We took a 4-day spring break in Colorado with the whole family, kid and furry friend included. It was the most wonderful experience to explore downtown Denver and then Beaver Creek mountain with my loved ones. I want to share a mini-guide on what to do in Denver and how to get the most out of your time while you’re in the mountains, as well as what to pack for your next spring break trip in Colorado.

We were so lucky to be able to stay at the Ritz-Carlton hotels. We highly recommend both the properties at Denver and Bachelor Gulch locations if you’re booking your next trip here in Colorado, with their pet friendly program, as well as the in-room camping Ritz-Kid program for your kiddos. The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury 5-star hotel that offers pet friendly program, with amazing world class customer service and beautiful style and decor.

*We were compensated with a stay at the Ritz-Carlton properties in exchange for social media posts. You can check out our stay at the Ritz-Carlton Denver here, and our stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch here in my Instagram Highlights. All opinions are my own.

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Spring break trip in Denver: what to do downtown and some reminders

Being a local to Denver, sometimes I take granted exploring my own town. But with the opportunity to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Denver for 2 nights, we were able to enjoy a lovely couple days in downtown. Here are some things we did and suggest you do for a family trip to Denver:

Shopping centers close to downtown Denver

Check out these outdoor shopping malls that are pet-friendly as long as you have your pup on a leash. (Note: you may not be able to take the pup into some stores, but if you’re with family and you can take turn to watch the pup, you can still get some shopping done!):

• 16th St Mall
• Larimer Street
• Denver Milk Market
• Denver Pavilions

There are plenty of cute shops, restaurants, and little cafes at all these mentioned spots so if you want to incorporate lunch or dinner and a shopping date, wouldn’t that be such a nice idea?

Kid and dog friendly fun ideas close to downtown Denver

Here are some ideas that are fun for kids, and/or for the furry friends too. Some of these require you to reserve tickets beforehand, especially due to COVID restrictions. So be sure to check their website for all details:

• Denver Downtown Aquarium
• Denver Botanic Gardens
• Commons Park (popular for dogs)
• Denver Zoo
• Denver Millennium Bridge, just across from Commons Park. Fun and cool picture spot!
• Platte River Bike Trail
• Denver Art Museum

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Some reminders for Colorado travel

If you’re not acclimated to the higher altitude in Denver, keep these things in mind:

• Keep hydrated. Drink plenty of water. Be sure to keep your kiddos and your pets hydrated as well. On that note, take it easy, and rest up if you feel like altitude sickness is getting to you.
• Pack and apply sunscreen, as we are closer to the sun here in the mile high city. So the UV rays are stronger, and could cause more damage faster.
• Pack comfortable shoes/sneakers if you’re planning on doing some walking around to explore downtown.

Spring break in Bachelor Gulch / Beaver Creek: things to do and what to pack

Beaver Creek is one of my favorite ski resorts. It’s beginner friendly with lots of green and blue runs. And the drive out here is also breath taking. Bachelor Gulch is a secluded and private village as part of the Beaver Creek mountain. And to be able to have the opportunity to stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch was a dream!

Things to do in Bachelor Gulch / Beaver Creek

The most obvious thing anyone who would travel to a ski resort while on spring break in Colorado is to go… skiing or snowboarding, duh. However, there are other activities that you can do while you’re on on vacation and would rather take it easy. Perhaps on your first and last day of the ski trip, try these out:

• Snowshoe hike. Some hotels (like the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch) offer complimentary snowshoe hike tours for their guest. So be sure to take advantage of that, especially the early morning or sunset hike would make amazing experience with picture-esque mountain view.
• Relaxing spa/pool day. While dad and the kiddos are having fun on the mountain, mama can take a relaxing day at the spa and rejuvenate. It’s important to take a moment, even on a vacation too. It’s like a mini vacation from your vacation.
• S’mores family time by the campfire. At night time when it’s cold, making s’mores while cozying up by the fire pit with your loved ones sounds so sweet and nice doesn’t it?
• And there are so much more Recreation programs you can do, like painting class, wood burning class, cooking class, etc. Check with your hotel for what programs they offer. Here is a list of winter Recreation programs offered at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, including painting & pinot, whiskey & woodburning.

