/ 202 spotlight / summer travel guide
By Marette Mendoza
Destination: Fun
Break the family-travel mold this summer by choosing something different yet entertaining for all ages. The familiar cities of Denver, Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego are all brimming with out-of-the-ordinary ideas for fun this summer. So go ahead, beat the heat and get out of town!
Explore Nature in Denver
Escape to mile-high Denver, where lower temps create ideal conditions for outdoor play. Marvel at the discoveries you’ ll make along the 1.5-mile Dinosaur Ridge trail at Dinosaur Ridge( dinoridge. org). It has dinosaur tracks and bones, overlooks, and rock sites that give insight into Colorado’ s prehistoric past. Then, get the family’ s adrenaline pumping on whitewater-rafting trips at Clear Creek, just 30 minutes from the city. A free photo CD lets you relive the experience, and trips are available for ages 7 and older with Clear Creek Rafting Co.( clearcreekrafting. com).
If you’ re a sports junkie, you’ ll want to catch a ballgame at Coors Field( colorado. rockies. mlb. com), where the Colorado Rockies play. There’ s a playground in the left-field concourse and Dinger, the dinosaur mascot, takes photos with kids during the first part of the game. If you’ re in the higher sections, be on the lookout for a row of purple seats, which are marked because they are exactly one mile above sea level.
You’ ll reach new heights on a scenic drive up the 14,260-foot Mount Evans on the highest paved road in North America. Stop to snap photos of the wildflowers at M. Walter Pesman Trail on the way up. Be one with nature at Rocky Mountain National Park’ s waterfalls, trails and lakes( nps. gov / romo / index. htm) where you’ re sure to spot wildlife.
Relax in Palm Springs
Palm Springs’ world-class spas and resorts beckon visitors. At Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa( rancholaspalmas. com), everything you could want in a vacation is on the grounds: a water park, Azure Pool for adults, restaurants and a hip bar, 25 tennis courts, and a 27-hole championship golf course. The Palm Springs Visitors Bureau also lists fabulous vacation rentals, some luxurious retreats and other more affordable apartmentlike units, at visitpalmsprings. com / stay.
When rested up, families can get their fill of excitement thanks to Desert Adventures( red-jeep. com), a company that takes visitors on nighttime Jeep rides and hikes. Kids will relish staying up late to encounter nocturnal wildlife as you trek through ancient canyons and rock formations and the San Andreas Fault. During the day, splash around at Knott’ s Soak City Water Park( soakcityps. com) or explore VillageFest( villagefest. org), a free weekly event on Palm Canyon Drive that features music, food, arts and crafts vendors, a farmers market and more.
Relax in the great outdoors at the Big Morongo Wildlife Reserve and Covington Park, a wildlife sanctuary with a picnic area and hiking trails. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to absorb the views of the mountain wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The world’ s largest rotating tramcar takes you to 8,500 feet, where it’ s about 30 degrees cooler than the desert floor and you’ ll have access to hiking trails and nature walks.
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202 MAGAZINE \ JULY 2013 \ 202magazine. com