Hello Travelers,
Today we are going to talk about how rad Denver, ColoRADo really is in 48 hours. That’s right another weekend trip for the books. So for those that love to travel and do not have a ton of time this getaway is perfect for you.
As discussed in our Fort Myers post we are part of Frontier’s email club for flight deals. We only paid $120 round trip from Cincinnati, OH nonstop. Since this is such a short trip we just packed everything in the free “personal” item, but be prepared for all weather conditions. While we were there the weather was very unpredictable from rain to snow to hail all within an hour. Thankfully we were able to stop at a Target nearby to buy some hats and gloves.
The flight left at 7:30 pm Ohio time and arrived in Denver around 8:45 pm on Friday night. Since we only had the weekend we flew back on the redeye Sunday night leaving around Midnight. To maximize our time we rented a car through Alamo for $49. They were running a happy hour special before we left, and we happened to be on their website at the right time.
We stayed at the Towneplace Suites by Marriott Downtown Denver. It was one of the few hotels downtown that had free parking and free breakfast. Always ask at check in for a free upgrade. They ended up giving us a 2 bedroom Suite for no additional charge!
Below are some highlights from the trip, that we recommend you check out. Whether you are visiting Denver for 24 hours or a week these are worth seeing. We highly recommend renting a car because we like to drive all over to see as much as we can.
Garden of the Gods:
Garden of the Gods is located about an hour south of downtown Denver this was our first stop on our weekend adventure. This is where we quickly realized how sudden the weather can change in Colorado. We went from hiking up the trail with pure sun to then not even ten minutes later we were hiding under a rock, waiting for the hail and snow to stop. This weekend trip was in early November but learned this is quite common all year round.
Dress in layers or have extra clothing options in the car. This is where we fell short, we had to lay everything out to dry in our rental while we traveled to the next location.
Despite the weather change we still were able to see quite a bit of Garden of the Gods. These trails are clearly marked and easy to navigate on your own.
Admission: Free
Painted Mines:
Located near Calhan, Colorado is not super popular destination. We arrived an hour before sunset and there was only one other person there.
There are two small parking lots nearby. The further lot is closer to the actual mines but a steeper hike. Like I said there was only one other person there besides us so there were no issues with parking. I would suggest wearing shoe that can be easily cleaned. Ours were covered in the pink clay by the time we left due to the rain and snow that had occurred.
Admission: Free
Rocky Mountain National Park:
Located an hour and 45 minutes north west from Denver, this was one of my favorite things we visited. This is where our Target trip came into play because we did not want to be ill prepared like we were at Garden of the Gods. Thank goodness we did this because Estes Park had 12in of snowfall the night prior. Majority of the trails were closed to visitors and only open to experienced hikers with the proper equipment. Be sure to stop at the visitors center and talk to a park ranger for daily information and maps. They were very helpful in helping us plan a safe day in the park.
She even provided me bear spray…. instructing me that it can be used on strangers and bears the same in case of an emergency. Rest assured that no bears or people were harmed during the hike.
We hiked to the Emerald Lake which was 4 miles round trip. The trails were busy with visitors and the park rangers had already compacted the snow down so it was easy to maneuver. This was a beautiful time to visit with powdery white snow and frozen lake. On our way back it started to snow (blizzard by my terms) so we thought we better head down the mountain before the roads were covered.
Admission: $25 per vehicle
The Broadmoor:
We stumbled across the Broadmoor when we were in search for a waterfall. This is a large luxury resort located in Colorado Springs. This was a great place to relax from all the hiking we had done. They offer complimentary valet parking and water upon arrival. We were not even staying at this resort and we were blown away by their welcoming staff. We enjoyed gelato in front of a fireplace before heading back to Denver. I will definitely be staying at the Broadmoor next time I am in Colorado.
*recommended dark chocolate & raspberry gelato
Thank you so much for reading our highlights from the trip! Remember, only need 24 hours for a vacation.
-Kelsey and Karley the Adventurestine’s
ADVENTURESTINE 