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What to bring for spring break ski trip in Colorado

Whether you are renting your ski gear, or purchasing it, here are the things you should consider bringing to your spring break ski trip in Colorado:

Ski/snowboard gear and equipments:

• If you’re a skiier: Skis, poles and ski boots
• If you’re a snowboarder: snowboard, bindings and boots

Ski/snowboard clothing:

• Outerwear: ski pants, ski jacket. These should be insulated and water-resistant.
• Or a ski suit. Mine is the Katze ski suit from Obermeyer. It’s optional to pair a ski suit with a ski jacket for added warmth.
• Base layer: like thermal pants/top. This is the first layer you throw on.
• Mid layer: like a soft shell jacket, or a ski sweater. This layer is optional if the weather is warmer on the days you’re going. It was warm for us so we skipped this layer.
• Neck gaiter. We also skipped this since it was a warmer spring day. The neck gaiter goes around your neck and keeps it cozy and warm.
• Snow gloves, or mittens. Wrap the wrist straps around your wrist first, then slide the gloves on. So if you take off your gloves, they dangle from your wrists rather than you losing gloves.
• Ski socks. These are generally thicker than normal socks, and sometimes with a bit of a compression to help energize your legs while skiing. You can layer a thin base layer of socks and the thick thermal socks over to keep your toes toasty on super cold days.
• Hand/toe warmers. I’m referring to the little disposable packets you can slide into the pockets of your gloves, or stick onto the toes of your socks. For toes, I would stick the warmer packet on top of your toes, and not underneath, so you don’t step on it. Never let them get in contact with bare skin!
• Helmet. Don’t be like one of those people who don’t wear a helmet while playing a sport on the mountains. Protect your head, wear a helmet!
• Snow goggles. These are so important because snow blindness is a thing! And your regular sunglasses are not good enough to keep the snow out of your eyes.

Other cold weather clothing:

• Aprés-ski boots. I suggest packing your comfy and warm winter boots for when you are walking around but not necessarily skiing. You can wear sneakers, but if it snows, you’ll regret not having your winter boots to keep the snow out of your feet.
• Swimsuit. Check with the hotel if a heated pool or hot tub for aprés-ski will be available to you on your trip. It’s so nice to go for a dip at the end of the day.
• Beanie. This is for when you’re not wearing your ski helmet, but need to keep your head warm.
• Random but important: sunscreen and lip balm. Just like going to the beach, you will be in contact with UV rays for most of daytime. SPF is important and lip balm is to help with your dry lips/nose.

Some suggestions when picking a hotel for your ski trip

When you go on a family ski trip, you have to keep track of many things. Not only do you have to keep an eye on your kids, but also your ski gear and equipments. If you haven’t gone on a family ski trip, trust me, it’s a lot to keep track of. Not only for yourself, but try double that if you also have to do that for your kid, triple that if you have 2 kids. You get the idea! So picking a hotel with these 2 features would be my recommendation: ski valet (or ski concierge) and ski-in ski-out. And fortunately for us, the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch offers both features!

The ski concierge is a life saver if you’re someone who doesn’t like carrying your skis and boards around. And also carrying your kid’s skis and boards. Honestly, who does though? So the hotel stores your gear for you. And when you walk out to the chair lift, they hand you your gear, and on the chair lift you go.
And the ski-in ski-out is the luxury that I absolutely love! Once you want to take a break from skiing or are done for the day, you just ski/ride right into your room. It makes it so easy when the kid needs to take a nap mid-day. But who am I kidding, even I need a little cat nap mid day!

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Have you gone skiing/snowboarding during spring break in Colorado before? I may be biased but Colorado is the best place in the mid west for winter activities with its soft and fluffy snow. So if you are dying for a ski trip this spring, pack your bags, Colorado welcomes you! And if luxury 5-star hotels are just how you travel, the Ritz-Carlton hotels have both locations in Denver as well as Avon to accommodate your trip.

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