Carefree Colorado: Part 2 – City Life

Despite having to work so much when I was in Colorado, I managed to experience some phenomenal things. Nature, food, city life, small towns, wildlife, and culture.

Food

I don’t talk badly about many things, and complainers get on my nerves…. but being truthful, I was not impressed by the food in Colorado. One thing that I did fall in love with, is the Green Chili. Apparently there’s a beef between Colorado and New Mexico and who has the best Green Chili. I haven’t tried it in New Mexico yet, but in Colorado, I added it to my order any chance I got. I’ll be in New Mexico in a few months, and I can’t wait to compare!

The other thing I noticed about the food in Colorado, is that they have terrible ketchup. Growing up in PA (such a PA thing to say, instead of spelling/writing it out fully 🤣), Heinz Ketchup was everywhere and we used it on everything. Eggs, perogies, chicken nuggets, pizza, fries, all potatoes, meatloaf, etc.

Not one place in Colorado did the ketchup taste the same. Some restaurants just used a different brand (rookie mistake), but other places with Heinz still tasted differently. I can only assume it’s a different production plant out west, and the recipes or process is slightly different. My tongues swears it.

Nature & Things

Most people go to Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors, at least that’s why I went. Growing up on the East Coast I thought the mountains and countryside were beautiful, but they’re completely different than out West. The elderly woman I met on a trail in Asheville described it perfectly – she said the mountains in the east are soft and feminine, but the mountains in the west are jagged and masculine.

Denver

Chatfield State Park

My first home in CO was Chatfield State Park, in a beautifully secluded campground. I booked my reservation about a month in advance, luckily, because I soon realized how quickly the parks get reserved in the area. It makes sense – it’s close enough to the city, but you feel far away from it all. It took more than 10 minutes to just leave the Park!

The Park has a ton of trails, I’m talking miles and miles. There are bike paths everywhere, and paved roads for skating and boarding. There’s a large reservoir for boating and sailing, and a smaller lake for paddle boarding and swimming. I quickly realized how active people were in Colorado, and it was such a great vibe!

City Life

Most RV parks aren’t going to be in the middle of a big city, unless they’re literally just parking lots. I was in the Denver area for a month, and only went to the city twice. There was so much outdoorsy things to do there, I wasn’t drawn to the busyness of city life.

One afternoon I met up with a VB friend and his local friends for food and socializing. I had a chance to drive through some of the city, sort of on the edge. What I saw and felt was amazing. I passed by a few awesome looking bars that were indoor/outdoor, uniquely designed, enticingly lit up, full of colors and textures, and packed with people in their 20s – 40s.

There were restaurants and bars everywhere, mixed between the most niche stores you could imagine. I can’t speak for the whole city, but the small area I did see had so much life and vibrance. It was very clean, but also comfortable. I could almost seeing myself living there, although with how much time I’ve spent in small towns and wide open spaces, I don’t think I could.

Meow Wolf

The other place in the city I visited was Meow Wolf. You’re probably asking, “what the hell is even that?!”. Well, it’s hard to explain but basically it’s an immersive art museum like nothing I’ve experienced before. It’s like being transplanted to a far away universe. It invigorates all of your senses, except for taste.

The sights matched the sounds. Between the lights, and noises, by the time I left my head was swimming and aching. It may seem like a good idea to get a little buzzed on your substance of choice before hand, but I really don’t recommend it. Going in completely sober, I came out feeling overstimulated. However, still 100% worth the experience!

City of Golden

Golden was one of my favorite spots in Colorado. It’s sort of a side shoot of the big city – quiet, quaint, and cute. Yet there’s so much to offer there, and a ton of history!

They have a small downtown area with the iconic “Welcome to Golden” sign bridging the main street. Only a few blocks, but it was full of busy stores and restaurants. Coors Light is based there, and there’s a ton of mining influences there too.

My favorite part was the river that flowed right through the town. A friend I met in Denver told me about the Clear Creek Park, so I decided to make a trip out there one weekend. As I was walking the river path, I stumbled upon an RV Park literally right on the river. I decided to walk into the office to see if they had any availability, and to my luck they did!

The Clear Creek RV Park is apparently hard to book, likely because of the location. I’m so glad I was decided to walk in that day, because being so close to the River was refreshing. It had a way of beckoning you to it like It refused to be ignored. I also saw another Basecamp there for the 1st time!

