Leadville Colorado Day Trip
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Leadville, Colorado is a super fun day trip from Denver- and a great travel destination for families with young children.
Last weekend we had the opportunity to test drive the all new 2018 Subaru Crosstrek, and so of course I asked my Facebook friends about the best road trips for the car. While there were tons of fun routes mentioned, we decided to head to the highest city in Colorado.
At 10,200 feet, Leadville is a fun destination with super scenic routes on the way there and back. We loved the scenic loop we drove from Denver, the ahhh-mazing lunch we ate, and the fun we had downtown. Here’s our top tips on how to enjoy Leadville, Colorado with the whole family!
We wanted a scenic route from Denver, through Leadville and back down. We did a loop from Denver to Vail, up through Minturn to Leadville, and then back down on 24 to Copper Mountain. We then got bak on I-70 to head back to Denver. The views from OMG stunning, and I’ve heard that there are tons of chipmunks to see scampering about in the summer.
What To Pack
So, confession time- I am an embarrassed native Coloradoan right now. I was SO focused on our amazing 2018 Crosstrek opportunity that I did not pack the right stuff for this trip. So learn from me- there is almost always snow in Leadville, and your kids will want to roll around in it. So take boots, snow pants, coats, hats and gloves. And changes of clothes. Don’t do what I did and take, well, nothing. We made it work by sunning our clothes while we (read my kids) ate lunch in their underwear.
Where To Eat in Leadville
On a quick day trip I will admit that I didn’t do a thorough investigation on what all of the dining selections in Leadville are. However, a quick Google search brought our attention to the Tennessee Pass Cafe (mostly because I have a Brussels sprouts obsession) and the food was AMAZING. Everything was made from scratch (except the dinosaur chicken nuggets on the kids’ meal) and the portions were HUGE (hubs and I split an appetizer and main dish). Plus, they had lots of fun beer on draft, and Sunday football on the big screen.
Join me over at my favorite place- Instagram.
The Bottom Line
After lunch we wandered around downtown a bit, and I noticed a very vibrant and welcoming local community that supports each other. I can’t wait to go back to Leadville at all different times of the year- Leadville is going to be a favorite destination for us in the future!
Have you been to Leadville? What are your top tips? Leet us know in the comments below!
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Christa Jimenez
Welcome! I’m Christa, a former high school teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. I love all things Spanish and bi-cultural, (especially travel and food!) and you’ll find my observations on life here. Thanks for stopping by
This was really helpful!