Long Weekend Colorado Trip
Written by: Kenzie
I’m pretty sure I promised this Colorado blog would be published sometime last year, but I am not a perfect person.
But, it’s here now! Back in September of 2021, my friend, Claire, and I took a quick trip to Colorado. Our main reason for visiting was to see a twenty one pilots concert (don’t come at me, we are more than willing to travel for shows, especially twenty one pilots shows), but we were able to squeeze in a few extra activities. All in all, I was there four nights and five days (Friday through Tuesday) and Claire was only able to stay the weekend (boo for having a real job). Here’s what we got up to!
Friday
My flight arrived in Denver in the afternoon and overall, traveling wasn’t anything crazy or too different with all the Covid restrictions in place. I just wore a mask the whole time and used LOTS of hand sanitizer (but I always do that). I was able to pick up our rental car from Hertz with no issues and would definitely recommend them because after I paid (don’t let them swindle you into buying extra insurance because you’ll be driving in the mountains like I did), I was able to walk out in the lot and pick any car from a certain aisle and the keys were in it and I just drove right off!
We stayed in a cute Airbnb just outside of Denver and before heading back to the airport that night to pick up Claire, I just had this overwhelming desire to just be out driving in a new city. Do you get that when you go to a new place? So I hopped in the car, picked up a Starbucks to keep me awake, and just drove. I found a cute park near our Airbnb and the sun began to set over some mountains in the distance so I just drove toward it. The windows were down, the air was cool, the radio was on and it was simply marvelous. I ended up in the cutest little town called Golden before turning and heading back to the airport.
Saturday
I’m one of those people that gets up early. Even on vacations. Actually, especially on vacations. I just feel like there is too much to see and I can’t waste any bit of it. Plus, being out in the morning always feels so peaceful to me. All this to say that Claire is so good to me to indulge me in this habit when she can muster the spirit for it (she it notoriously very much an un-morning person).
However, on Saturday, I was already up and admiring the neighbor’s apple tree and picking some to save in my backpack for later (of course, I got permission) and we were out of the Airbnb and on our way to the Denver Biscuit Company on Tennyson for breakfast by 9 AM. We ate and did some shopping on the absolutely adorable street (I would recommend checking out Mouthfuls for literally any pet supplies you could think of and BookBar for coffee and all things book-related).
Next up, we were on our way to Colorado Springs to see Garden of the Gods. Let me just re-iterate how nice all of the drives were in Colorado. The traffic was fairly minimal (except one spot where they were doing construction) and everyone on the roads was very nice (I’m talking smiles and friendly waves when merging) and the landscape was always lovely. Anyways, made it to Garden of the Gods and found parking with no issues. We traipsed through the visitor’s center and I bought way too many souvenirs. There was a fantastic view of the rocks from the observation deck, but we also drove the loop around the park afterward and it was really awe-inspiring to see such big rocks. Like, when it gets down to it, they’re literally just rocks, but they’re freaking massive. And I think rocks are already cool anyway, so it was definitely worth the stop.
Saturday was the night of our concert, so we headed back into Denver to spend some time at the Denver Botanical Gardens before the concert. Parking was easy peasy and right across the street from the gardens. The only somewhat strange thing was that you had to book visitor’s spots ahead of time. Maybe it’s because of covid but it was also a somewhat easy process and Claire was able to do that while on the drive.
The gardens were spectacular! We were there just as golden hour was hitting and I could’ve spent much more time there, but we did have to cut it a little short to make it to our concert. However, we got to see quite a bit of it and even in September, there were so many flowers in bloom and I was just lost in it. The dahlias especially held my heart and these huge lily pads that were really cool. It was divided into sections of “themes” and each was unique and absolutely stunning.
That night, of course, we went to the twenty one pilots concert. The line to get in was wicked long, but everyone is line was so excited and it’s always fun to see the outfits concertgoers come up with. We had to wear masks and they checked vaccination records or proof of a recent negative covid test at the gate, but other than that, it was just like any other concert. Also, we were way in the back row, so I had my mask off so I could properly scream the lyrics and no one cared, of course. That was may third time seeing them in concert, and yes we were almost the back row, but it was still absolutely amazing and I lost my damn mind about ten separate times.
Sunday
Sunday was the day Claire flew out so we tried to squeeze in as much as possible before her flight. We had breakfast in the town of Golden which is super cute and then drove to Red Rocks Amphitheater to take in the views and buy some more souvenirs. (I’m too big of a sucker for stickers.) Again, parking and everything was an absolute breeze. On our way to Red Rocks, we passed a place called Meow Wolf while on the highway and Claire was so excited. I’d never heard of Meow Wolf before, but she explained it to me and she really wanted to go and her flight ended up getting delayed so we were able to book us a slot that afternoon.
Since I’d never heard of Meow Wolf before, I had no idea what to expect and subsequently wasn’t terribly excited to see it, but I am so glad Claire knew what the heck it was and was able to get us spots. It ended up being one of my favorite stops in Colorado this trip! For those that are uneducated like me, Meow Wolf is an immersive art exhibit where you get set loose in what is best described as a dreamworld on LSD and you just explore. It was absolutely amazing to us how much work went into it and how much you can discover by pushing on a random wall or traveling through an old bus to another realm. Honestly, I would recommend everyone go to one at least once! There are three in the US - Denver, Las Vegas, and Santa Fe. Claire and I hope to visit all someday, it was seriously so interesting and inspiring and fun to explore.
