Rocky Mountains to Home

This Colorado trip was amazing. Keltin and I saw some beautiful sights and made some wonderful memories.

Note: On the posts below with a * are places where I have talked about various restaurants. If a post has a + we either specially stayed there and I spoke about it or you can camp there. All the cities do have hotels or vacation rentals but we did not stay in a specific one.

Cities:

• Salida^* – Go up Spiral Dive, it’s worth the view.
• Buena Vista^*– Lots if good food and local beer.
• Victor – A quiet and active mining town.
• Aspen^*+ – Nice but pricy.

Hiking Trails:

• Browns Canyon National Monument_⁺ – Beautiful but a bit smoky due to wildfires elsewhere.
• Alpine Tunnel Trail – Worth the drive to get to the trailhead.

Natural Attractions:

• Phantom Canyon⁺ – A long pretty drive with tunnels and bridges.
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison
  • South Rim⁺ – Lots of great overlooks and a dark sky park!
  • North Rim⁺ – Some great trails but don’t forget plenty of water!
• Maroon Bells – Make your reservation early for this popular view.

Unique Colorado Attractions:

• Colorado Mountain Lavender⁺ – The owners are wonderful and either make their products themselves or have them made locally.
• St. Elmo Ghost Town – It’s worth going for the chipmunks.
• Big B’s Fruit Company^*+ – Three words: Local Hard Cider.

Road Side Attractions:

• Texas to New Mexico to Colorado* – There is a lot to see on this drive.
• Cottonwood Pass – Stay on the path when hiking to the top.
• Independence Pass – Drive slow, this road is narrow.

Books and Authors:

• Author Interview with Jill Sheeley – This was such a fun interview with a wonderful author.
• Book Review: Those Were the Days: Memories of an Aspen Hippie Chick – a great read that provides a snapshot of the past (with pictures!).

Gear Reviews:

• PocketRocket Stove Kit – An easy to use stove for all your camping needs.
• Camp Mattress and Lights – Finally a decent night’s sleep.
• Canon R5 – A look into the new Canon R series.

Helpful Info and Fun Stuff:

• Summer Rocky Mountain Road Trip Intro – If you want to start from the beginning.
• Importance of Dark Skies – Learn why dark nights are better for wildlife and for us.
• Geoff Adventures – Explore with our four-legged friend.

There was a lot this trip and for as much as we did it went quick. We got to see a lot of beauty and meet some really amazing people. If you liked this series and want to see more along with getting a heads up about where we are headed to next, please consider supporting me on Patreon as it would allow me to bring you additional content both on my site and on my YouTube channel. You can check out my Patreon here. Remember to leave no trace and safe travels!

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Thank you KW Photography for allowing me to use your wonderful photos!

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