Lynn and I are huge live music fans and one of the venues that had been on Lynn's bucket list was Red Rocks music amphitheatre. She found that Turnpike Troubadours (one of our favorite bands) would be playing their first gig in over 2 years and it was going to be at Red Rocks in May of 2022!!! She bought tickets as soon as they were available and we built a vacation based around that. In 2022, I had an office in Denver, Colorado for a position I had just started so I was travelling there a lot for work and was growing to appreciate the beauty of the area. I had never spent much time outside of Denver and neither of us has been to Colorado in the spring/summer so we were both looking forward to exploring all that the area had to offer besides skiing.
The concert would be on May 14th so we started with that date locked in. We decided on May 7th through the 15th. That would give us plenty of time to see the sites and include the concert in the itinerary. Lynn had vacationed in Colorado before so she was much more familiar with some of the areas outside of Denver, so she offered to be the "official planner" of this trip. Hell yeah! I like that. We were going to Iceland in July and I had been there before so I was planning that one. We both love to research and find cool, offbeat places to see and things to do in new destinations, and generally we plan together, so this was a fun twist! This trip would be all about scenery, music, and whatever adventure we cared to get into.
One thing you may or may not know is mid-May in Colorado is considered off season. There is still snowcapped mountains in May, but not enough to ski on, and depending on the temperatures, could be too chilly for all day outdoor activities! Most of the high altitude roads are still snow covered so the Rocky Mountain National Park access is limited and the ski resorts are mostly shut down. We built this trip around a Red Rocks concert so that was not an issue for us at all.
Our 9:00 am flight out of Charlotte on our departure date put us in to Denver around 10:30 am local time. One of Lynn's friends from Charlotte, Meredith, had been spending half of her time in Denver with her boyfriend she met on vacation the year before. Meredith was going to be in Denver that weekend and invited us to their Derby Party at their downtown condo. Our first stop would be there. We try not to pass up a Kentucky Derby Party whenever possible. - it was awesome!
Off to the airport!
Since I had been travelling to Denver regularly, I had become efficient at getting through baggage claim and in the rental car quickly. Lynn just followed my lead on that and we were on the road to Denver in no time.
The Derby party was a lot of fun! We met some new friends and had a good time catching up with old ones.
We did not stay for the whole party as we had other plans. We had reservations at the Black Canyon Inn, which is just north of Estes Park adjacent to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We would be staying there for two nights. On the way from Denver, we decided to make a stop in Boulder for a mid afternoon lunch. Downtown Boulder is a great place to hang out and we would have loved to have spent more time there. It is walkable with plenty of shops and restaurants. Our choice for lunch was T'aco on Walnut Street. The weather was fabulous so we took advantage of the outdoor seating.
The scenery on the way to Estes Park was awesome and we really enjoyed the drive. Great start for the week, especially since I didn't have to worry about planning anything!
After getting checked in to our cabin, we went down to the old part of Estes Park by the river. This is a great place to shop, with plenty of restaurant choices, and of course elk were everywhere. We had a fantastic dinner at The Wild Rose and did some shopping before going back to the Inn.
On the way back to the Inn, we had to at least make a drive by of the famous Stanley Hotel (check it out if you are in the area). If you aren't a movie buff, this is where The Shining was filmed. We had heard that elk are usually in the field nearby, and that held true on this evening also. We had some daylight left so we took advantage and drove up past the Inn just to take in the views.
The plan for the next day was to drive into Rocky Mountain National Park and check out the wildlife and scenery. Loose agenda, but Lynn was on the hunt for moose! We started out with breakfast at Notchtop in Estes Park then headed into the National Park from there.
During the summer you can drive all the way through the park on Trail Ridge Road. Since this was mid-May there was still deep snow at the higher elevations so we could only go until we reached the Many Parks Overlook turn around point at about 10k feet. Amazing scenery!
We pulled into Old Fall River Road which is closed in winter, but there is a parking area and short hikes that were open. As we walked down the dirt road to the hiking path, THERE SHE WAS - just majestically sitting in the field about 200 yds away. We zoomed in as much as possible as we couldn't get any closer to her.
The exploring continued..... We love the peacefulness of the Park and all the wildlife. As we came back out from our little hike and seeing the moose, we saw some activity ahead at a small vehicle turnout. Cars were pulling off the road and pointing. As we got close, we could see two beautiful mountain goats running and playing. We got some great shots of them and watched as they crossed the road behind us and took off into the woods.
