Our trip to Colorado in 2017 is what started it all.
Colorado changed us… in the best way possible. We were introduced to the mountains for the first time and fell in love with traveling and the outdoors. I’m a firm believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason, and this is one of those things that I know was fate.
When our honeymoon to Puerto Rico in October 2017 was canceled due to Hurricane Maria, my husband and I decided to trade our swimsuits and flip flops for coats and snow boots and head to the Rocky Mountains. We had no clue what to expect since neither of us had really been to the mountains before. Little did we know, we were about to fall in love- with the great outdoors.
Here is a little recap of our trip and some of our favorite photos from our honeymoon. Unfortunately we didn’t bring our cameras with us this trip, so all of these photos are taken with an iPhone 6s or my GoPro Hero 5 Black.
I was born and raised in south Louisiana and my husband was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Florida. We aren’t too familiar with snow coming from the south! Seeing the snow covered mountains for the first time was truly magical!
The ride from Denver to Aspen was absolutely gorgeous! Very, very cold, but gorgeous! We took the Independence Pass route just days before they closed it for the winter. I highly recommend this route if it’s open!
So worth the views!
We were lucky enough to stay at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen for the first two nights of our honeymoon. We were upgraded to a honeymoon suite and we loved every second of our stay! From the butler service, to the spa- this hotel was everything we could have dreamed of for our honeymoon! The location of the hotel was fantastic too! We were within walking distance from all of the great restaurants, coffee shops and shopping downtown Aspen has to offer.
Unfortunately, we were only able to stay two nights in Aspen and headed to Denver for the rest of our trip. But we couldn’t leave Aspen without stopping by Maroon Bells first! When I laid eyes on these gorgeous peaks, that’s when my love affair with the mountains truly began. The sights were unlike anything I had ever seen before. The colors and reflections on the lake were unreal! All I kept thinking was there was no way places this pretty really exist! But they do, and we were really there. I could have stayed here all day and I definitely do plan on going back one day to hike some of the trails. Maroon Bells is a MUST SEE if you’re ever in the Aspen area!
We took a different route from Aspen to Denver than we did on the way there. We took the interstate instead of Independence Pass and this brought us through Vail and some of the coolest old mining towns, including Silver Plume and Georgetown. There was constantly something to see and the weather was so different than our first day here. We had blue skies and sunshine the whole way!
After making our way back to Denver, we already missed Aspen! We were so spoiled by the natural beauty there, that being in the city just wasn’t what we wanted. But we had another 3 nights to spend in Denver before heading home so we started looking at day trips to take from Denver to enjoy some more of the great outdoors!
Colorado Springs was first on our list for day #3 so we headed south to see what all the area had to offer. We were not disappointed!
We tried to head up to Pike’s Peak when we first arrived but the winds were so strong the road leading up to the summit was actually closed until that afternoon. So we headed to Cave of the Winds to explore some underground caves to pass the time. The cave was pretty neat but we wish we would have taken the longer, lantern lit tour instead of the traditional tour. Next time.
Afternoon arrived before we knew it and we headed up to Pike’s Peak! Pike’s Peak is one of the highest summits in Colorado reaching over 14,000 feet and you are able to drive up to the top. The ride up was a treacherous one to say the least, but breathtaking! We saw some bighorn sheep, bits of snow on the ground and the world beneath us. When we arrived to the top we couldn’t believe the views! It was super windy, about 18 degrees and at this altitude, breathing was incredibly difficult-but none of that stopped us from exploring!
After spending a good while up at the summit, we headed back down. I had the worst headache of my entire life from the change in altitude. Altitude sickness or mountain sickness is no joke. That is the one thing I dislike about the mountains. I guess that just means I have to visit more often to get my body used to it!
Despite my throbbing headache, we headed to Garden of the Gods. OMG. I swear this entire trip my mind was constantly blown away by the views! Louisiana doesn’t even compare to the landscapes in Colorado!
We got out of the car and started to walk along the trails at Garden of the Gods and I immediately felt like I had time traveled to prehistoric times. The red rocks against the blue skies were so vibrant and the formations were incredible! I was just waiting for the dinosaurs to come from around the corner. No dinos but we did see some deer, however. We stayed here until right after sunset and it just wasn’t enough time.
Sadly, our last full day arrived and we knew we wanted to see some more of the mountains. We decided to head to Estes Park and visit Rocky Mountain National Park. BEST DECISION EVER.
I had never gone hiking before. I mean, if you call the little flat trails through the swamps back home “hiking” then sure, I’ve gone hiking. But let me tell you right now, when you’re 8,000 feet above sea level and hiking in the mountains, it’s a totallyyy different type of hike! It’s strenuous, exhausting, and exhilarating all at once- but totally worth it!
We entered the park, drove around aimlessly, then found a random trailhead and started hiking. The trails were still snowy, the sun was out and we had no clue what we were doing. We did zero research before arriving and the map they give you at the gate isn’t a very detailed one. So we just started following a trail and had no idea where we would end up. To be honest, I don’t even remember the name of the trail or how many miles we ended up doing. All I know is that it was my favorite adventure of our trip!
After lots and lots of hiking, we eventually came across a beautiful waterfall! It made all the miles of hiking so rewarding! We spent some time marveling at the falls and then decided to hang our hammocks nearby and relax before heading back.
Because we didn’t have a trail map, and I wasn’t up for hiking back the same way we came, we somehow came across the main road and started to walk towards the trailhead. We didn’t know how many miles it was exactly, but we knew it was far and it was starting to get cold. But before we got too far the nicest couple pulled over and offered us a ride to the car. I never EVER thought I’d be able to say that I went hitch hiking, but now I can! After making it back to our car we headed to the park exit and stopped at one of the valleys to watch the sunset behind the mountains and to see all of the elk that were roaming about.
After sunset, we headed back to our hotel for our last night. We absolutely hated to leave this beautiful state! I am so very thankful that things worked out the way they did and that we ended up taking this amazing trip. We had an incredible time, made so many memories and it was truly an unforgettable trip.
Without our trip to Colorado, I don’t think we would have fallen in love with the outdoors like we did and we wouldn’t have this hunger to see as much as we can. We crave the mountains. We are homesick when they are not in sight. And we count down the days until our next adventure. I know we will have many great adventures in the future, but our honeymoon to Colorado will forever stay my favorite.
Here’s to many more adventures with my travel partner/adventure buddy for life!