I spent an extended weekend in Colorado for work, conveniently the weekend of National Public Lands Day where all state parks are free. I took a red eye Tuesday night and took another red eye Saturday night to NYC to make it in time for Korean Thanksgiving (Chuseok) on Sunday.
I visited:
+ Golden
+ Aurora
+ Denver
+ Estes Park
+ Rock Mountains National Park
+ Colorado Springs (Garden of the Gods)
+ Boulder Mountain Park
Car Rental
+ I used Turo and got $25 off and 600 miles on the car.
Food
+ greenlight LAB (Denver): has a cozy homey ambiance with amazing cocktails and bites. The chef stopped by and brought out other menu items she was testing and everything was delicious. Ask for the chocolates!
+ city, o' city (Denver): is a popular vegetarian spot. I had to wait for a table but it was worth it.
+ Chimera (Boulder): Japanese ramen spot in the Pearl Street Mall, a downtown pedestrian only area with food, boutiques and street musicians.
Recommendations from Denver
+ For a light walk, Garden of the Gods is about an hour away from Denver. I thought it would be a hike but it's a park with paved walk ways. Definitely an incredible sight nonetheless.
+ For a close hike, Boulder Mountain Park is 40 minutes from Denver and offers some amazing endless trails.
+ For the adventurous, head to the Rocky Mountains. Estes Park is a base I parked at where you can stock up on food and souvenirs.
Rocky Mountain National Park Highlights
+ Maroon Bells/Lake
+ Emerald Lake
+ Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests
+ Thunder Lake
+ Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
+ Capital Peak
+ Mt Lincoln