I have a LOT to share with you all on my blogging calendar, but I want to sprinkle in some fun adventures we’ve enjoyed these past summer months! One of them was checking out the Rocky Mountain National Park when my parents visited. I hope you’re inspired to check out this beautiful part of the country!
We visited in July, which is the ideal time to go for many reasons — The temperature was perfect (mind you, we were still wearing jackets!), the flowers were in peak bloom, and we saw so much wildlife! No joke. In just two days, we saw seven moose (two babies), countless elk, and friendly “ground squirrels.” Although I still think they look like chipmunks, but apparently, there is a difference. SO CUTE! And speaking of elk… Since this trip, “elk” is Jack’s favorite word. Haha! Can you tell we saw a lot of them? 😉
When we planned to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park, we were excited to drive the Trail Ridge Road. It is the “highest continuously paved road in North America.” As you would imagine, I wanted to pull off at every scenic point for a photo (HA!) — It was gorgeous! I don’t think pictures do it justice! And it was fun seeing the chipmunks/ground squirrels running around. Snow White dreams which remind me of our trip in the Grand Tetons!
But before we drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park, we made a special pit stop for brunch. One of our favorite restaurants in Denver/Colorado Springs is the Denver Biscuit Company — If you live in Colorado and don’t know about it… shame on you! 😉 It’s a must any time we have a guest in town, and we love it! … Jack approves too. HA!
The Trail Ridge Road
This drive doesn’t disappoint! Along the way, there are countless pull-offs and plenty of hiking trails. Jack especially loved all of the running around and climbing on rocks. He loves the outdoor life!! The views were incredible and then when we stumbled across elk with the majestic mountains in the backdrop, it was a real-life postcard. But I loved seeing the boys (Alex and my dad) with their binoculars looking for wildlife… HA!
At one point, we decided to conquer “Huffers Hill” as a family. This was a big deal for my mom because just a year ago, she wasn’t walking! Back in February 2021, she had a surgeon from UVA mess up her ankle and said there wasn’t anything wrong… It wasn’t until December 2021 before a different surgeon in Woodbridge found/corrected the mistake and she was able to walk just TEN days later!!! Incredible. After almost a year without walking to then nine months later hiking, we were all very proud of her!
Alex and I detoured a little bit and went on our little adventure to let my mom rest after that hike, and we got to see even more elk! It never got old… Especially those mountain views. 🙂 If you haven’t been to Rocky Mountain National Park, be sure to add it to your bucket list! There is a reason why it’s one of the top most visited National Parks in the US!
XOXO!
+ COMMENTS
add a comment