We grabbed some food at a sushi spot in Denver before I headed back to the airport to drop Claire off for her flight back to Texas.
Monday
I had the entire day to myself on Monday and wasn’t sure what to do. Last time I travelled alone, the few times that I didn’t have an actual plan or itinerary were really hard for me. It was these times that I felt most alone or anxious. This go around, I remembered that though and reminded myself that the whole point of traveling is to see something new and enjoy myself. Taking that to heart, I stuffed some more apples from the neighbor’s tree in my backpack, grabbed a coffee and pastry from Sweet Bloom and hit the road. My sights were set on Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park. I was hoping to hit the park early enough to have time for another attraction (it was a pretty decent drive from Denver to Estes Park so was going to figure that part out later). When I made it to the gates, the very nice park ranger asked if I had a reservation which, of course, I did not. He gave me a pamphlet on how to book a reservation but warned that they were likely all filled and if that was the case, I’d have to wait until three o’clock (which you were able to get in without a reservation after three for some reason).
I pulled out of line and checked the website, but he was right and it was full. It was only about 11 o’clock at this point so I headed back up the road with no real intentions. I literally just drove around a bit (something I really enjoy doing) and stumbled on The Stanley Hotel which is where they filmed The Shining. I had no idea it was in Estes Park. I looked up tour times, but it was a tad expensive and I didn’t care all that much so I moved on after admiring it from afar.
To pass the time, I just kept driving. I took a particularly pretty road out of town and simply drove around the mountains for a good hour or so, taking it all in. I stopped once to admire a stream, but never really passed any businesses or anything which was a really nice break from my normal everyday. Eventually I made my way back to town, found a parking spot (that was a bit tough here, lots of tourists), and traipsed up and down the streets window shopping. I got ice cream and popcorn - two of my faves - and stopped in a few bookstores and cute boutiques. Eventually, I found my way to a stationary/coffee shop called Inkwell and Brew which I thought was really neat. I got a snack and a coffee and went to sit in the park/courtyard behind the shops. I read for a while and then noticed an actual elk, chilling about 30 feet from me.
It was in the middle of the town park just hanging out with all the tourists! Super cool and I just read my book, drank my coffee, and watched this guy for a good hour before heading back to the park gates. I got in no problem right at 3 o’clock and they gave me a map, that I tried to read once or twice but gave up and just followed the road which was Highway 34. It took me all the way to the Alpine Visitor Center (which is 11,796’ in elevation) before heading back down the mountain with lots of stops for short walks and endless views.
The aspen trees were just beginning to turn colors for fall so the landscape was dotted with gold and the air was so darn crisp. Some cloud cover came around the higher I went up which made for some super dramatic mountain views that were really inspiring for some reason. I was walking back to my car when I heard that lonely elk bellow sound and it was almost unearthly! When I got back on the road, I passed it by, very close to the road and got some video and the whole experience was really just breathtaking and inspiring.
It would have been peaceful except that I’m terrified of heights and some roads had my hands gripping the steering wheel white-knuckled. None of the roads were particularly treacherous though and if I can do it, you certainly can! It was more than worth it for what I got to see.
I left the park around 5:30 and was rewarded with another gorgeous drive back to Denver at sunset. These roads were some of those typical mountain roads where they wind around and around as you go through passes or around mountains and while beautiful, it did get slightly old after the sun set and I was tired and got stuck in some construction traffic. If you aren’t exceptionally skilled at mountain driving, I would suggest trying to be done with it before nightfall, but I was never frightened, just tired.
Tuesday
Tuesday, my flight was really early and I’m an anxious person so I like to be at airports hours before a flight and I had to return the rental car and wasn’t sure of the process so I was out the door by 5am. Turns out, I was way too early and the rental car return process was super simple (I literally just pulled it into the return area, made sure all the trash was out, left the keys in it and walked away with a receipt). So, I watched Sex Education at the airport and ate a strange breakfast and then I was off to Texas yet again!
This was the first semi-big trip I’d been on in a while and it really just made me want to travel even more. I know some may thing traveling isn’t the most responsible thing to do at the moment with the world as it is right now, but at some point, you just have to take the precautions you can and keep on with your life. So, that’s what we did and I am so glad that we did it.
I’d only ever been to Colorado briefly before when I was much younger, but this go around, I really got to explore a bit more and it was nothing short of magical. The air was crisp and cool (not damp and often suffocating like here in Conroe) and the mountains seemed to go on forever. Even driving around Denver, the traffic wasn’t bad and the people and other drivers seemed much nicer than in Houston. Overall, it was such a lovely getaway with a good friend. Even when I was by myself for a few days, I just felt free and happy. Traveling along is really starting to grow on me.
If you get the chance, I highly suggest booking a trip to the Centennial State and taking in the mountain air and all the gorgeous vistas.
