bugsy running on lone rock beach with the airstream and f-150 in the background

Author: lauren

  • Five days in Fort Collins, CO–Big Trip #1

    Five days in Fort Collins, CO–Big Trip #1

    We visited Fort Collins in May 2016 during Big Trip #1. I have a strange personal attachment to Ft Collins. I had never been there, didn’t know much about it other than its general location north of Denver, but for some reason for something like twenty years I’ve always had a thought in the back…

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  • Two days in Estes Park, CO–Big Trip #1

    Two days in Estes Park, CO–Big Trip #1

    We visited Estes Park in May 2016 during Big Trip #1. We really wanted Estes Park to be a charming little mountain town. It’s the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and has a compact, walkable downtown area… that’s full of t-shirt shops and candy stores and tourists. Even in mid-May, the tourists were out…

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  • Rocky Mountain National Park

    Rocky Mountain National Park

    We visited RMNP in May 2016 while staying in Estes Park during Big Trip #1. We visited Rocky Mountain National Park on our first Big Trip, in 2016. Due to road closures and trail conditions, we weren’t able to experience the park nearly as much as we had planned, so look for an update here…

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  • Two and a half days in Denver, CO (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    Two and a half days in Denver, CO (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    We visited Denver in May 2016 during Big Trip #1. Read about our second visit in 2018 during Big Trip #2, and third in 2020 during Big Trip #3. We have intentionally skipped big cities on this trip, but we made an exception to see some friends in Denver, and had a blast. I love…

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  • Five days in Buena Vista, CO–Big Trip #1

    Five days in Buena Vista, CO–Big Trip #1

    We visited Buena Vista in May 2016 during Big Trip #1. Buena Vista, a pretty little town with a special flair for river activities, sits in a valley surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in Colorado. Before you visit, you need to know that it’s pronounced “Byoo-na Viss-ta,” or just “Byoonie.” Don’t embarrass yourself. Campground Can…

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  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

    We visited Black Canyon while staying in Montrose in May 2016 during Big Trip #1. Where we stayed We kind of ended up visiting Black Canyon by accident! Read about our time in Montrose, CO in this post. What we did Black Canyon National Park is more about driving than hiking. We drove through the…

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  • Two days in Montrose, CO (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    Two days in Montrose, CO (visit #1)–Big Trip #1

    We visited Montrose in April 2016 during Big Trip #1. Read about our second visit in 2020 here, during Big Trip #3. Originally, we had wanted to spend a couple nights at Ridgway State Park, exploring the trails there and around Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, but the snow event that forced us to…

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  • Hiking in Grand Junction, CO: McInnis Canyon

    Hiking in Grand Junction, CO: McInnis Canyon

    We hiked McInnis Canyon in April 2016 during Big Trip #1. We did two fun and insanely gorgeous hikes while staying in Grand Junction, both near Fruita in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Devils Canyon On our first afternoon in town, we hiked Devils Canyon Trail, a 6.7 mile loop through a colorful canyon,…

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  • Three days in Grand Junction, CO–Big Trip #1

    Three days in Grand Junction, CO–Big Trip #1

    We visited Grand Junction in April 2016, during Big Trip #1. So this is the point in our story where the random day in Moab slots in: the morning we were to leave Cortez, with the sketchy weather forecast in mind, we checked the highway conditions on the way to Ridgway, where we had planned…

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  • Mesa Verde National Park

    Mesa Verde National Park

    We visited Mesa Verde while staying in Cortez in April 2016 during Big Trip #1. Mesa Verde National Park does not offer extensive hiking; it is mostly about the views and tours of the ancient cliff dwellings. We did a few short hikes and one of the scenic drives, stopping at overlooks to ogle the artifacts. We did not tour any…

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