We went back to town mid afternoon and strolled the the shops of Estes Park. There were some incredible galleries and shops with some one of a kind items! Lynn bought a few special things to have shipped back home (Ahh! Just keep moving, nothing more to see here...LOL), and then strolled along the river front enjoying the scene. Ed's Cantina looked great and we realized we were ready for a great meal! We made a plan after dinner to head for a higher elevation to check out the sunset.
The views from the Inn were pretty impressive, but there was also a trail leading up to higher elevations, so off we went! There is a reason that folks call this "God's Country".
The only thing we had planned for the next day was where we would end up! Reservations at the Gravity Haus in Vail was our final destination - which left the entire day wide open. That is our kind of day and we took full advantage. Looking at the map, we would go back through Boulder, on to Golden, Idaho Springs, and many small towns along the way. We enjoy getting "off the beaten path", stopping at interesting places and meeting locals.
We left the Inn about 9:00am Monday morning on another incredible day. The tune "Wide Open Spaces" was coming to mind!
Our first stop was Triceratops. These are metal sculptures built by a local artist, Pat Madison, and are meant as a tribute to the first Triceratops fossils found here in 1887. What a cool roadside stop.
Our next stop was the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. This is located on Lookout Mtn Road with views over looking Golden. There is a museum dedicated to everything Buffalo Bill, and yes there is his grave also.
From there we kept going to Idaho Springs. I had been there before with colleagues and knew there was a great burger joint in town. Who can pass up a burger & beer in a great little western town? Not us! Our kind of vibe. West Bound & Down did not disappoint and we moved on after getting our fill and wetting our whistle! We did some shopping - met some great folks who migrated here from other states (even one shop owner who was from Ohio) (if you have ever known someone from Ohio - they inherently find other Ohioans everywhere they go and Lynn is no exception)!!! We got to the car and got ready to head west, but decided to check out the Vintage Moose for one last brew - and we are sure glad we did! Great little place (the original building was built in 1881) and the owner and locals were informative and entertaining! Soon it was time to hit the road...
Taking the Mt Blue Sky Scenic Parkway to Mt Blue Sky Park offered some stellar views. We got just past Echo Lake and the road was closed there due to snow so we had to turn back. The drive was great and scenery fantastic, however, so it was worth the detour!. We are suckers for a roadside turnout to stop and take in the breathtaking beauty.
Once we got back on the main highway in Idaho Springs it was an easy and extremely scenic drive to Vail.
Arriving in Vail approximately 4:00pm, we checked in at Gravity Haus and got settled. The accommodations were excellent. Since it was no longer ski season most of the shops and restaurants in the resort weren't open, but it was a beautiful place!
One of the few places that was open for dinner was The Fall Line. What a gem! Being away from crowds offers us the opportunity to meet servers, bartenders and locals. The bartender at The Fall Line was a bit of a celebrity. Clark has had quite an interesting life bartending when he needs to, and traveling and attending music festivals the rest of the year! Apparently he is a bit of a nomad and instantly found that we shared a love of music. We thought we were active concert goers at about 20 per year but he doubles that count and loved to share stories of places and artists he has seen. Wow. We have kept in touch via social media and he pops up at every music festival you can think of. The sign of a great bartender is one who can read your palate and recommend just the right drink - and Clark did it fantastically! Lynn mentioned tequila blanco - and Clark turned her on to 7 Siete Leguas - which was a smooth but slightly smoking favorite of his. A really good Tequila for the cost and we made a note to look for it at our local ABC store back in Charlotte. Dinner was excellent.
Dillon was our next destination, where we had VRBO reservations for 2 nights. We would be meeting our friends Clark (not the waiter Clark, just a coincidence) and Vickie. They live not far from Dillon and they recommended meeting there. Great choice!
We met Clark, Vickie, and their dog Aspen at Highside Brewery around noon and we spent the afternoon on the Dillon Reservoir trail. This trail runs the circumference of the reservoir but we only explored the eastern shore. Aspen really enjoyed the outing. Scenery around Dillon and Frisco is awesome!
Later that afternoon we stopped by The Eclectic Bar & Grill for some food and beverages before saying good bye. Wonderful to spend some time with good friends while on vacation!
Our VRBO was on the shore of Dillon Reservoir and offered great views. It also was adjacent to the trail going around the lake.
