Colorado Travel Guide

Over the summer I visited Colorado for the first time, and it reminded me of how little of the US I have seen and how many BEAUTIFUL places there are to go. We started in Denver, which included a day trip to Boulder, made our way to see some family in Vail, went on a stunning drive through the mountains, and ended our trip in Colorado Springs. If you like nature and outdoor adventures, there is no short supply of things to do and places to go in Colorado. Here’s a look at what we did in each location.

Important tip for any visit to Colorado: Give yourself a day or two to adjust to the altitude. Even if you don’t normally get sick at high altitudes, you’ll still want a day or two to acclimate, especially before doing any hiking.


Denver

Denver was a cool, maybe event a little bit weird, city, however, it was not as fun as I had hyped it up to be. It’s a good spot to spend a day or two, but you don’t need much more than that.

I recommend renting a car, and then renting a scooter or bike to get around the city during the day. Stay in RiNo, LoDo, or LoHi neighborhoods - we stayed at the Vib Hotel, and while checking in at the same time as two wedding parties was crazy, it was overall a great place to stay with a nice rooftop.

Things to do in Denver:

  • Walk around Dairy Market and Larimer Square

  • Have lunch at Denver Central Market

  • Visit Improper City for food trucks and drinks

  • Catch a Rockies game at Coors Field and enjoy a drink at the mile-high roof deck

  • Go to Bierstadt Lager for drinks and oversized games

  • Visit the Red Rocks Theater, even if you’re not seeing a show

  • Do a wine tasting at Bigsby Folly Wine Bar

  • Rooftop drinks and tacos at McDevitt Taco Supply

But, my favorite thing we did in Denver wasn’t even in Denver. Make sure to take a day trip out to Boulder and hike around Chautauqua Park. In Boulder, go shopping on Pearl Street and grab lunch at Avanti food hall.

Vail

If you asked the creators of Disney to put a German alpine town in Colorado, you’d get the village of Vail. Having lived in Germany I was excited to visit, but unfortunately, it was a bit more glitz and glamour than a true German town. That being said, our visit there was nothing short of stunning.

Things to do in Vail:

  • Rent bikes from Buzz’s Board

  • Walk around the downtown area

  • Walk around the Betty Ford Alpine Park

  • Go up Vail Mountain or to Copper Mountain to explore, go on an alpine slide, and so much more - just make sure you get the timing right (they open late in the summer season)!

  • Just under 45 minutes from Vail is the Sapphire Point Overlook. It was one of my favorite mountain views of the whole trip, with no hiking required - though they do have plenty of trails off of the viewpoint.

  • I also recommend a stop in Breckenridge to stroll the river walk, shops, and have lunch at Whiskey BBQ.

Where to eat in Vail:

There are so many cute, German inspired restaurants in Vail, perfect for a pint or an apfelstrudel. We ate at Bully Ranch, Red Lion, Vendettas, and Up the Creek (my favorite spot with good food and views).






Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs was visually one of my favorite spots for nature, but the city itself fell flat both for charm and food - we ended up eating in at our Airbnb most nights there (which hey, not a bad thing to save money!). Getting to Colorado Springs was one of my favorite parts of our whole trip. We drove through the mountains from Vail and it was the most serene, scenic (at times, desolate) drive we have ever done. Buffalo and deer surrounded us on our drive with the mountain peaks jutting out of flat prairie land. Truly magical.

Things to do in Colorado Springs:

  • Walk around the grounds of the stately Broadmoor

  • Explore the Garden of the Gods

  • Hike Seven Falls (pro tip: get there when they open to avoid crowds)

  • Shop around Mantinou Springs

  • Drive up Pikes Peak

  • Visit the Olympic and Paralympic Museum - this was super fun with interactive exhibits to test yourself against an Olympian

    Go for a scenic train ride:

One of our favorite parts of the Colorado Springs portion of the trip was our day trip out to the Royal Gorge Railroad. The train goes through the mountains along the river with plenty of amazing views. The best part is the open air car, where you can stand out the whole ride and take in the scenery. They have food and drinks on board as well to make it a truly enjoyable experience.