This spring my sister and I flew into Denver and hit the road, on a mission to camp, hike, and hit four national parks in six days. Our trip went very well and it turned out to be a rich discovery in the wonders of the American West, as well as our evolving sister relationship in adulthood. 

EXPERIENCE

This much time in the car is the epitome of learning to enjoy the journey. We put on several hundred miles on this trip and crossed terrain ranging from the open Moab Desert to the Rocky Mountains. In addition to the parks mentioned in other posts, we also hit Durango and Mesa Verde National Park. Durango was surprisingly charming for us. The main street is bustling even off season with art shops, antique stores and boutiques. We had a great timing dining here and just walking around this old time-y mountain town. I’d love to visit here again if passing through. Mesa Verde was a quick stop for us. The visitor center is lovely and from there we took the near 45 minute drive through the park to check out the Spruce Tree House. These are the famous cliff dwellings set into the rock wall most visitors come to see. We took a quick hike down and self guided tour. I’m sure there are more ruins to check out in the park, but we did not have time or interest at that point in the trip. We also stopped at Garden of the Gods outside Denver for a quick walk around this highly commercialized landscape. While very scenic, it felt less natural than the National Parks we had just visited. The paths here are paved and littered with strollers and class groups. The highlight of this stop was the great Navajo Gift Shop and watching rock climbers at work around the park belaying the red rock. 

STAY

While on the road we balanced budget with our craving for a unique experience. I had packed camping equipment, but somehow totally messed things up and FORGOT our tent! After one night of sleeping on a picnic table under the starts, we modified plans to stay at a combination of guesthouses, cheap hotels and unique airbnb spots. A most memorable stay was in Durango at the Strater Hotel. This classic hotel is just lovely, with old time rooms and a bar that match the city’s historic charm. We loved antiquing and walking around this cute town. This hotel had reasonable rates despite being quite fancy feeling in the offseason.

EAT

We did a lot of grocery shopping on this trip and hit small roadside cafe’s along the way. Upon first arriving in Denver, we hit a trendy coffee shop, called Crema, for some espressos and lunch before hitting the road. For the most part, however, our destinations were so remote, this was not a food centric trip. Along the road we often ate from our backseat stockpile of protein bars, apples, dried mangos and popcorn. I’d suggest keeping such a reserve handy if taking a trip like this, often times we found ourselves settling in for the evening with not a restaurant in sight for miles.