Our Staycation at the Gaylord Rockies Resort
*The following content is sponsored by the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center.
There’s nothing like a staycation, especially in the summer. Staycations give the perfect combination of rest, relaxation, and adventure. When you travel with kids, it can be exhausting so by the time you get to your destination, you need to reset before you can really enjoy it. But with a staycation, you get to go to a location not far from home, while still enjoying the benefits of a resort, new activities, and an overnight stay.
For our June staycation, we chose to go to the Gaylord Rockies Resort. It is about an hour away from us and the resort itself is full of so many activities, it was a great location. We loved how they have activities all of the kids would enjoy.
We checked in Saturday and stayed for one night. However, we enjoyed resort activities on both Saturday and Sunday.
There were so many activities, the kids were in heaven. From the art studio and s’mores to the pool, restaurants, and scavenger hunt, it was truly an adventure.
Arrival
The resort has valet and self-parking, both have a fee. The self parking is about a 5-10 minute walk to the hotel lobby, depending on how close of a spot you get and how many times the kids want to stop, haha!
I love that you can check in with the app and access your room with keyless entry. However, when I tried to use the app to check in, it said I needed to stop by the front desk. I’m glad I did because the clerk gave me a lot of information about our stay and answered all of my questions.
First activity
After checking in, we changed into our swimsuits and headed to the pool. We had a cabana by the pool for a few hours. The cabanas are seriously everything, especially for families. The lounge chairs around the pool were mostly taken so having somewhere to put our things and for the kids to come back to was great. Plus, you can order food and there’s plenty of seating, allowing you to eat comfortably. My daughter’s favorite part was the TV. The cabanas can be rented for a cost. You can either rent them for a full day or half a day.
The pool area is really large. They have an indoor and outdoor pool. They also have a jacuzzi inside and one outside. There are multiple slides, a couple of toddler areas with fountains, and a lazy river that goes through a small waterfall. The best part is the water is heated!
We ordered lunch at the cabana. We were grateful they had veggie burgers. We ordered a hummus plate to share and veggie burgers with fries for everyone. The food was the perfect grilled lunch by the pool meal. You can see more of the pool in this reel on my instagram account: Gaylord Rockies Resort Reel
Our evening at the Gaylord
After we showered and dressed after swimming, we went to the ticket desk to get the materials for the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt cost a small fee and can be done at anytime. After you sign up, you will receive a book with all of the clues that guide you through the hotel to find the objects. Once you finish, you can pick up a gift at the ticket desk during their operating hours.
We also hung out outside and made s’more’s. My kids love s’mores. There’s a small cashier station outside where you can purchase the s’more kits, which include the stick, milk chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers, and a wet nap. If you’re plant based, keep in mind the chocolate isn’t vegan.
We were lucky to catch a firework show in the distance while making our s’mores.
After s’mores, we completed the scavenger hunt. Both hubby and I got cocktails from the bar while the kids started reading the clues. Most of the clues were pretty straightforward and the kids happily bounced around the hotel to find the jewels and mark their color in their books. We finished the scavenger hunt late at about 10 pm, so we had to wait until the morning to get their prize. I won’t ruin the surprise for you, but the kids loved their gift.
Sunday at the Gaylord
The next day, we went to the art studio to paint. We all got to choose our canvas. Anaya, me, Aurora, and Ali chose to paint a castle. Amir requested a blank canvas.
We were there for about an hour. The studio provides everything you need including paint, brushes, and a plastic apron to cover your clothes. The woman who worked there even walked around and complemented the kids on their art, which was super sweet.
Once we were done, we left the paintings there to dry for a couple of hours while we did other activities. The resort had two stations where you could see and learn about animals. The one upstairs had a frog and toad and downstairs, there were a couple of snakes. Although the kids loved both, I think hubby loved it a little more. haha!
We had lunch at the Mountain Pass Sports Bar. We all ordered the salmon with salad and french fries. It was tasty, and all of the screens covering the front wall were pretty cool too.
For our final activity, I took my gamers to the arcade. There’s a small arcade near the pool, and the kids enjoyed the games there.
Y’all, we did a lot, but we didn’t even do everything!
We loved our staycation at the Gaylord. There honestly wasn’t a reason to leave the resort. It felt like we went somewhere away from home. It was fun and relaxing. Sunday, when we woke up, I told my husband it felt great not to make breakfast or do the dishes. Staycations are good for the soul.
Gaylord Rockies’ many, many activities
Here’s a quick recap of everything the resort offers regarding activities:
☀️ a resort style swimming pool with a lazy river, slides, jacuzzis, cabanas, and fountains
☀️ live animal encounter. We saw snakes, a frog, and toads.
☀️ fire pit with s’mores
☀️ movie nights
☀️ scavenger hunt
☀️arcade
☀️ an art studio
☀️ beautiful decor with bridge and a waterfall
☀️ several restaurants and a Starbucks
This resort is a whole experience!
Have you ever done a staycation before? What did you do?
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