Just around the corner from our condo was a place called The Vue. This is a rooftop bar and restaurant that offers fantastic views, especially at sunset. It seems that was the place to be - so sign us up! Great drinks and stunning views was the goal - and the Vue brought it home!
The next day over breakfast at The Sunshine Cafe, (an excellent breakfast even though it is in a shopping plaza), we bantered about some options for the day. Not sure what I was thinking since neither of us is much of a cyclist, but somewhere I had the bright idea (I take full credit/blame for this one) that we should cycle the Dillon Reservoir Loop Trail. We had spent most of the afternoon walking the trail the day before and it seemed like a scenic bike path following the contour of the lake. So without actually researching it, we headed over to the little bike shop in Frisco to get set up with bikes and gear.
Now the kid in the bike shop was really nice but he was also obviously high as a kite. Legal in CO, that's cool, but I think he was having trouble with the details of what we were asking him and about our level of ability. We told him we are not cyclists. We have not trained for cycling. We asked about elevation changes and level of difficulty for this trail. He rambled that there is some incline on the back side of the lake but that is really not a big deal. Hmm, Ok. We gave him our information - ages, physical stuff, etc. He knew we were in our late 50s and somewhat out of shape. Instead of informing us that we should get eBikes, he asked us if we wanted regular bikes. With a fairly high sense of adventurous spirit (and also pretty competitive) - we both said "I think we can do it - regular bikes it is"! No big inclines, right? Right.
I am usually pretty diligent about looking up details before walking blindly into such things, and had I even slightly done my research, we would have opted for the eBikes. The points I have highlighted below show a 1.5 mile 1100 foot incline on a main road. Ouch. No big deal for regular cyclists, but that is not us. But at this point it would be about an hour before we would come to see the error of our ways.
So anyway, off we went! The weather was perfect and the scenery was awesome. We were really having a good time.
Then we got to this...
Hah! Wow. So we moved to a combination of walking and riding with some "mumbling" coming from Lynn that I am glad I couldn't hear with the wind and rushing cars beside us! Every curve would open up to another curve with no end in sight. We were committed at this point so we pushed on. The bright side is what goes up must come down!
The scenery was fantastic!
I found myself repeating "Almost there, babe! Just around the next curve" over and over again.
Eventually we made it to the top...
As expected, from there it was mostly down hill back to the lake basin. We enjoyed the bike path, stopping along the way to take in the scenery.
We made it back after about 3 hours. The loop is 18.6 miles so obviously we were way over the average time it would take for a seasoned cyclist. Other than the main road incline we really enjoyed it. Were we to do it again we definitely would opt for the eBikes, however, but as we look back on our trip - we can say WE DID IT, and that feels good for two "almost 60 yr olds"!
Whew! We were beat. We stopped over at Highside for a much needed beer. After that a quick cleanup at the condo and over to The Vue for dinner and sunset again. Overall an excellent day (opinions other than my own may differ)!
The next morning we just had to take one more short walk to the lake and bike path that ran just behind our condo and off we went.
Our next destination was Colorado Springs where we had reserved a VRBO for the night. Lynn had wanted to experience the Manitou Incline in Manitou Springs for some time. It was a bucket list item for sure! We had reservations for the incline early the next morning, and although she showed me pictures of it, I could not grasp the enormity of it until we got there.
It is a scenic drive on mostly 2 lane roads from Dillon to Colorado Springs. We took our time, stopping along the way to enjoy the scenery.
Made a pit stop in Woodland Park...
Our VRBO was called The Chicken Coop, and for good reason. This is a tiny house that is decorated, well, like a chicken coop. It was cozy and funky. Just our style & we loved it.
Our MO when we reach a new area is to get checked in and then set out to explore our surroundings. Our first stop was The Garden Of The Gods. This is an 862 acre park that was designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1971.
There are many wonderful trails for hiking there, but with no time, we opted for staying on the trail and enjoying the formations. From there we drove over to Manitou Springs. Neat little town. We spent some time shopping and exploring the downtown area. Wish we would have had more time to spend in this eclectic, adorable town.
Reservations must be made 7 days ahead for the Manitou Incline so with those made the day we arrived in Colorado - we were committed! Reservations are required because they have to limit the number of people on the incline due to safety reasons.
