i felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenergy- air, mountains, trees, people. I thought: this is what it is to be happy
I went to Colorado during COVID and it was actually a fantastic trip. It’s no secret our world looks a little bit different these days and you need to proceed with your normal everyday activities with caution, but after a year spent in Texas and not traveling at all for a large majority of the year that was 2020, I decided it was time to pick a safe destination and test the travel waters.
I decided on Colorado because 1. It’s only a short 1.5 hour flight from Houston. 2. I had a lot of friends who had experience with Colorado even before COVID and I’ve heard nothing but good things. 3. I had never been before so it was a very welcome change of scenery..
Where did I go?! Denver, Breckenridge and Glenwood Springs
First stop Denver:
We flew into the Denver airport and then rented a car (Jeep Wrangler) of course because there’s really no other way to go when driving through the mountains! First stop in Denver was Stranahan’s Distillery for a whiskey tasting, and it was the perfect start to the trip. If you go be sure to have a drink at the bar, the seasonal cocktails are awesome and you can even try the limited edition Snowflake while you’re there ( trust me it’ll probably be the only time you get to try it). The staff here is awesome and they even gave us recs on a great local spot for lunch in DT Denver!
Stop #2 was Breckenridge :
It was roughly a 2 hour drive to Breck, as the locals call it, and y’all that drive is beautiful! Especially when you’re a southern gal and you’re used to seeing well, just flat land. The altitude can be a killer though especially for a new visitor. I definitely felt the effects of the altitude for about a day. My recommendation is to drink a ton of water and bring your headache medicine. Our hotel was here too and we could not have been happier with our stay, we stayed at Gravity Haus, the staff was great, we liked our room, and it was the perfect location to walk around and grab a bite or, pop into the many shops on Main street. I have to mention the food here as well. We only had breakfast here, but if that’s any representation of the other meal selections I can tell you, you won’t be disappointed. Also as a personal recommendation from me to you, get the avocado toast! TRUST ME, it’s pretty much life changing.
Activities in Breck :
Hiking
We went for a great hike just 12 minutes away from the hotel to a place called Mohawk Lake. It’s said to be gorgeous in the summer time, it was quite snowy still and has an incline that would put any cardio you’ve done at or below sea level in the last 6 months to shame, hiking through snow is about as easy as walking through quicksand. Our planned hike was 8 miles but we cut it short because of the snow, we did manage to see some pretty great views and for the first time EVER in my very, city girl life, I had to pop a squat in the wilderness ( remember how I said you have to drink a lot of water well, that backfired quickly) after 3 hours I was doing the “dance” and had no option other than a small corner by a tree, under the watchful eye of a bird, who I’m pretty sure just wanted our snacks. Who knew there weren’t any restrooms in mountains, well now I do, at least one of us had tissues… (you would think it was me since I’m the female in this scenario it wasn’t, at least my boyfriend is a prepared individual).
Stop #3 Glenwood Springs :
What’s better than a great soak in a natural hot spring after a long hike?! After our hike and the bathroom break accompanied by woodland creatures, we drove about an hour and a half to Glenwood Hot Springs which is also a resort but, you can just pay a $20 fee to enter the Hot Springs and don’t worry if you forget your towel you can rent them for a small fee (I believe it was around $2). There are two options one pool that is 84 degrees and another that is 104 degrees. It was a great way to relax and unwind before our drive back to Breckenridge. Also the drive here was incredible nothing but scenic landscapes in every direction!
Tubing in Frisco at Frisco Adventure Park
Okay, so we decided that we would pass on skiing this time and went for the more carefree option of snow tubing and it was awesome! I felt like a little kid playing in the snow for the first time. Frisco Adventure Park was great because it was only a 15 minute drive from our hotel and because we went on a Monday it wasn’t very crowded. The laughs and the fun were so worth it and to make this an even more carefree option, there’s a nice little conveyer belt that takes you up to the top, though on the first go-round I actually thought I might face-plant on the way up and my fellow traveler had the nerve to ask me to turn around to take a photo ( I mean he’s a great IG boyfriend you guys, and look at that great half turn photo so fantastic isn’t it?! yeah I was terrified). Who’s ready to see how I do on a ski lift LOL.
Foods:
We made it out to dinner on our final night at a place called Breckenridge Distillery, they are really known for their cocktails hint the name distillery. Be sure to make a reservation because this place fills up quick especially with the new COVID rules! The menu was primarily asian cuisine, with our entree choices being ramen and a shrimp and rice bowl and the appetizer of ribs and edamame. Anything you pick is sure to be SOO GOOD!
colorado is an oasis, an otherworldly mountain place
My must-haves for Colorado
A packable down coat: you can find these for a relatively good price. I went with LLBean’s 850 down coat and I think I have never loved a jacket more! I got it on sale and it came just in time for my trip https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/117848?page=ultralight-850-down-hooded-coat&bc=516567&feat=516567-GN0&csp=a&pos=2
Waterproof hiking boots: I am so not into the ugly hiker boot, but little did I know there are great options out there. I went with Sorel and my feet were very happy! Like actually felt like I was walking on clouds you guys! https://www.sorel.com/p/womens-harlow-lace-cozy-bootie-1876411.html?dwvar_1876411_color=010&pos=26
Chapstick- It really is dry here, my hair loved it my skin not so much. I swear by these two lip balms and will keeping them even in Houston! https://www.sephora.com/product/superbalm-lip-treatment-P122739?icid2=products%20grid:p122739
https://www.burtsbees.com/product/ultra-conditioning-lip-balm-with-kokum-butter/01224-00.html
Great post and fantastic photos! I would love to visit Colorado one day to see its beautiful mountain peaks. At the moment non essential travel to and from Ireland isn’t possible due to the pandemic crisis and anyone braking the rules is hit with fines. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 😀 Aiva
Thank you so much for reading!! Hopefully soon, things will start to get a little better and we can all resume our normal travel agendas!
Love your post. You are such a good writer. You engaged me and held my interest throughout your article . And Beautiful pictures of this destination, but it was your description and highlighting that did it for me. You captured my attention and made me want to visit Colorado. Thanks for sharing. God Bless, stay safe,and many blessings to you in your travels, work and relationship.
Thank you so much!! I try to write like I’m talking to a friend over dinner or drinks or like you’re reading my journal haha which is why I don’t really hold back on the crazy moments! Thank you again for supporting my blog, it means so much!!