How To Use
The Colorado Vacation Directory
Web Site

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Click on the tabs at the top of each page to go to different departments. Each department has its own buttons or menu which appears at the left edge of the page.

The "Places To Stay" and "Fun Things To Do" departments have search engines and lists. You can do a search for a town, an area, or a specific type of business. Searches can be started from anywhere in the department by clicking on a button. You do not have to go back to the Home Page to begin a new search.

When you click on one of the buttons along the left side of the screen it will take you to a screen where you have the option of doing a search by area & amenities, etc., or you can go straight to the A-Z List of Businesses and search that way. Each business page lists contact information for that particular place. So you can email them, if that is an option, or contact them by phone or mail. You can contact them about open dates, amenities you may have questions about, pricing, reservations, or just to get some more general information about the facility.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

This web site describes a variety of cabins, lodges, country B&Bs, campgrounds, RV parks, licensed outfitters, and fun things to do. Our web site is organized into sections. Each section covers a particular area. Searches can be done on the type of lodging or activity that you are looking for, or by what part of Colorado you would like to visit.

You can use the List of Towns & Areas to locate the town or area which interests you. Most towns are grouped together into a common geographic area. Map coordinates are also shown on the property and town pages. Use these to help you locate the town on our Map Pages.

On many of our town pages you'll notice we have "Premium Area Businesses" at the top of the list. These are businesses that have purchased a display ad in our printed Colorado Vacation Directory. In exchange, we have decided to give them a little preferential treatment. The businesses are listed in order from largest ad purchased to smallest.

DEFINITION OF ICONS

Places To Stay Indexes:

Cabins & Cottages	May be a Cabin, Cottage, Chalet or Guest House - what you call them often depends on where you're from. Cabins are usually log or log-sided; cottages are frequently frame construction. Here we use "cabin" to mean all of these.
Motels & Hotels	Motel generally describes an accommodation which provides lodging and parking in which the rooms are usually entered from the outdoor parking area.
Mountain Lodges	Often called a historic hotel room, includes linens and a bathroom in the room or a shared bath down the hall. Rooms in a lodge are usually entered from inside the building. Some lodge rooms are more akin to a small apartment or suite of rooms, which may include a kitchen.
Vacation Homes	Generally describes an accommodation unit with three or more bedrooms, separate living areas (kitchen, living room, dining room) and more modern amenities than a cabin. This is truly a "home away from home." Often these homes are used for multi-family getaways or small retreats.
Suites & Condos	Suites may be in a lodge or B&B. These include a bedroom, fancy bath & sitting area. A motel suite is two adjoining rooms. Condos, which can also be called townhouses, include a bedroom, living room & cooking facilities.
Bed & Breakfasts Inns	Room may be in a lodge, inn, or owner's home and always includes breakfast.
Tent Camping	Campsites are suitable for overnight camping for a family, usually have a fire ring or grill, picnic table, accessible to nearby drinking water, modern restrooms and hot showers. Tent Sites are for a tent, pickup, van, or car.
RV Parks	RV Parks have campsites suitable for overnight camping for a family, usually have a fire ring or grill, picnic table, accessible to nearby drinking water, modern restrooms and hot showers. RV Sites usually have utility hookups for an RV (Recreational Vehicle) such as a motorhome, camping trailer (pop-up), 5th wheel, or travel trailer, pickup camper, or van.

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Additional Indexes:

RV Sales & Service Information	Businesses listed offer RV sales, service and/or rentals.
Romance & Honeymoon Packages	Businesses listed offer special romance packages for honeymooners or anytime.
Weddings & Elopements	Businesses listed can accommodate weddings and may offer wedding planning.
Family Friendly Activities	Businesses listed offer Family Activities on site.
Pets Welcome	Businesses listed welcome dogs and/or pets. Please contact each place in advance to learn their specific pet policies.
By Water	List of properties with water on the property or some of the property is at the water's edge.
Swimming Pools	List of properties with an indoor or outdoor swimming pool on site.
Guest Horses	Businesses listed can accommodate your horse while you stay at their property. Please contact each place to learn their specific horse policies.
Groups, Reunions & Conferences	Businesses listed can accommodate large groups with either an indoor meeting room and/or an outdoor picnic area. Many businesses offer catering.
Winter Lodging	Businesses listed are open in winter and offer winter activities such as snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing on site or within a short distance.

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Fun Things To Do Indexes:

Attractions	Businesses listed are a stand alone business with an attraction that usually requires an entrance fee.
More Fun Stuff	Businesses listed offer a wide variety of fun, family oriented things to do such as train rides, cave tours, mine tours, western chuckwagon suppers, casino gambling...
National Parks & Monuments	Businesses listed nearby a National Park, Historic Site or Landmark.
Fishing	Businesses listed have fishing in a lake, reservoir, pond, river, stream or creek on site or within a short distance. They may also have guided fishing trips or hourly lessons.
Hot Springs	Businesses listed may have a hot springs on site or may have a public hot springs within a short distance.
Horseback Rides	Businesses listed may have horseback riding on site or within a short distance.
ATVing/UTVing	Businesses listed may offer ATV rentals and/or tours on site or within a short distance.
Jeeping	Businesses listed may offer Jeep rentals and/or tours on site or within a short distance.
Rafting & Kayaking	Businesses listed may have rafting/kayaking on site or within a short distance.
Golfing	Businesses listed may be a public golf course or have a public golf course nearby.
Restaurants	List of properties that have a restaurant on site.
Hunting & Outfitters	Businesses listed may have hunting, guided or unguided, on site or within a short distance.
Snowmobiling	Businesses that offer snowmobiling on site or within a short distance. Some businesses may offer snowmobile rentals or tours.
Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding	Lodging and accommodations near your favorite Colorado ski resorts. Get the facts on terrain, annual snowfall, lifts, parks and pipes.
Snowshoeing	Businesses listed may have snowshoeing on site or within a short distance. Some businesses may offer snowshoe rentals as well.
Cross-Country Skiing	Businesses listed may have cross-country skiing on site or within a short distance. Some businesses may offer cross-country ski rentals as well.
Scenic Byways	Businesses listed near a Scenic Byway or Scenic Drive.
Local Area Maps	Local Area including towns and activities.

