ESTES PARK & DENVER AREA
About
Before July 2022, I had only visited Denver once for a conference and didn't have much time to explore. This girls' trip was epic and made me fall in love with every mountain town we visited!
THE DETAILS
Only a handful of days after returning from Greece with my daughter in May of 2022, we packed her apartment in Ames, Iowa and moved her into her new apartment in a Denver suburb. As she now lives 12 hours from our home in Minnesota, my step-daughters decided it was the perfect opportunity to go on our first girls' trip together. They weren't wrong. We flew out of Sioux Falls and my daughter picked us up in Denver before we embarked on a 2+ hour drive to our rental in Estes Park. After two nights in the picturesque little mountain town, we stopped in Boulder and Golden before spending an unforgettable night in Denver.
ESTES PARK
Let me start off by saying this may be the perfect location for a girls' weekend due to ample restaurants, shops, breweries, and wineries! We rented a 3-bedroom home that was mere blocks from the downtown area. It would've been an ideal situation if there had been air conditioning in the home, but we made due. Our favorite thing about Estes may have possibly been the free samples of Full Throttle moonshine (something none of us normally drink). Friday night was a bit frustrating as we didn't have dinner reservations and had to search long and hard for an opening somewhere. It seemed an ideal time to visit as the flowers were in full bloom and we came across numerous wild life (including an extremely friendly humming bird).
OVERLOOK HOTEL
I've been an avid fan of Stephen King since 1983, so of course I made my (mostly clueless) daughters swing by the Overlook Hotel, known as the inspiration for Stephen's bestselling novel, The Shining. It's nice because the hotel is right in town, and it didn't take long to pop in and out. Even if you don't know the history behind the hotel, the grounds and building are beautiful and worth a look!
Rocky Mountain
Park
As someone who is admittedly out of shape (although I do mild workouts and a fair amount of long walks), I still had a blast on our hike through the Rocky Mountains! The views around every corner were phenomenal. We sat in several spots through the hike to take it all in and breathe the fresh mountain air and gulp down as much water as possible. As of July 2022, the park is still requiring visitors to make reservations ahead of time and we went mid-day when it was fairly busy and considerably warm.
Boulder, Golden, & Denver
As this was a short trip, we only spent a few hours in each of these locations. While both Boulder and Golden emitted their own charm, I enjoyed the laid back ease of Golden the most. We visited on a warm day and saw dozens of barefoot visitors crossing the street with inner-tubes on their way to float down the river. The brewery across the street from the historic Coors Brewing Company was especially fun as you pour your own drink and you're charged by the ounce. As for Denver, we had a blast riding electric scooters downtown, and happened to come upon a French festival with live music and great drinks.
TRIP SUMMARY
We had an absolute blast exploring the Denver/Estes Park area and I'm looking forward to more trips to these beautiful locations again in the future! As accommodations in Estes Park were considerably expensive, I would definitely rent another house within walking distance from the action and split the cost with girlfriends/couples. It was well worth not having to worry about parking or driving after hitting the bars! As for Golden and downtown Denver, I hope to spend several days in each next time to properly soak in the culture.