Since I am not real big on snow and cold weather in general, but I absolutely love mountain towns, I typically spend my summers visiting cute little mountain towns. The big benefit of doing this, other than missing out on the cold weather, is that prices are low as it is the off season for the area. Last summer, I took a trip to Vail, Colorado and happened upon something pretty cool.
It’s the world’s highest botanic garden – and it’s in Colorado!
The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is open year round and is 100% free! You don’t even have to pay to park there, which is pretty great if you are on a tight budget for your summer vacation. I found it to be a great way to spend an afternoon.
The gardens have lots of beautiful blooming flowers as well as little streams and waterfalls. Plus, you can take in those awesome mountain views as you walk through the gardens. Just remember to bring a bottle of water and maybe a sun hat so that you don’t get sunburned like I did!
You can find the gardens in Vail by heading to Ford Park. Also note that they unfortunately do not have any type of cafe on site, but there are a couple of gift shops on the premises.
Before heading out, I suggest you take a look at their official website http://www.bettyfordalpinegardens.org/ to get a bit more acquainted with the gardens.
image credits: WikiMedia Commons