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Additional Icons:

Email Icon	You can e-mail businesses directly that have this icon next to their name.
Camera Icon	You can see photos of businesses that have this icon next to their name.
New Icon	Businesses are a new addition to our site if they have this icon next to their name.
Link Icon	Businesses have a link to their personal Web site if they have this icon next to their name.
Reservation Icon	Businesses who have a link to a separate reservation page off our site.
Location Map Icon	Businesses who have a personalized business location map showing where their business is specifically.
Rates Page Icon	Businesses who have a separate rates page if they have this icon next to their name.
Virtual Tour Icon	You can see 360 degree virtual tours of businesses that have this icon next to their name.
Specials Icon	Businesses offer vacation specials, packages and/or discounts.

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Additional Definitions:

Modern means a bathroom (toilet and hot shower or tub) are inside the cabin.

Rustic either describes atmosphere or style, or means a bathroom is not inside the cabin, but usually in another building.

Primitive or Pioneer means no electricity.

Camper Cabin usually located at a campground, means an inexpensive, non-housekeeping, rustic and sometimes primitive cabin. Bring your own sleeping bags or blankets. Camper cabins are usually not heated - think of them as a "wooden tent." They are also Yurts and Platform Tents. A brand of camper cabin is a Kamping Kabin which is a trademark of Kampgrounds of America, Inc.

Full Hookup means an RV site has its own electrical, water & sewer connections.

Efficiency Studios are one room units with a microwave and refrigerator.

Lodge Suites are units in a lodge with a bedroom, fancy bath & sitting area.

Motel Suites are two adjacent rooms in a motel.

B&B Suites are units in a B&B with a bedroom, fancy bath & sitting area.

Cabin-ettes are a cabin on the inside, but instead of being a stand-alone cabin on the outside, it is part of a multi-unit structure. Think of it as a duplex, triplex or multiplex single-story cabin building. Sometimes the building is an old style motel with rooms in a row that have classic style knotty pine interiors with full kitchens or kitchenettes.

Cabin-Suites are also part of a multi-unit structure. They are new, modern, usually single-story, condo-style, luxury units with full kitchens and often indoor hot tubs. While the cabin-suites themselves are single-story, they may be part of a two story building. However, they are not multi-story units in high-rise buildings as found at ski resorts.

Cooking Facilities includes at a minimum a stovetop & refrigerator, plus either an oven or microwave, pots, pans, dishes & utensils.

Secluded cabin or vacation home is an individual structure which is isolated from other homes or businesses.

Remote is a business which is located far away from a community convenience store & restaurant.

Ranch Setting refers to a business which is located on open range, fields, prairies or plains.

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Rates:

Cabin and room prices constantly change, both seasonally and annually, therefore, in most cases, we provide a price range. The rates for two people per night are indicated. Please note the rates listed may change at any time, so be sure to verify them and other important items and features when making your reservations.

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Reservations, Facilities, and Fun Things To Do:

Be aware that reservations are recommended, sometimes months in advance for holiday weekends and during peak summer and winter seasons of June 15th to August 20th, and the week between Christmas and New Years. Depending on location, other busy times include the fall hunting seasons of mid-September to mid-November. In winter, properties near a ski area, President's Day weekend, Easter weekend, and spring vacation should also be reserved well in advance.

Consider a fall, winter or spring vacation when rates can be lower, reservations easier, fewer people are around and the scenery even more spectacular.

When selecting accommodations for your vacation, phone or e-mail the owner/operator to check what they have to offer: price, facilities, reservation deposit/refund policy, non-smoking units available, pet policy, and so on. Season opening dates may change, depending on weather.

Facilities at commercial campgrounds, cabin resorts and lodges often include a store with some groceries, ice, firewood, and camping and fishing supplies. They may also offer a game room, recreation hall, gifts and souvenirs, pool, hot tub, playground, basketball, volleyball, miniature golf and a snack bar or restaurant. Best of all the owner/operator lives on site - they should care about you and can serve as your personal hosts providing for your safety and security.

Activities in which you can participate may include fishing, guides and outfitters, nature walks, hiking, climbing, hay rides, water sports, barbecue cookouts, water raft trips and kayaking, four wheeling, square dancing, sightseeing, tours, gold panning, rockhounding and horseback riding. In the fall, viewing the aspen colors and small and big game hunting are popular pursuits. Winter brings snowmobiling, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, sleigh and snow-cat rides and snuggling up by a cozy fire. Inquire about rental equipment and instructions for activities when you talk with the owner/operator.

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