I need to talk a little bit here about my suffering from acrophobia. I have found it has gotten worse as I get older. It is a very strange thing to have and affects different people in different ways. It is of course illogical, but all phobias are. I'm not really sure what triggers it because for the most part I have no issues with standing on a cliff or even being in high places, yet it can be triggered by a ladder or the sensation of ascending too quickly (too high too fast). For example an elevator on the outside of a building with glass so you can view your ascent would trigger it. I would be on the floor in a fetal position in that scenario. Standing on the top of that same building, however, probably would not trigger it. Once triggered, however, I'm a mess. Sweaty palms, dizziness, and nausea.
Anyway, I felt that the Manitou Incline would be ok because it was more of a hike, not like an actual ladder. Also we would be going at a slow pace. So off we go!
Here we are at the bottom ready to start our ascent. We met many people that were already on the way down that do this every morning. Wow. Excellent way to stay in shape.
Up we go!
Somewhere around step 1200 we had this view of the sharp increase in ascent angle ahead. I'm starting to be affected by that.
Step 1300. Made it.
I am keeping it together on the outside but I am sweaty, dizzy, and nauseous in this photo. This is where Lynn and I will part ways and she will continue to the top. The hike down for me is 1.5 miles from here. The plan is I will hike down to the bottom, then there is another trail I would take around the other side that goes to the top. That trail is 4 miles and Lynn would be returning on that trail. We would either meet at the top or somewhere on the trail if she is already coming back down.
As soon as I step off of the incline and get a little way down the trail I am back to normal. Oddly even though the trail had some areas that were wide open to the view and on a narrow ledge that did not bother me. I make it to the bottom and start back up again. At least I'm getting my steps in...
Meanwhile Lynn is trekking to the top...
She made it! 0.88 miles, 2768 steps, and a 2000' elevation gain.
At this point I am not far from the top myself as I had set a pretty good pace on the hike. I was expecting to see her coming down the path any minute. If I had met her at the top I'm pretty sure that would not bother me either. A phobia is a weird thing to live with.
She did start down the trail and we met close to the top. Reunited!
The hike was relaxed and the views were awesome. By the time we got back to the bottom Lynn had climbed .88 miles and hiked another 4, while I had climbed about half that distance and hiked 9.5 miles. We definitely got our exercise in that day!
It was right about noon when we got back to the bottom and we went straight into Manitou Springs for some much needed burgers and beer. We had reservations that night in Denver at the Grand Hyatt so once we got cleaned up and checked out of The Chicken Coop we headed that way.
We arrived in Denver too early for check in at the hotel so I took Lynn by to see my office and then made a stop around the corner at one of my favorite spots when in town, Spice Trade Brewery.
From there we caught a Pedicab over Palmas Cigar Bar. This is a place that I frequent with my work colleagues when in town. One of my good friends who is also a colleague introduced me to this place on my first trip out to Denver. He and the owner are good friends. Apparently he spends a lot of time there.
One of Lynn's superpowers is making friends everywhere we go. In the picture below you will see a couple in the background. Lynn struck up a conversation with them and found out that they were in town for the same concert that we were. Doug and Sheila, from Texas. We met up with them the next day for tailgating before the concert. What a great couple!
So after making new friends and enjoying a cigar and whiskey (for me anyway, Lynn had wine) we once again grabbed a pedicab and trekked back to the hotel.
The next day was Saturday, the day of the concert. That was the catalyst for this trip to begin with. Red Rocks is not only a concert venue but a park with hiking trails, a gift shop, bars and a restaurant. Our plan was to get there around lunch time and spend the day exploring the place before the concert.
We had some other friends, Lisa and Heath, that were also in town for the concert. We had made plans to meet them for lunch at the restaurant inside Red Rocks.
After lunch was tail gate party time! We met up with Doug and Sheila from the cigar bar the night before, and also met Cori and Jarrod who were parked close by. We had a growing group!
After some tail gating shenanigans we got in line as the gates were opening.
The show started on time and we soon realized why this venue is so special. The natural acoustics created by the rock formations are incredible. It would be hard to have a bad show here!
What a fantastic show at a fantastic venue!
This was a great way to end the trip. The next day was back home and back to the grind. We really enjoyed all of the experiences we had while in Colorado. The Rocky Mountains, the small towns, the scenery, even old town Denver has its charm. We are glad to have gone and if you have not been to Red Rocks for a concert we highly recommend it.
"TRAVELING - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller." lbn Batutta
Please feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below. Also, I can be reached at Rocky@Rocklyns.com should you feel the need to reach out.
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