even talked about moving there once our kids are done with college and living on their own. We'd probably look for a place in the foothills west of Boulder. So, we may spend some time driving around there to see if we like it.

We would like to go river rafting, so I'll check out Buena Vista. We are also planning to go to RMNP on our way home. In fact, we had already talked about taking the exact route you suggested, staying a night camping in Winter Park in the nearby National Forest (its free).

I also didn't know about the outlet mall in Silverthorne. We'll try to avoid it, unless it rains for two days, and we get stir crazy.

We will be staying very close to Alma, CO. Here's a description of the cabin from the website:

"Come and enjoy the experience of an Alpine setting with exceptional views of the Rocky Mountains. Take a deep breath while viewing the mountains off the front and back decks of this new home nestled in the pines at 11,200 feet, within walking distance to trailheads leading to Mount Lincoln, Bross, Democrat and Cameron.

At night, hear the sound of a stream and waterfall in your very own backyard. Relax in the intimate great room with a stunning floor to ceiling stone fireplace, and enjoy cooking in a modern kitchen with granite counter tops and new appliances.

This smoke-free home is ideal for an active an family get away or a romantic hideout, minutes away from a vigorous day of skiing, mountain climbing, biking, fishing, golfing, and rafting. No matter what time of year, this home provides you a haven in the environment Colorado is famous for throughout the world."

Paul, I do want to get a more detailed road map. Looking at the Google Satellite pics and maps, there appear to be a ton of roads we could try, but I don't want to get stuck on a road that is not really appropriate for my E. For instance, Google offers a way to get directly from Alma to Leadville via several county roads, as opposed to taking 9 down to Buena Vista and then up to Leadville from there. I just don't know if the route suggested by Google is realistic for a vehicle that is not suited for true "off-roading."

Being a transplanted native of CO, now living in CT, I found JoeMama's suggestions to be great. I definitely feel that driving Trail Ridge Road (US34 between Granby and Estes Park), the highest paved highway in the continental US) is a must. Estes Park makes a nice place for lunch even if you go and grab sandwiches and picnic alongside Lake Estes. From Breck, I would take CO9 to Kremmling and then east on US40 to US34.

From Alma south on US285 you can get down to Buena Vista where river rafting on the Arkansas River is the main attraction. Also around Fairplay, if I remember correctly there are some moderate off-road trails,that depending upon how agressive you are, might be worth looking into. I found this link: http://www.offroadguides.com/colorado-offroad-trails.shtml that seemed informative.

If you continue down US285 to Twin Lakes, you can then take US82 over Independence Pass (another open during the summers only road) and drop down into Aspen.

One of the best ways to get off the beaten path is to find the campgrounds with long access roads through the forests. The roads aren't too rough and you can get "lost" from civilization pretty easily.

Being a transplanted native of CO, now living in CT, I found JoeMama's suggestions to be great. I definitely feel that driving Trail Ridge Road (US34 between Granby and Estes Park), the highest paved highway in the continental US) is a must. Estes Park makes a nice place for lunch even if you go and grab sandwiches and picnic alongside Lake Estes. From Breck, I would take CO9 to Kremmling and then east on US40 to US34.

From Alma south on US285 you can get down to Buena Vista where river rafting on the Arkansas River is the main attraction. Also around Fairplay, if I remember correctly there are some moderate off-road trails,that depending upon how agressive you are, might be worth looking into. I found this link: http://www.offroadguides.com/colorado-offroad-trails.shtml that seemed informative.

If you continue down US285 to Twin Lakes, you can then take US82 over Independence Pass (another open during the summers only road) and drop down into Aspen.

One of the best ways to get off the beaten path is to find the campgrounds with long access roads through the forests. The roads aren't too rough and you can get "lost" from civilization pretty easily.

Great link. Unfortunately, I can't open the downloadable files. Do you know what format they are originally in? I am using a Mac, but that shouldn't really matter.

Another cool way to get to Highway 285 from Breck is going over Boreas Pass. The dirt road gets a little bumpy but everything, except maybe a low-rider, can get over it. Here is some more info. Boreas Pass (http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20050601/RECREATION04/50601030)

I am glad to help. Sounds like you have already done some extensive research. Yes the Outlet Mall is a waste of time unless it's raining. But if it rains go rafting!

I have a friend who lives in Breck and is a river raft guide in the summer. If you run into Eric Long (also from Minnesota) tell him Bill (his friend for the Star Tribune) says hello. Keep your wife or daughter away from him. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy just a little too good looking so women throw themselves at him (lucky bastard). Let me put it this way, out of the dozens of friends I have he's my Mom's favorite and she only met him once. Within an hour he was invited to stay for three days.

I have been over Boreous pass like Twisted wrote about it's good for Pass. cars so your E will be good to go. I would also encorage you to get a Topo map of Colorado. I think you can get one in Minnesota at Barnes and Noble and then have something to study after you tie off your steering wheel going through Nebraska and not really needing to turn the wheel for about 200 miles. That map book does have some great gravel roads that are off the beaten path.

I drove up one north of Vail the was about 5 or 6 miles long. It ended at a campsite and a breath taking view of a mountain lake. It could have been one end of Green Mountain Reservoir but that's right off hwy 9. This lake seemed too small to be a reservoir.

Also remember to drink lots and lots of water or Gatorade. When in Colorado if you feel thirsty it's too late you already are dehydrated. The Flatlanders like us can't take that drastic an altitude change. I get headaches like crazy until I level out my fluid levels.

