Spending the Week with Austin Adventures in Colorado
During his 40-plus years in the travel industry, Dan Austin has reaped accolades like “World’s Best Tour Operator for Families” by Travel & Leisure. We can vouch firsthand for Dan’s exceptional product, having taken the kids to the Canadian Rockies on one of his guided multi-sport adventures. Each day, we sampled a different activity including whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, and rock climbing. It was one of our most memorable trips as a family and it led to this story in The Boston Globe. Yes, that’s my son, Jake, falling off the raft in the photo!
This week, I have the good fortune to cross paths with Dan again as he designs a new family adventure in Colorado with his dynamic daughter Kasey, recently voted “Outside Magazine’s Top Family Guide.” We’ll visit one of the most stunning rick formations in the West, Garden of the Gods, then spend the night at Cloud Camp, sitting at a cool 9,300 feet overlooking the entirety of Colorado Springs. The next day we hike 5.5 mile through the aspen and pine-covered hills of Pike National Forest to Emerald Valley Ranch, where we saddle up and go for a ride. We wake up the next morning and head to Seven Falls, a majestic series of waterfalls flowing through a 1,400-foot-wall box canyon, where we harness up and go on a zip line adventure. Last but certainly not least, we arrive at one of the classic resorts in Colorado, The Broadmoor, for dinner.
I’m hoping to persuade Dan and Kasey to design a family trip exclusively for ActiveTravels members, preferably in his home state of Montana to visit Glacier National Park and a ranch outside of Missoula. So be on the lookout in early January, when we debut our first batch of custom-designed trips. I’ll be back next week with a more detailed account of our trip and some of the highlights.