Grand Lake, Colorado
We were driving up north along 34 in the mountains of Colorado exploring the area, enjoying the scenery. I told my hubs to follow the highway until we reached the Rocky Mountain National Park and would have to pay to go further. This trip was about minimal cash disbursements and the Rocky Mountain National Park would have to be another trip. A trip just dedicated to the park.
After stopping at a pull out to admire Lake Granby, which I’ll save for another post, we had reached the point of needing a pit stop for several family members. Turning east onto state highway 278, we followed the road into Grand Lake. In search of quick bathroom stop.
What we found was a cute, quaint, and somewhat tourist-trappy main street 5 blocks long with places to eat, shop, and play. We found shops full of bric-a-brac, t-shirts, art, jewelery, and more. Cafes, Bars & Grills and Sweet shops were plenty. A public park and cheesy miniature golf rounded out the tourist attractions on the street.
After finding a very clean public restroom at the park we decided to explore the stores. We walked up and down Grand Avenue, shopping and enjoying people watching. Lunch time quickly came along and we decided to eat in town.
We stopped at Max & T’s Bar and Grill. The decor was nothing wonderful although the kids liked the lattice and stringed lights on the ceiling. Decor wasn’t what we were interested in, food was. The prices were average, $5.50 for items off the children’s menu. Between 6 and 10 dollars for items off the regular menu. Kiddos has chicken sandwiches, mini pizzas (which were super tiny), chicken strips, and hamburgers. Hubs had a hamburger and I had a gyro sandwich. Kids thought it was strange that there weren’t french fries on the menu which is when I chided them for not being more adventurous with their palate. Otherwise everyone cleaned their plate. Total was $52. I would recommend.
What was going to be a quick stop turned into a 2.5 hour excursion. If you visit be sure to grab a city map from one of the stores and check it out. Looks like we missed a point of interest called Adam’s Falls. There is also a public swimming place to swim in Grand Lake.
If your family likes to fish there are places to fish and several boat ramps. Guided fishing trips are also available. Local businesses rent ATVs, snowmobiles, and boats.
If you decide to visit, check out Shadow Mountain Lake and Lake Granby too!
