PLAN A COLORADO

FAMILY SKI VACATION

By far the most common way for families to travel through Colorado, the private automobile offers many advantages, and some major drawbacks.

Colorado was settled before the automobile was invented, but it was largely developed afterwards. The infrastructure in this state is designed around private, wheeled transportation.

With few exceptions, tourists can reach even the most remote parts of the state in a regular passenger car. The highways are excellent, and the Colorado Department of Transportation has ample experience keeping them open in all kinds of weather. Even in winter, traffic jams and congestion are more likely to delay car travelers than weather.

Anther advantage of driving for families includes privacy, which can be a double-edged sword. It’s less embarrassing to have your family… er, disagreements in the privacy of your own vehicle. On the other hand, being cooped up together in a small space for miles and miles means that those disagreements are more likely to arise.

The flexibility cars afford is unrivaled by any other mode of transportation. When your toddler has had enough of a museum and clearly needs to leave, it’s great to have a car right there in the parking lot, rather than waiting for the bus or light rail.

And, probably most important for many families is the automobile’s capacity for lots of stuff. When we have our own car, whether we rent it or bring it from home, we can load it up with clothes, coolers, toys, TV’s, and tow a trailer to boot. It seems that this is the automobile’s greatest advantage.

However, the ability to bring our lives with us, in a way is really the car’s biggest disadvantage. Our stuff can insulate us from experiencing a new place. I remember seeing a youth of about 13 years old walking through Mesa Verde National Park with his nose stuck to his portable electronic game toy. His mother commented that she wanted to throw it into the canyon. It may have made the road trip easier, but it was stealing the boy’s attention and he was losing out on the experience of Mesa Verde.

When we travel with the family by car, we need to carefully determine if the stuff we bring with us will allow us to better connect with the local environment, or shield us from it. We need to decide ahead of time what makes up the essence of a place, and what items will help us appreciate that more.

And finally, cars, when compared to air travel, take longer to reach a destination. And when a family is willing to travel light, and embrace public transportation, traveling without a car can be a far more environmentally friendly way to go.




Related Links:

10 Tips for Road Trips with the Kids

Best Family Attractions in Colorado
Recommended Trips

Colorado Lodging

Camping in Colorado with the Kids
Hiking with the Kids in Colorado
Skiing in Colorado with the Kids

National Parks of Colorado