If you know my family you know we have made it a yearly tradition to venture to Grand Lake, Colorado. What started with a Project Sanctuary trip at the Winding River Ranch in 2019 ( also a stunning wedding venue) made us fall in love with Grand Country. I am not sure if it was the crisp mountain air, the white water rafting or just the time we got to spend together as a family but we have made it our mission to go back every year ( even if for a few days).

This year we were supposed to take our camper up the mountains to camp for our first big camping trip of the year but as luck would have it our camper made it as far as Oakley, Ks before we had to ditch it at a repair shop and continue our way to Colorado with the tent I picked up at Walmart.

Prior to us leaving I connected with a Kansas City family who was wanting family photos while on vacation there or what we had agreed to was Estes Park but the East Troublesome Fires and the amount of snow/rain Rocky Mountain National Park had during Memorial Day weekend caused us to switch gears and days and locations.. actually the location switch was a beautiful thing because we both were staying in Grand Lake and I know that area like the back of my hand by now.

Meghan, Josh and Elijah met me down at the Grand Lake Marina and our session began as the clouds rolled in with the storm. We stuck to the dock, beach and park that had Shadow Mountain as the backdrop. (Which by the way has an awesome hiking trail on it) Below are some photographs from their session.

10 things to do in Grand Lake:

1. Winding River Resort - Here you can go horseback riding, visit their petting zoo, rent atvs in the summer, enjoy their cowboy church on Sunday’s or their breakfast on Saturday’s and as we like to do camp. They also have cabins for rent as well as electric hook ups for your RV. ( Say hello to our favorite horse, Blackie if you visit).

2. We love to hike and though one of our favorite trails was damaged in the East Troublesome Fire there are still excellent hiking spots around Rocky Mountain National Park. Just outside of town is Arthur Falls and it is a must see and relatively easy hike.

3. We always eat at Sagebrush BBQ ( we have done every meal from breakfast to dinner there) and it is always a tasty treat.

4. This year we rented a Pontoon from the Grand Lake Marina and headed out for a few hours on the lake. I would do that again in a heartbeat. It is worth every penny.

5. The Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre is located in downtown Grand Lake and is a MUST SEE spot. We always have Leica with us and she isn’t quite ready for a theatrical performance but one of my high school friend’s performed there and the reviews were awesome.

6. We love to shop along the boardwalk in downtown Grand Lake. There are lots of super neat stores and plenty of ice cream for you to enjoy. ( Leica loves to get ice cream multiple times a day while we are there).

7. This year we added fishing to our list of activities and the Colorado River and Grand Lake are both great spots to fish. Make sure to stop by Kirk’s Fly Shop to gear up! You can rent equipment from there too.

8. Mad Adventures in Kremmling, Co is a MUST! We had so much fun when we went rafting. I HIGHLY recommend trying it at least once. The scenery is stunning!

9. Drive Trail Ridge Road and stop by the visitor at the top. Talk about beautiful scenery! Plus- looking for Moose and wildlife is so much fun. We have encountered lots of Moose while there.

10. This place has amphicars.. like the land and sea cars. They are so much fun to do and worth every penny. We did it this year on Memorial Day and it was the perfect day to enjoy a guided tour on the lake.