Family fun that is affordable and practical? Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA in Granby, Colorado is all that and more.  As a mother of four children ranging from the ages of five to fifteen my husband and I are always looking for family vacations that are thrifty, without being boring.  As luck would have it a fabulous deal became available through Groupon.com (for a fraction of the regular nightly rate) for the YMCA resort in Granby, CO, which looked to be a great way to spend fall break.

My husband and I checked out the YMCA of the Rockies before making our purchase and were immediately hooked with their list of activities that were listed FREE of charge for their guests.  Namely; miniature golf, roller-skating (with old school four wheel skates or bring your own in-lines), basketball, pool table, foosball, playgrounds (even a small indoor one by the pool table), swimming, hiking, a history tour complete with a preserved ranch of the original family settlers and so on.

Other activities that are just a few dollars a person; you can participate in an hour of archery with full instruction from a trained instructor.  There are zip lines and wall climbing for those wanting a bit more adventure.  Plus, a large craft building where you can create treasures of all sorts, including leather works and jewelry making.

We never stopped; never heard the well known kid phrase, “I’m bored”.  We all had a great time together.  So much so, that it would have been well worth paying full price.  We will return again, for longer next time and in the summer.