Packing for a Colorado vacation is both the same as packing for any vacation but it's also different from most vacations. The same No matter on where you plant to vacation, you need to plan your packing before you begin. Think in terms of the absolute necessities. Every decent hotel provides shampoo and soap, so unless you need some special hypoallergenic stuff, leave shampoo off the list. If you're a man, your basics should include a comb (or brush), shaving gear, toothpaste and toothbrush, maybe hair spray and deodorant. For the ladies, take your basic cosmetics like brush and comb, lipstick and blush. But we're pretty informal here so you probably won't need a lot of gloss and eye makeup. Second, pack light. If you're going to several different destinations, you don't want to have to waste time packing and unpacking and lugging around a lot of dead weight. For a week's vacation, I usually pack three pairs of shorts, two pair of "wash pants," one pair of dress pants, three or four short-sleeved shirts and a couple of nice long-sleeved shirts for evening wear. I can then do mix and match and come up with maybe eight different combinations. I think women can get by with the same number of shorts, a couple of pair of pants, four or five tops, and maybe two "dress up" outfits - a pair of good slacks with a more formal top, or a "dressy" dress. I can't think of any reason why a guy would need more than two pair of shoes - one pair of soft, athletic shoes and one pair of hard shes for dress up. You ladies should be able to get by with three pair of shoes at the max.
What makes Colorado different than most destination areas is the changeability of our weather, especially in the mountains. I have seen the day turn from warn and sunny to cold, windy and rainy in less than an hour. When I'm up in the mountains, I always dress in layers. For example, I would probably start the day wearing a short-sleeved shirt, a sweater or warm vest and a wind- and rain-proof jacket. As the day warms up, I can shed layers, then put them back on if the weather turns cold. We can have snow up into June at elevations above 9,500 ft., so be ready. You will want plenty of sun block - SPF 24 or better - as our sun is really strong. You will also want a sweater and jacket for evening wear in Denver as our temperature can go from 88 degrees at 3:00 pm to 65 degrees by 9:00 in the evening. That's it, then, Pack light, bring plenty of sunscreen and enjoy a great Colorado vacation. |
