# CO Summer Resort with walkable town



## akp (Aug 29, 2010)

I'm looking for a nice resort in Colorado for a summer week.  My main requirement is that it be in or near a pedestrian area so we can walk to shops, restaurants and activities.  

I've been pouring over TUG Ratings but often there is no mention of whether there are amenities within walking distance.  

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Anita


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## bellesgirl (Aug 29, 2010)

You can't beat Estes Park in the summer.  Great town, summer concerts and near Rocky Mountain National Park.  You would still need a car, though, to get around RMNP.


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## exyeh (Aug 29, 2010)

For Estes Park, the best TS resort is Rams Horn (RCI). With II, you can choose Worldmark Estes Park. 
If you choose to go to Breckenridge, they have a nice town, too. The TS will  be Grand timber lodge, Grand Lodge or Haytt Main Street. etc. 
Vail has a nice town, but TS is not very great.


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## cotraveller (Aug 29, 2010)

WorldMark Estes Park is in RCI only, not II.  It is a nice resort, we've stayed there a couple of times.  The town itself is walkable, but the resort is a mile or so from the downtown area.  

IMO, Breckenridge is one of the nicest Colorado mountain towns and is also walkable.  Vail is walkable and has a shuttle bus that runs through town, I'm not sure about the other two.  There is a Summit County shuttle bus that runs between Breckenridge, Frisco, and Dillon.  I'm not familiar with the TS locations in Vail or Breckenridge so I don't know how close they are to the town areas where the shops and restaurants are located.

You need to watch out for the altitude if you aren't accustomed to it.  7,500 ft at Estes Park, a little over 8,000 ft at Vail, and almost 10,000 ft at Breckenridge.  It can take two or three days to adjust.


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## dougp26364 (Aug 29, 2010)

Breckenridge is an very easy town to walk with at least three TS resorts right there in/by the main street. Hyatt's Main Street Station and Marriott's Mountain Valley Lodge for I.I. and Valdoro Mountian for RCI are all within walking distance of main street and the shops/restaurants. Grand Timber Lodge is a little further away but many people report walking to main street. They also have a free shuttle that goes to/from the resort at frequent intervals. There's at least one walking/hiking trail that can be taken right from downtown.


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 29, 2010)

French Ridge is decent and is close to Breckenridge, just down the hill.  I wouldn't take Skier's Edge.  Walking back up to French Ridge is a major hike that I even have problems doing, though we live a mile high.  

Manitou Springs is my favorite little Colorado town, followed by Breck, then by Frisco, then it's Estes.  

I would stay in a nice motel in Manitou.  

No timeshare close to Manitou Springs, which is right by Colorado Springs.  I love that cute town.  We were just there a few weeks ago to see the castle (no big deal), but one of every two cars is from out of state.  We saw most of the states while driving through town.  You never see that many cars in Disney. 

If a timeshare developer built in Colorado Springs, it would be an awesome place for a vacation, and I would even trade in there.   So if any developer is watching.....


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## DeniseM (Aug 29, 2010)

It's not CO, but South Shore Lake Tahoe is also a great summer destination, with a walkable town, and lots and lots of timeshares.


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## eal (Aug 30, 2010)

Durango is also a fun town to walk around


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## Judy (Sep 3, 2010)

Steamboat springs has a free bus that serves many (but not all) of the timeshares there. Downtown Steamboat Springs is very "walkable" and there are lots of things to do there in summer.  

The free bus:
http://steamboatsprings.net/sites/d...08/Local Service Schedule_SST Summer 2010.pdf

Summer Activities
http://www.steamboat-chamber.com/info/summer.activities.asp


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## itradehilton (Sep 4, 2010)

We love Valdoro in Breckenridge. Very walkable and they have a van that will pick you up from various bus stops around town. Also the bus is free to Frisco which has a nice Historic Park.


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## Dave*H (Sep 5, 2010)

Walkable Colorado mountain, towns that come to mind:
Breckenridge, Vail, Steamboat, Estes Park, Telluride, Ouray, Frisco


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## Jbear1 (Sep 9, 2010)

Aspen would be my favorite, but I'm not clear on the TS situation.  Breckenridge is also a great town.  Nice thing about both of those is that they were towns long before they were ski resorts, so there is more town - and more history - to them then places like Vail, which was basically created to be a resort.  Crested Butte is also great.  Frisco is nice.


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## funtime (Sep 11, 2010)

Vail is charming and walkable.  Sandstone Creek Club is a gold crown resort  that  is accross highway from the town of Vail but it does have a van that drops you off in town.    Vail also has a free bus system.


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## Floridaski (Sep 12, 2010)

*Breckenridge*

Breckenridge is a really nice town, with lots of timeshare options and it is easily walkable.  You should not have any trouble finding inventory with II or RCI.  In Breckenridge during the summer there are tons of things to do, they have a alpine slide, an alpine coaster (summer of 2011), hiking, biking, shopping, white water rafting, gold mine tours, fishing, the list is endless.  Most of these with the exception of rafting can be done within the Breck town limits.  It is fairly compact town with tons of history, great dining, and good shopping - plus anywhere in the Rocky Mountains in the summer is beautiful.

The altitude is something to keep in mind, but if you drink lots of water and follow some basic precautions.


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## akp (Sep 18, 2010)

*Thanks for the input!*

We opted for Breckenridge.  I just booked a late summer 2011 week at Grand Timber Lodge.  

I assume the lack of air conditioning isn't an issue?  Most of the resorts I looked at didn't have it, so I assume it is unnecessary.

Anita


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## PigsDad (Sep 18, 2010)

akp said:


> We opted for Breckenridge.  I just booked a late summer 2011 week at Grand Timber Lodge.
> 
> I assume the lack of air conditioning isn't an issue?  Most of the resorts I looked at didn't have it, so I assume it is unnecessary.
> 
> Anita


August is the warmest month, so depending on the week it may be a bit warm in the unit.  The good news is that it cools down quickly as soon as the sun sets, so if you open your windows it should be fine for sleeping.  Very few resorts have A/C there, so there is not really much choice in the matter.

Kurt


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## Dave*H (Sep 20, 2010)

PigsDad said:


> August is the warmest month, so depending on the week it may be a bit warm in the unit.  The good news is that it cools down quickly as soon as the sun sets, so if you open your windows it should be fine for sleeping.  Very few resorts have A/C there, so there is not really much choice in the matter.
> 
> Kurt



Actually, July is the warmest month by a couple of degrees.  However, to put in perspective, the average high is 71 degrees in August, and the average low is 38.  Seems like you ought to be able to survive in those conditions without AC.


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## x3 skier (Sep 21, 2010)

Dave*H said:


> Actually, July is the warmest month by a couple of degrees.  However, to put in perspective, the average high is 71 degrees in August, and the average low is 38.  Seems like you ought to be able to survive in those conditions without AC.



Not to mention the low humidity. 

Cheers


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## labguides (Oct 30, 2010)

I vote for Grand Timber in Breck. It is walking distance to "town".  Love it in the summer.


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