As time passes by it’s come to my attention that in order to remember the life you lived it’s important to document it. Travel has always been in my blood. Passed on by my parents who love to travel and my father who is a travel agent. For some people traveling seems out of reach. Traveling for me is essential to my survival. I work to travel and after 36 years I’m coming to peace with knowing it’s what lights my fire. If this resonates with you or you wish you had that fire, I suggest you travel!

I’ll share my travels along the way if you are looking for suggestions or want to explore traveling but just not sure where to start.

Colorado- for the nature enthusiast. Mild to “difficult” hikes. I used “difficult” loosely because I consider myself a fit person and these hikes had me out of breath in a few spots. Take your time and you’ll be ok!

*** know before you go- get a Rocky Mountain National pass to Bear Corridor ahead of time! https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74291

Car rental- https://turo.com

We saved $120 by picking our Turo at a local hotel. Ubered from airport to hotel. ($35) Turo is great for rental cars if you’ve never used them on vacation. Basically VRBO for cars! Someone personally owns it and rents it out. Sometimes Quite a bit cheaper than car rentals!

** STAY HYDRATED!- altitude sickness is the real deal. Liquid IV and lots of water **

Green Bay to Denver- Frontier flight. Very reasonable cost, don’t expect all the bells and whistles. It’s a short flight! Pack some snacks and bring an empty water bottle you can fill after TSA. Our favorite snack to travel with is hot sticks, venison of course! Nuts, crackers and bars are the best. We never pay to pick our seats. It costs more and it’s such a short flight. We most times sleep or watch a movie anyways. We checked 1 bag and each brought a backpack. **Next trip goal to only bring backpacks!**
Denver to Estes Park- Denver to Estes Park (1.5 hr drive)- it was night so we couldn’t really see the scenery however we stopped in Lyons to grab food before making it to Estes Park. Many places close early in Estes Park so plan accordingly for food. We ate at https://www.pizzabar66.com. They were so kind to feed us considering their kitchen was closed. Great margaritas and super friendly staff! From there we drove 35 minutes to Estes Park. Lyons is the gateway to Estes Park. motel stay- https://alpinetrailridgeinn.client.innroad.com

Estes park to Rocky Mountain National park- I highly recommend getting up early to see the wildlife and hit the trail before it gets busy mid day. Start your trip with a liquid IV drink to stay hydrated. The altitude makes you feel fuzzy in your head and off balance. Pack lots of snacks and water for the hike. We had 1 back pack with 4 water bottles. We drank them all!

Start your hike to the left of Bear lake and you’ll run into a little lake called Nymph lake. Grab a photo and keep moving. We saved the relaxing for on the way down and spent more time at the spots then. Dream lake is next. (My favorite). Then onto Emerald lake which was colder next to the mountain. Very pretty as well. On our way back down we stopped at Dream lake to have a snack and take it all in. Watched fish swim and jump out of the water. Next stop was all the look outs we breezed pass on the way up. It was so beautiful to take that all in.

Once back to the entrance of Bear Lake we then hiked around Bear Lake (15 minute walk, very easy). We drove along Trail Ridge Road for a little bit taking in the scenery. We made our way back down the trail back into Estes Park to do some shopping and eating. After eating Travis really wanted to go back into the park to see more animals, especially an elk. We pulled off the road and took a short nap since we woke up so early and hiked. I never thought I’d nap on the side of the road but it was great! After waking we took a right into the park and BOOM right there was a big Elk walking across the road. Travis was super happy!

Estes Park to Boulder (45 min drive)- We headed to our hotel to check in. We stayed at an amazing cabin right on the base of the hill. https://www.footofthemountainmotel.com was the perfect place to stay that had the mountain vibe and was close to Pearl Street. It was small and quaint. It felt like staying at your families cabin. They treated you like family there, kind and helpful. Don’t expect all the bells and whistles here either but you don’t need it. You'll be busy exploring and hiking.

Boulder Must dos-

Pearl Street for shops, eating and music!

Sushi- Hapa- https://hapasushi.com/pages/pearl-street-in-boulder

Multiple Food options and drinks. Great rooftop area - https://boulder.avantifandb.com

Dive bar and free pool- https://boulderdowntown.com/go/sundown-saloon

Multiple Food options and drinks. Great rooftop area- https://rosettahall.com

First liquor license in the city- speakeasy vibe in basement- https://www.license1boulderado.com

Best bloody mary & most recommended place to eat- https://www.thesink.com

Rent bikes, download the app! - https://boulder.bcycle.com