We took a 10 day trip to Denver last summer and it was AMAZING. Being in the mist of a pandemic, this would truly be a great trip to repeat since 90% of the things we did were outdoors! Colorado definitely became one of my favorite states after this trip. We flew into Denver airport and decided to drive out that same day. Our first stop on the way to hiking around the Pike and San Isabel National Forests was a cute restaurant called Shaggy Sheep to grab some ice cream! After our ice cream break, we decided to take a small hike around the corner from the shop.
Our next stop was Mount Evans, we decided to drive all the way up and enjoy the beautiful views. This is one of the 58 14ers in Colorado, at 14,260 feet above sea level. We were so high up there were still SNOW CAPS in August! The altitude gradient was very large, I felt sick by the time we going down from the mountain that evening. We were super exhausted after a day of traveling so we grabbed dinner at Efrain’s of Boulder Mexican Restaurant and called it a day.
The next morning, we decided to do a LONG hike, we though we were doing a 7 mile hike but ended up walking over 10 miles that day. We hiked the Walker Ranch Trail in Boulder County, Colorado . The last few miles were a bit rough considering a storm was rolling in, we were tired AND we ran out of water. PRO TIP: Bring plenty of water! At the end of that day were were at 22,500 steps! We ended the night with pool time and much needed hot tub time after all that hiking. For dinner we got Indian food take out from Curry ‘N’ Kebob, and it was just the perfect meal to end the day!
The next morning we were ready for another hike. We decided to go to the Button Rock Preserve and hike the Sleepy Lion Trail. There were beautiful views along most of the trail.
I am a big foodie, so I had to find a great restaurant in the Estes Park area. We decided we wanted to go to Dunraven Inn for dinner. Fun fact: The first thing you’ll notice when you walk through our doors are the dollar bills, floor to ceiling, hanging in the entryway and the bar. The tradition began in the ’70s when a friend wrote good luck to the owner on a dollar bill and hung it on the wall. They estimate that there is approximately $16,000 hanging in the building– they remove torn, faded and worn bills and donate them to local charities throughout the year. If you are looking for some good Italian food, this is the place to go!
The next morning we decided we wanted to grab some donuts before we picked our next adventure for the day, we stopped at Donut Haus in Estes Park. We took a drive out to Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park- we did some small hikes and stoped at view points along the way. The loop around Bear Lake was the perfect walk! We were kind of exhausted after all the hiking so we took it easy. After driving around and doing a little bit of walking, we decided to take the Estes Park Aerial Tramway for some breathtaking views!
The next morning, we were off to Grand Lake Colorado. We wanted to rent a boat, but we actually found a nice hike near by and opted to hike instead. But first– WE HAD ICE CREAM at Miyauchi’s Snack Bar. We also walked along Adams Falls that afternoon. This was our detour while we were headed to Glenwood Springs. After we got into Glenwood Springs, we just hung out and found a local Mexican restaurant for dinner!
The next morning, we decided to enjoy some morning pool time before heading to my FAVORITE HIKE in all of Colorado! We hiked up to Hanging Lake, this was a rather difficult hike, but it was defiantly worth it when we got to the top! You need to get a permit, reservation to hike which should ideally be done a few days before you decide you want to hike. There are limited slots per day.
We decided to continue the hike up to the waterfall above Hanging Lake, and it was defiantly worth the extra mile!
After that hike, we definitely worked up an appetite. We decided it was time for some pizza for Rocky Mountain Pizza Company.
The next morning we were doing another hike, we decided to do the Maroon Bells Hike in Aspen. Maroon Bells Scenic Loop Trail is a 1.9 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Snowmass Village, Colorado that features a lake and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and nature trips and is best used from May until October.
The next morning we decided we wanted to go up to Pike’s Peak. Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The ultra-prominent 14,115-foot fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles west of downtown Colorado Springs. The drive up was pretty scary!
After spending the morning on another 14er, we decided to visit the Garden of Gods. The Park is a unique biological melting pot where the grasslands of the Great Plains meet the pinon-juniper woodlands characteristic of the American Southwest and merge with the mountain forest of the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain.
The next morning we stopped at Amy’s Donuts and grabbed breakfast before heading to Manitou Springs to do a self guided Mineral Springs Water Tasting in the area. This was on the way back to Denver.
7 MINUTE SPRING
Drilled to enhance the park of the Mansions Hotel in 1909, carbonation caused it to erupt at 7 minute intervals. It was re-drilled in the 1990’s and again in 2014.
SHOSHONE SPRING
A natural spring with the highest levels of many minerals, Shoshone Spring was highly recommended by physicians of the 1800s for its curative uses before modern medicine.
CHEYENNE SPRING
The natural soda water of Cheyenne Spring was originally bottled at the Manitou Bottling Plant. The stone Manitou Spa Building was built around Cheyenne Spring in 1893. Today this spring is piped to the cast bronze font designed and built by sculptor Paul Rogers.
NAVAJO SPRING
Navajo Spring was near the Ute Pass Trail and was a rendezvous for indigenous peoples, explorers and early settlers. The font is located on the back outside wall of current-day Patsy’s Candies Store. The candy store was originally a sampling room for the bottling works.
WHEELER SPRING
Wheeler Spring was donated to the city by the family of Jerome Wheeler, one time president of Macy’s department store, mining and railroad magnate, banker, and chief promoter. He was also the past president of the Manitou Mineral Bottling Company.
STRATTON SPRING
Drilled by the Stratton Foundation during the Depression as a service to the town, this popular spring stands at the intersection of indigenous trails, the historic trolley lines, and the modern highway system.
TWIN SPRING
Twin Spring is the locals’ favorite spring for its sweet taste, calcium and potassium content and for making Manitou Lemonade or Manitou Mojitos. Originally two springs, Twin Spring now has been merged into one font.
IRON SPRING GEYSER
Once the most popular spring in Manitou, thousands of health-seekers would travel to Ruxton Ave. to drink the iron waters. The current spring was drilled by a local entrepreneur in 1910 and made wildly popular by adding orange and lemon flavoring.
Our next stop was the Red Rock Amphitheater. Red Rocks Amphitheater is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, ten miles west of Denver. We had lunch at the Ship Rock Grille in the Amphitheater were we had the best mushroom burger- we have recreated this burger a few times are home after this trip: CLICK HERE FOR MY VREY OWN HOMEMADE VERSION OF THE MUSHROOM BURGER!
The next day we were headed home, so we ended up staying in Denver.
<– Here is a 4.5 minute video highlighting some of Colorado we saw! I wish I took more videos!
🖤
Living My Best Life 
One thought on “Denver: A Travel Guide”