Where to have a small family gathering this summer?

Hi! my friend%26#39;s Dad turns 80 this summer and he wants to get the family together to celebrate! Family is based in OKC, some are in TN, some in AZ...and we need some do-able ideas. We were initially thinking of Grand Tetons, as Dad loves it there, but too far + too expensive.

We obviously want as many folks to come as are able...some will drive, some may fly, but where? Thinking to rent a few cabins or condos, or a decent hotel? Probably 10-25 people will come, depending, and we%26#39;re thinking either June or August.

Now thinking possibly about Estes Park, CO, or? We%26#39;d like a FUN location where there might be a nice town/city nearby.......to get out of the OK heat, have things to do, and a great time together.

Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks!

Where to have a small family gathering this summer?

I went to a family reunion once at Grand Lake Lodge in Grand Lake, Colorado. It%26#39;s on the opposite (west) side of Rocky Mountain National Park from Estes Park.

They had a great rustic lodge that our group had to ourselves. Kind of like a giant cabin with room for a 150 or so.

I think it%26#39;s possibly this one: tripadvisor.com/…REVIEWS

May have changed names. But by far it was the most amazing family reunion experience I%26#39;ve had.

Where to have a small family gathering this summer?

Just about all the ski areas in Colorado and New Mexico have lots of summer activities and make great places for family reunions. We%26#39;ve done a few reunions in Winter Park and Red River, although I will say that the Winter Park area has suffered a serious infestation of beetles, which has killed a lot of the trees and rendered it not so attractive. We stayed at the YMCA camp there (sorry, can%26#39;t seem to recall the name of the camp). There is a Y-camp near Estes Park too, I think called simply ';The YMCA Camp of the Rockies.'; We%26#39;ve had reunions there, too, but it may have the same beetle problem. I would ask first, before booking anything in the Winter Park/Estes Park area - or anywhere else for that matter. Some of the areas that are hard-hit by the infestation are just not what they used to be. Infestations aside, the Y-camps make good places for reunions, since they offer large multi-room lodges, where everyone can stay under one roof, but have their own private room. Of course, that does lend itself to a lot of family closeness, so if that%26#39;s not for you, then separate cabins - either in the Y-Camp or at a privately-owned place - might be better. Other locations where we%26#39;ve had nice gatherings are: Avalanche Ranch, near Redstone, CO; and Cottonwood Cove, near Creede, CO (one of everyone%26#39;s favorites). All these locations offer various activities, including the usual items of hiking, fishing and horseback riding, but also offer ';chuckwagon dinners';, river rafting, jeep trails (if you want to rent or bring a 4WD vehicle), and some nearby choices of acceptable restaurants.

I didn%26#39;t know about the beetle infestation in Winter Park. That%26#39;s too bad. We used to have a family condo there and I spent many a vacation there.

Yes, we enjoyed going there when we lived in Colorado, and we had a reunion there about 3 years ago and really enjoyed it, but when we went back in %26#39;08, it was just not the same place. It will be back, but it will take many years. I%26#39;ve never seen beetle devastation like that before.