Exploring Colorado: Red Rocks & Small Shops

From Denver to Boulder and Colorado Springs to Estes Park, the mountains and landscapes of Colorado are truly unmatched. Not only do the hikes take your breath away (literally and figuratively), but the views, small towns and community culture make any experience in Colorado an unforgettable trip. Over six days with a rental car, my boyfriend and I were fortunate to hit quite a few hikes and destinations around the state. Check out the below to follow our itinerary for inspiration for your next Coloradan adventure!

Day 1: Downtown Denver

Following minimal sleep due to a delayed flight and lost luggage, we finally arrived to our hotel outside of Denver at 6 a.m. to start our remote work day at 7 a.m. The hotel had an incredible view of Denver and the surrounding mountains, and after wrapping up, we hit the town. We grabbed dinner at ViewHouse Ballpark right outside of Coors Field; the burgers were delicious and we ended up playing corn hole until it was dark. We then wandered around Dairy Block, a historic block once home to Windsor Dairy with shops, restaurants and bars, as well as Union Station, a 100-year-old historic landmark, before calling it a night.

Day 2: Flatirons & Boulder

After picking up the rental car first thing in the morning, we drove to the Flatiron mountain range to tackle the first and second Flatiron hike. The parking lot was full, but there are plenty of side streets nearby you can park on for a small fee or for free depending on the day of the week. It was a difficult vertical hike, but the views along the way and at the top made it worth it. The way down was certainly much faster, and once we got back to the car we went to Boulder to walk around Pearl Street. We grabbed lunch at Lindsay’s Boulder Deli and explored the many shops along the strip, arriving at the “This is my happy place” mural. With the Stanley Cup Finals game at night, we hit the bars starting at Blue Moon Brewing Company in the RiNo district and then made our way to a local bar to experience the loss by the Avalanche.

Day 3: Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater, St. Mary’s Glacier & Golden

Starting bright and early with a lot of ground to cover, we drove to the iconic Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to walk around and check out the Colorado Music Hall of Fame within the trading post. Following a short drive, we then hiked the highly recommended St. Mary’s Glacier which exceeded our expectations. A half mile gradual incline opened up to a gorgeous lake at the base of the glacier and for the adventurous, the trail continues up to the bottom of the glacier (10,800+ feet) for aerial views of the surrounding mountains and the bragging rights to say you stood in the snow in the middle of July. With a large appetite, we stopped in the small town of Golden (“Where the West Lives”) on our way to Colorado Springs and tried the original Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza.

Day 4: Garden of the Gods & Estes Park

Surrounded by fog, we explored Garden of the Gods, known for its massive red rock formations sticking out of the ground. Between the fog, greenery and formations it felt we were like walking through a scene of Jurassic Park, just without the dinosaurs. To watch the next championship ice hockey game, we headed north to Estes Park, a small town right outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, and witnessed the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup at a local bar.

Day 5: Rocky Mountain National Park

To kick-off my boyfriend and I’s two year anniversary, we stopped at Coffee on the Rocks — hands down one of my favorite coffee shops I’ve ever been to. Not only was the coffee and breakfast delicious, the location on a lake next to a river surrounded by mountains made us want to stay all day. Yet, we entered Rocky Mountain National Park during our booked time slot and took the shuttle to the Bear Lake trail head. Looking to make the most of the hike, we trekked a large portion of the trail to see Bear Lake, Dream Lake, Nymph Lake, Emerald Lake and Lake Haiyaha — all in under seven miles — and Lake Haiyaha was certainly worth the extra milage for the crystal clear turquoise blue water. Tired and hungry, we went back to Denver to drop off the rental car and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory to finish out the day of anniversary celebrations.

Day 6: Denver Zoo & 16th Street mall

With a late night flight, we figured we’d go to the Denver Zoo to pass some time. We ended up loving it so much we stayed for more than five hours, and it was one of the best zoo’s I’ve ever been to! Many of the exhibits are open air with close (but safe) exposure to the animals, and we had never seen many of the species on exhibit before, making for a very unique and memorable experience. To round out the day, we headed back into downtown to try out Colorado Campfire for a meal complete with a s’mores cocktail and walk around the 16th Street Mall where we had the best street tacos at Orta Vez Catina before heading to the airport to fly back home.

If you'd like to see more photos from our trip, be sure to visit us on Instagram at @kaitlyns_compass!

Safe Travels,

Kaitlyn