Colorado '21 - navigating life with nat

Jeff and I were supposed to go on a trip to Paris, followed by a cruise to Greece this fall but plans fell through due to the pandemic. As a result, we were scrambling to figure out how we could possibly replace that trip of a lifetime! When Jeff and I went to Colorado in the summer of 2020 we fell in love with the state and promised we’d come back as soon as we could. With that being said, we thought, what better place in the U.S. to replace the Europe trip with than Colorado? Jeff started planning and our travel agent Erica with Travelmation helped clean up the rebooking. Erica is amazing and I can’t even begin to explain to you how thankful we are that we found her. She makes all of our trips stress free and the best part of it all is that you don’t pay any additional costs using her services! I told Jeff the main things I wanted out of this Colorado trip were biking through the mountains, a stay at a Four Seasons hotel, and a trip to Breckinridge. Let me tell you…he delivered! We ended up starting our trip in Telluride then making our way back up the state to Aspen, Vail and finishing in Breckenridge. I will go in depth for each portion of our trip below!

Telluride, CO

Our first stop was Telluride. It is touted as one of the most beautiful cities to visit in the Fall. Actually, our first stop was In-N-Out near the airport because we had to get our fix! After that we were on our way to the mountain city! We stayed at the Hotel Telluride in a mountain view room – it was wonderful. They have a great restaurant downstairs and serve fresh baked cookies to guests in the afternoon. After we settled in, we took the Telluride mountain view gondola to fully take the city in – it was beautiful! When Jeff and I travel, we always try to divide our trip based on our interests. This portion of the trip was more geared towards him because we visited the annual horror film festival – the Telluride Horror Show! The festival shows the latest and best genre films over the course of a weekend in Telluride’s unique theatres. We chose to watch Hellbender, a shorts block called “Sinister Stories”, and The Exorcism of God. They were all amazing but I have to say, The Exorcism of God was probably the scariest movie I have ever seen! I am not a big horror fan myself but if you are, it is a must do. I ended up really enjoying myself and Telluride is absolutely beautiful in the Fall. The city itself is quaint with delicious food options. Some of our favorite food options were pizza at Brown Dog Pizza and coffee/breakfast burritos at the Coffee Cowboy. I am still craving those burritos and coffee to this day!

Vail, CO

After we enjoyed our weekend in Telluride, we made our way to Vail. The next stop was supposed to be Aspen but we made a slight adjustment because Jeff was able to get us a reservation at the Four Seasons hotel in Vail! The best part is that we were given a complimentary upgrade to a mountain view suite! Erica does it again! She is the absolute best. The hotel and room were an absolute dream. We have never stayed at a hotel so nice. Upon entering our room we were greeted with chocolate covered strawberries dusted in gold flakes and champagne for our anniversary. We spent the majority of this portion of trip spending time together at the hotel and getting room service to eat by the fireplace in our bedroom. We also did some shopping in downtown Vail and had breakfast at the Little Diner. If you ever go, you must try the German pancake. It takes about 20 minutes to make but it is worth the wait! After the brief stay in Vail, we were on our way to Aspen!

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Aspen, CO

On our way to Aspen we stopped at the Georgetown Loop Railroad. If you are ever in Colorado in the fall you should check this out. You take a scenic train loop through the mountains! Upon arriving in Aspen, we checked into the Hotel Durant and made our way downtown for some dinner, followed by shopping. We did not know what to expect with Aspen but we really enjoyed the experience, especially since it is less touristy in the Fall. We were searching for dinner options and ended up at the White House Tavern. We were so happy we did because it was probably one of, if not, the best restaurants we have ever eaten at. To start, Jeff and I shared farm fresh deviled eggs with dings pickle relish and scallions. They were incredible! For dinner I got the gulf coast style fish sandwich and Jeff got the crispy chicken sandwich. We are both still craving this meal to this day! We also shared French fries with various dipping sauces and a kale salad with a roasted peanut vinaigrette. These sides were also amazing! We called it a night afterwards as Jeff said we needed rest for the surprise he had planned for us the next morning. Jeff had booked an electric bike tour to the Maroon Bells. He knew how much I wanted to bike in Colorado so he made it a reality. I was not familiar with the Maroon Bells but it was a breathtaking experience and probably my favorite from the entire trip. You ride the bikes through a scenic drive up to the actual park where you then hike to the Maroon lake where you get picturesque views of the mountain bells as they reflect on the lake. The bike ride itself is worth the trip but the final location is priceless and one of the most beautiful things we have ever seen! It is something I will never forget and highly recommend to anyone traveling the area. Afterwards, Jeff surprised me with a reservation at Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs, CO. It was such a relaxing way to end the night as you sit in a natural geothermal soaking pool overlooking rocky mountain views. The springs contain 14 minerals that go to work and make you feel relaxed. It was amazing! The following morning we had breakfast at Poppycocks – you must try their oatmeal pancakes! After that, we were on our way to Breckinridge!

Breckenridge, CO

Breckenridge was the most pleasant surprise of this trip. Jeff and I had intentions to use it as a central location to visit other cities, along with the Rocky Mountain National Park for some more hiking. We ended up loving the city and our resort so much that we just stayed in town the whole time! We stayed at the Ranahan. We stayed in a villa and it was so nice! It was fully stocked like an apartment, spotless, and even had a fireplace! We are excited to go back to the same resort next year we loved it so much. It also has heated pools, bonfires, hot tubs, and a Peloton! Everything felt so new and everyone was so kind. After we checked in, we drove to the nearby Boreas Pass Road to snap some photos. Lets just say, places like that make me realize I am not a fan of heights, haha! Afterwards, we went back into town and had tacos at Rita’s. The food was great and the owner was very welcoming as he walked us through all of his favorite tequilas! We went to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for dessert and then called it a night. The following day Jeff and I decided to rent some mountain bikes from the hotel and take a scenic route into town for some food and shopping. We also took a brief hike to visit the Breckenridge Troll which is a must see! Afterwards, we headed back to the resort for a night time visit in the hot tubs followed with smores by the fire. The following day we stopped in Boulder to do some shopping before we hopped on a plane to return home. After this trip Jeff is determined to move to Colorado. This was probably the best trip we have ever been on together!