Being a native of the great and flat state of Nebraska (GO BIG RED!) and then moving to the also notoriously flat Kansas, I always looked forward to every summer growing up. Why? Well, because it meant that my family was going to pack into our 1998 Dodge Caravan and make the trip to my favorite place, Colorado! It was a place that had elements of home but the adventures of the cool mountains in the distance!
I loved the journeys to our camping destinations consisting of winding roads, lush green pine trees, the crisp air, and the sounds of water rushing down below! My face was plastered to the window and I felt like I couldn’t take it all in fast enough. I was pretty sure I’d move here once I was a “big kid” and didn’t need my parents anymore – Ha! I wasn’t too far off because after I graduated college in 2013, I did just that. I moved where my heart had always felt the most at home, and this time I didn’t have to leave!
As funny as it seems, after making some native friends, I learned that I might just have seen more of Colorado than they had growing up! “Tourist attractions” might not seem as cool in a place you grew up I suppose, but here’s a list of some of my favorite spots I checked out as a kid:
- Cave of the Winds
- Garden of the Gods
- The Royal Gorge
- Pikes Peak
- Seven Falls
- Santa’s Workshop
- Chimney Rock
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Buffalo Bill Museum
(Okay, I’ll stop but I could go on-and-on.) Colorado has so many beautiful, interesting, and fun places to explore! I remember all of these visits vividly and am so thankful for a Mom and Dad that valued a good ol’ family road trip and enjoyed being tourists!
Now, as a resident of Colorado it almost seems harder to carve out the time to visit the endless list of locations that the 5280 has to offer; however, I want to set a goal in 2021 to explore at least 3 new places this summer. Let me know your favorite Colorado spot; whether it’s off the beaten path or if it’s a tourist hot spot by contacting me – I want to check them all out for myself!
