If you’re looking for an alternative to sweating it out with the crocodiles in the Florida Keys, we’ve been reading a lot of great things lately about the Colorado vacation experience in Buena Vista. This small central Colorado town has a population just under 5,000 people and boasts 10 Rocky Mountain peaks over 14,000 feet tall within hiking distance of the town. In fact, “Buena Vista” actually means “Beautiful View” in Spanish, and the town has served as the main base camp for dozens of outdoor recreation activities for over 100 years.
While a quick Google search of the natural wonders of Buena Vista speak for themselves, finding a good hotel to rest your head after a long day of hiking, white water rafting, and wildlife watching is not such an easy decision. There are dozens of places to stay in the area, and they all boast the “best” hotel experience. While a lot of lodging choice is a matter of taste, we feel that the following hotel features are the best match for the kind of Buena Vista attractions you will most likely be traveling for:
Small, Homey Atmosphere The sort of awe-inspiring nature and outdoor tussle that Buena Vista offers would be dissonant with all the chrome plated modern comforts of one of the larger chain hotels. We feel that a smaller bed and breakfast that has taken its cues from the outdoors to decorate indoors and isn’t concerned so much with connectivity as they are with treating you like a family friend is the way to go on a vacation like this. Speaking of breakfast…
A Morning Meal That Sticks To Your Ribs You can tell a lot about a hotel from how they feed you in the AM. We can’t tell you how many plates of sad, watery eggs we’ve been subjected to over the years, with nary a slice of bacon in sight. Try to find a hotel that will give you a hot hearty breakfast, one that will keep you full for your morning adventures in the wilderness.
Scenic Views And Connections To Nature When you’re planning a Rocky Mountain vacation, we feel it’s essential to be able to walk out onto the hotel porch and see, literally, what you came to see. It’s also a good idea to ask whether the hotel has any experience facilitating outdoor recreation. For example, does the staff have a partnership with an Arkansas River guide? Do they have maps of the hiking trails? These sorts of amenities show that the hotel is well established and in tune with the surroundings, you traveled so far for.