Reading Time: 5 minutes Family Fun Vacation with Teenagers at Gaylord Rockies
This family travel post is sponsored by Gaylord Rockies.
Now that my boys are teenagers, it’s a little harder to find a teen-friendly family vacation we can all enjoy. After looking at the wide variety of family-friendly events and activities, we decided to include a stay at Gaylord Rockies during our two-week summer road trip.
With indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs (including an adults-only hot tub), s’mores nights, several restaurant options, and the assortment of sports equipment rentals, there was something for all of us.
Gaylord Rockies Summer of More
Located in Aurora, Colorado, just outside of Denver, Gaylord Rockies Resort offers guests of all ages an assortment of events and activities. From the Arapahoe Springs Water Park with a lazy river and several slides, late-night sports bar, princess scavenger hunt, escape room, and even a Build A Bear Workshop, there’s something for everyone.
This resort is huge! You can stay in one of the 1,387 modern guest rooms or 114 spectacular suites. There are five restaurants on-site. Order a refreshing drink from one of the several bars, relax at the spa, or work out in the fitness center.
Our Fun Family Vacation with Teenagers at Gaylord Rockies
Arrival
Since Gaylord Rockies is a Marriott property, you can book, earn points, check in/ check out, and more with the Marriott Bonvoy app.
We have a great system in place for checking into hotels. I talked about it in my Moab post. Usually, one of the adults checks in while the other unloads the car with the kids.
At this resort, the bell attendants help you unload your car and then bring your luggage to your room when you are ready.
When I checked in, the hotel gave us a two-sided sheet with a ton of information on all of the activities, amenities, and the Summer of More times guide with a schedule for all of the activities and dining options.
When we got to our room, I pressed the happy face “Consider it Done” button on our phone to let them know we were ready for our luggage.
Before I could finish taking pictures and videos of the room, the bell attendant arrived with our luggage.
Even though we had a standard room and not a suite, we still had room for the four of us. Our room had a desk, mini-fridge, and a large bathroom. I love that moose artwork on the wall. Isn’t it cool?
Food
Each morning, my husband was able to grab breakfast at the marketplace before he did some work. Opening at 6am and closing at 11pm, it’s a great option for grab-and-go meals, snacks, drinks, and treats.
On our first night, we attended the campfire and s’mores event.
On our cabana day, we ordered dinner from the Arapahoe Springs Pool Cafe and had it delivered right to our cabana! There were plenty of options for the family, including some healthier meals. I enjoyed my organic salad with dried cranberries, apple, goat cheese, almonds, red onion, and a chardonnay vinaigrette.
For dessert, we thoroughly the s’mores sundae at Mountain Pass Sports Bar. (Sorry, there are no pictures of this dessert. After we ate it all, I realized I should have taken a picture).
Activities
Throughout our stay, there were a ton of activities to choose from. Gaylord Rockies has an escape room, family movies, scavenger hunts, and yoga fitness classes. Outdoor activities include disc golf, mini golf, pickle ball, tennis, basketball, bike riding, and more.
The boys enjoyed the s’mores, water slides, lazy river, and playing basketball with another teen boy staying at the hotel.
In the evenings, my husband and I had a nice time relaxing in the adult’s hot tub.
And we all had fun spending a day in a pool cabana – complete with a TV to watch the Olympics, loungers and a sofa, a mini-fridge, and an ice bucket filled with refreshing beverages.
See for Yourself
You have a little more time to celebrate summer at Gaylord Rockies with thrilling slides, winding lazy river, and pirate and princess-themed parties and activities. Summer of More continues through September 6.
To explore the resort and book your next vacation, head over to the Gaylord Rockies webpage. There are lots of year-round events including Goblins and Giggles, Christmas at Gaylord Rockies, and Spring it On.
Next: See how much fun we had in Winter Park, Colorado.
Rachel is an Austin blogger, educator, mom, wife, young breast cancer survivor writing about health, saving money, and living a happy life in Austin, Texas.
Rachel has written for HuffPost and Hometalk and has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, and CBS Austin.