MILE HIGH CITY
The mountains were calling…so we went! Earlier this year, our friends moved to Denver, CO so we jumped at the opportunity to check out the Mile High City (Denver is located exactly 1 mile above sea level) and the famous Rocky Mountains! Breathtaking is a word that comes to mind when I reminisce on this trip, and I’m not just talking about the views. Between the thin mountain air and ongoing wildfires in the state, it was down right hard to breathe at times! Nonetheless, we had the best time with the best hosts in beautiful Colorado!
Since we arrived late on Wednesday, Thursday was our first day to explore! We headed to none other than Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)! Estes Park, CO is just outside of RMNP so we stopped there first to fuel up with brunch and check out a Christmas shop! I’m realizing Christmas shops are a common theme on Hayes vacations. 😉 Once we made it into the park, we completed 2 hikes on the Bear Lake and Emerald Lake trails. Stunning mountain views, many drink breaks, and overly friendly chipmunks made for memorable hikes! While driving through the rest of the park, we saw plenty of wildlife including a moose and an elk. We made stops at the Forrest Canyon lookout and the Alpine Visitor Center in which we were over 12,000 feet above sea level! After 6 hours spent in the national park, we drove back to meet up with friends in Golden, CO for dinner and Coors Lites…when in Rome (err, Golden)!
On Friday, we found ourselves in Cheyenne, WY to check out the Cowboy State. “Home on the Range” seemed like an appropriate song to sing while driving through the flattest and most barren land I’ve ever seen. Cheyenne offered fun western wear stores, a historical train depot, and delicious lunch at a local burger joint. That evening, we enjoyed dinner and drinks at our friends’ house warming party!
Saturday brought more hiking! This time, we hiked all the way to the top of a mountain….we even walked by snow in mid August! Once we got to the tundra at the top, we snagged a few rocks to take home as souvenirs. It’s not everyday you’re on top of the world. On the way back from the hike, we stopped by Red Rocks Amphitheater which is a naturally made, perfect amphitheater! Later, we visited a cidery to taste their yummy hard cider drinks.
Sunday was our last full day, and since there was no rest on this vacay, we set out for Colorado Springs, CO. Our first stop was the Garden of the Gods which is a national park with large red rock formations said to be exactly what the name suggests…a garden fit for the gods. Such unique scenery! After lunch in downtown Colorado Springs, we ventured to the next town over, Manitou Springs, for a walking mineral water tour. This was a self guided tour in which we walked to different wells (created to tap into the pure and sometimes naturally carbonated water in the ground below) and filled a sampling cup with mineral water to taste. So fun and different! Finally, we headed to downtown Denver. Our friends took us to The Refinery which is a bar known for their infused liquor shots. The most memorable one was the buzz button shot which consisted of eating a flower (no, it didn’t make us high) to make our mouths tingle followed by a cherry infused shot. Only doing as the Coloradoans do! 😉
The next day, we ate breakfast at the famous Denver Biscuit Company before our flight home. Fried chicken on top of a warm biscuit…heavenly! It was time to say our goodbyes and leave the mountains in the rear view mirror. Rest assured, they will come calling again very soon!
Chat soon!
Kelsey
