This month, my husband Nick and I hit the open road and headed out West! We were gone for two weeks, visited a handful of states - Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin - and had some of the most memorable experiences we've ever shared. Escaping from our daily routines for a bit helped rejuvenate and refocus us both. This was our best road trip yet! We spent our time eating great food, visiting with friends, and exploring the outdoors as much as possible. Here are a few of our favorite stops of the trip.
DENVER - I never expected to fall in love with a city as much as I did with Denver. We explored the outdoors (spending our nights watching the sunset at Cheesman Park and wandering around the Denver Botanical Gardens), had amazing meals (Jelly Cafe, Devil's Food Bakery & Cookery, and Steuben's to name a few), visited some oh so lovely local shops (Ironwood Collective), and spent some time with long lost friends.
BOULDER - This city, located on the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, gave us our first real hiking adventure, a bunch of wildlife sightings, and Boxcar Coffee Roasters - our favorite coffee of the trip.
We spent our days hiking the Flatiron trails and our nights walking around the downtown area visiting local shops and enjoying as many ice-cream parlors as we could find.
Rocky Mountains - We spent a few nights up in the Rocky Mountains in the small town of Nederland, Colorado. On our agenda - hiking. By now I'm sure you can tell, both my husband and I love the outdoors and always try to hike while on vacation. We got a great tip from a local and followed a trail up a mountain to find a handful of beautiful lakes at the top. It took us three hours (just to hike up) and I almost quit more than once, but we made it! The views were breathtaking, the water was crystal clear, and it was so peaceful.
BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK - When we made it to the Badlands, I was instantly taken back by this beautiful national park. In the morning we hiked a few trails, the afternoon we drove through the park stopping at all the lookout points (I should have counted all the times I said "This looks like a different planet!"), and at night we watched the sunset while gazing over the majestic terrain.
One of the many things I love about road trips is the ability to stop at any point and visit something new. When a sign or natural landmark caught my eye, we got off at the next exit and did some exploring. We stopped off at a few fun road side attractions, forest/wildlife areas, and historical sites.
We've been home for less than a week and are already planning our next adventure. Have you been on any amazing road trip this year? Where did you go? I'd love to hear about your favorite route and destinations below!
{Claire}
