I spent a good two weeks taking in as much of the Colorado mountains as I possibly could and it was just as awe-inspiring as I imagined. For my birthday, we drove the winding and no-safety-rail byway all the way up to the top of Mt. Evans. The views are insanely awesome and it was also insanely cold (duh, on the top of 14,200 ft mountain will do that) but it was so, so worth it.
A huge trip highlight for me was going to see Red Rocks. I've dreamed about this venue, the drive up, the atmosphere. And it was...everything. It's incredible to see something natural preserved and enhanced for people to appreciate and enjoy. Now all I have left are the Gorge and Hollywood Bowl. But I have a sneaky feeling Red Rocks will always win.
On one of the last days I begged to go on the Estes Park Tram and when we got there I almost completely chickened out. The IDEA of seeing the sights from way up is great in theory, but getting into this old tram with wobbly cables was nerve-wracking. Once I was in though, it was amazing. We could see the mountains for miles and miles and even spotted a bald eagle in a nearby tree.
I'm lucky to have a few friends who have made Denver their home and just going to all their spots, experiencing their routine, and seeing them all settling into this scenic city made me so happy. I love that all my friends aren't afraid of taking risks, moving to new cities and just making it work. After seeing the art museums, delicious restaurants, and just the heart that folks have there, Denver will always be a place I want to go back and visit again and again.
