My cousin Cody got married in Colorado last August, making it a great excuse to check off a new state! We had never been to Colorado before, although it’s been on Eric’s wish list for a very long time.

We flew into Denver, stayed near Golden (Lakewood), and also explored Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park (with a quick stop in Boulder). It was a fairly quick trip so our kids wouldn’t miss too much school, but we made the most of it!

GOLDEN, COLORADO

We stayed near Golden, a suburb of Denver with a cute downtown area. I would definitely recommend it!

The Golden Mill: On our first night in town, we met up with some friends for dinner at The Golden Mill, which is located on Clear Creek right across the street from Coors Brewing Co. The Golden Mill is a food hall with five different food vendors and self-pour drinks. We brought LCR and Monopoly Deal to play with the kids and had a fantastic time!

Downtown Golden: There are a bunch of souvenir shops, lunch spots and more on the main street that runs through Golden. It’s such a cute place to walk around. We enjoyed our ice cream at Golden Sweets!

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater: Red Rocks is an epic concert venue that’s free to walk around each day until early afternoon (check the website or call to see exactly when you must be out that day). There is a lot of walking involved, so many people come here to exercise. Depending on when you are there, you might even catch a sound check. I would enjoy seeing a show here someday!

Note to self: If we ever make it back for a Red Rocks concert, I think it would be fun to stay at The Golden Hotel and also book a Golden White Water Tubing adventure on Clear Creek with Adventure West!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

On our first full day, we decided to drive 1.5 hours north to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We had heard amazing things about this area! It rained lightly the entire time we were there, which was almost four hours. We were so glad we had brought ponchos! I would also suggest bringing Camelbaks and trail mix, protein bars, etc., to refuel.

Before you go, you will need a timed entry pass in addition to a park pass. We entered the park at 10:00 am. The Bear Lake parking lot was full, so we parked in the Park and Ride lot and took the shuttle to the Glacier Gorge parking lot.

We hiked:

Glacier Gorge Trailhead to Alberta Falls: 1.7 miles
Alberta Falls to Bear Lake: 2 miles
Bear Lake Loop: 0.6 miles

That was enough for me and my kids! Our kids loved the Alberta Falls hike! When you get to the top, the trail ends and you sort of get to choose your own adventure. Walking along the waterfall, where there is no fence or railings, was the most thrilling part. It was nice to give our kids a slightly dangerous but safe enough experience — it definitely gave them a sense of adventure and confidence boost!

THE MAIN EVENT

The main reason for the trip was to witness the marriage of my cousin Cody and his bride, Kaley. They had an absolutely beautiful wedding at The Barn at Evergreen Memorial Park, and 55 family members traveled from Iowa and Minnesota to be there! This photo is all family (we’re on the far left):

photo credit: Caitlyn Harris Photography

Eric already wants to go back and do some mountain biking. Leave your recommendations below for what else we need to explore in Colorado!