Feel free to get lost out there that's half the fun of trips like this!

Joe Mama

My guess is that if a road has a county designation, it is probably ok for the Element, at least in the summer. There may be a few exceptions in San Juan Co (Silverton). Same for anything designated as local, improved, gravel, graded. Once you get into the unimproved, primitive or 4wd category be prepared to turn around if the going gets too tough. As long as you are not under pressure to get to the other end by a specific time, it is safe to explore 4wd passes. The Element can turn around anywhere two cars can safely pass.

Looks like one of those shortcuts between Alma and Leadville is Mosquito Pass:
http://colomar.com/ColoradoPlaces/mosquito_pass.html
http://colomar.com/ColoradoPlaces/beginning4wd.html
Judging from this description I would try it if I were in the area - leaving myself the option of backing out if I hit snow patches or overly rocky areas.
http://www.amghummer.com/photography/mosquitoPass2003/mosquitostory.htm
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=41
http://www.solihullsociety.org/?p=16

Weston Pass to the south looks easier.

Last fall I passed through the San Juan mountains. While I had lots of plans for driving the scenic backroads, a major rain storm hit while we were camped near Telluride. So I modified our plans and stuck to the paved roads, looping up throug Ouray and Silverton.

paulj

I made a great trip to Mesa Verde but it was in the Fall. I think it's a bit too warm for that this week. I stayed in Cortez and had a great time. Beautiful trip.

When I lived out there my Dad went on a bunch of mountain passes with his Chev Celebrity 4 door P.O.S. car. It was amazing where he took that car. it was my Dad and LandCruisers, CJ-7's. I figure you know the limits of your Element. Just don't push it too much as you still have a 1000 mile trip back to Minnesota.

You won't need it but here is a link to Honda Dealers in and around Denver and a list below. You just never know do you? Maybe a nice oil change or something.

http://www.automotive.com/honda/19/colorado/

Planet Honda
15601 W Colfax Ave
Golden, CO. 80401
PH: (303) 215-4240

John Elway Honda
2999 W 104th Ave
Westminster, CO. 80234
PH: (303) 469-5551

Fisher Honda, Inc.
6025 Arapahoe Rd
Boulder, CO. 80303
PH: (303) 449-9400
FX: (303) 448-0534

Frontier Honda Ltd.
710 S Main St
Longmont, CO. 80501
PH: (303) 772-2900

Mile High Honda Inc
2777 S Havana St
Denver, CO. 80014

Fisher Honda, Inc.
6025 Arapahoe Rd
Boulder, CO. 80303
PH: (303) 449-9400
FX: (303) 448-0534

Frontier Honda Ltd.
710 S Main St
Longmont, CO. 80501
PH: (303) 772-2900

I wish I had that list last week when my neutral start sensor went out while on Trail Ridge Rd. I had to call all the way back to KC to find out if they had numbers for front range dealers. That was, of course, after I got back down to Beaver Meadows Entrance Station where I could get a signal. I ended up at the Longmont dealer (Frontier), if something happens and you can make it, I'd suggest one of the dealers elsewhere. Frontier was good to deal with, but the town of Longmont wasn't exactly where I wanted to spend one of my only three days in Colorado.

I am glad to help. Sounds like you have already done some extensive research. Yes the Outlet Mall is a waste of time unless it's raining. But if it rains go rafting!

I have a friend who lives in Breck and is a river raft guide in the summer. If you run into Eric Long (also from Minnesota) tell him Bill (his friend for the Star Tribune) says hello. Keep your wife or daughter away from him. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy just a little too good looking so women throw themselves at him (lucky bastard). Let me put it this way, out of the dozens of friends I have he's my Mom's favorite and she only met him once. Within an hour he was invited to stay for three days.

I have been over Boreous pass like Twisted wrote about it's good for Pass. cars so your E will be good to go. I would also encorage you to get a Topo map of Colorado. I think you can get one in Minnesota at Barnes and Noble and then have something to study after you tie off your steering wheel going through Nebraska and not really needing to turn the wheel for about 200 miles. That map book does have some great gravel roads that are off the beaten path.

I drove up one north of Vail the was about 5 or 6 miles long. It ended at a campsite and a breath taking view of a mountain lake. It could have been one end of Green Mountain Reservoir but that's right off hwy 9. This lake seemed too small to be a reservoir.

Also remember to drink lots and lots of water or Gatorade. When in Colorado if you feel thirsty it's too late you already are dehydrated. The Flatlanders like us can't take that drastic an altitude change. I get headaches like crazy until I level out my fluid levels.

Feel free to get lost out there that's half the fun of trips like this!

Joe Mama

He he, I'll remember to watch out for Eric, but if allowing him to flirt with my wife's sister will get us a good safe ride on a river, well, its up to my brother-in-law to mind that store.

On the dehydration, I am really glad you mentioned that. I have Type 1 ("juvenille") Diabetes, so dehydration is a potential problem everywhere I go. Altitude is something I have to be very careful about.

Dilute gatorade by a half or maybe even down to a third it's commercial strength. There is only so much water your body will process before it just lets it pass through, or worse causes hyponatremia! Most people will do well with half dilution, full strength is usually just a waste and often too "sweet".

Hey another member just posted some great photos of a trip to Utah's Arches National Park. Not too far from Colorado.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16099