So what made this river so special? It’s hard to say for sure, but for me I loved how much life it brought to that little town. Everyday it was packed with people. Children, adults and dogs swimming, wading, and tubing down the river. Families sitting on the big rocks picnicking together. Other people walking and running around its perimeters. I was able to take my laptop out to the edge and work for a few hours one day.

Along the river’s edge there are some man-made additions which add to its accessibility and utility. Large, square and flat rocks are cemented into the river banks in certain parts, creating natural appearing seating. Perfect for tanning, reading, napping, and sitting with your toes dipped into the icy, fresh, babbling water.

Must sees outside of the city

Other nearby places that are very much worth mentioning, are the Red Rock Amphitheater and Lair o the Bear.

The Red Rock Amphitheatre is iconic in my eyes, and was on my bucket list of places to see. I don’t remember how old I was when I first learned about it, but I always had a fascination with it. One day I will go back for a concert, however the park itself was breathtaking! It’s only about 15 minutes or so from Golden and worth the short detour.

Lair O’ The Bear is an open space park with a river walk and mountainous trails. The drive there was spectacular (so many drives in Colorado are). It was a windy road going up into the mountains, letting you know something special is waiting at the end. This park reminded me of the river in Golden, except it takes more effort to get there since it’s a little bit out of the way. Another great place to relax by the river or walk through the beautiful mountain side.

City of Boulder

I only spent a few days in the Boulder area, but it had great vibes! The highlight of Boulder was my hike to the Flatirons. This was by far the coolest hike I had done up until that point in time (I’ve done some more recently that surpassed this one).

The start of the trail provides an amazing meadow view with the Flatirons displayed perfectly in the distance. A perfect photo opp for weddings, engagements, or whatever other reason people have for professional photos these days.

If you’re not much of hiker, or acclimated to the elevation, be prepared for this one – it’s a pretty steep uphill climb most of the way up. There are some flatter areas mixed in between, depending on which trail you do, crossing over spilled rocks. If you’re an expert rock climber, or more daring than I am, you can attempt to climb the actual flatirons which are just about a vertical climb up.

The view at the top is definitely worth it. I was able to find a semi-hidden large rock to relax on, meditate, and get out of sight of other hikers. Unless you start your hike super early in the morning, most renowned trails are going to be pretty packed with other people.

City of Glenwood Springs

Glenwood Springs is a gorgeous little town about 3 hours West of the Denver area. The drive there was absolutely stunning. The route I took drove through some of the popular snowboarding towns like Vail. I left from Boulder in ~75 degree weather, and once I got to the mountains drove through a snowstorm! It was wild. Luckily Glenwood Springs was nice and sunny when I arrived.

One of the main attractions to this area is the hot springs. They have several Hot Spring businesses which include differing sized pools and temperatures, and some in the middle of the mountains. The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort even had a diving board! I had so much fun diving and flipping off the diving board there. I used to live at the town pool when I was younger, spending almost every day of my summer there. Jumping off the diving board brought back so many fond memories of that time of my youth.

The other hot springs I went to, Iron Mountain Hot Springs, had more than a dozen smaller pools at varying temperatures. It was sort of like little red riding hood trying to find the pool temperature that suited you best.

Glenwood Springs also has some amazing hikes near by, and several other beautiful places under 60 minutes away including Carbondale and Aspen that are worth visiting. If you like to ski, and want to marry a billionaire, then Aspen is the place for you! Personally I think it’s overrated, but I’m not a skier and I don’t like stuck up people who buy unnecessarily expensive hats all to look exactly the same (IYKYK).

Amazing hike near Glenwood Springs

Back to the hikes – if you’re in the area, you have to check out Hanging Lake. It’s one of those permit hikes, but what’s at the top of the mountain is 100% worth it! This was also a straight hike up, but only takes between 40 – 60+ minutes for most people.

At the top of the mountain is a pristine sanctuary of bright green water, rainbow trout, and tremendous waterfalls. The “hanging lake” is basically a lake at the top of the mountain, filled by a waterfall. They’re very strict about no human contact in the lake – no touching, and definitely no swimming – to preserve the perfection of nature.

Because the ecosystem there is so healthy, the water is crystal clear, and the plant life shines through reflecting the sun and making the water seem neon green from certain angles. It’s an awe inspiring work of art, created by none other than mother nature.

About 300 yards away from the hanging lake, there are waterfalls you can walk behind and underneath. The experience of walking behind the waterfalls, and hearing and feeling the heaviness of the water hitting the rocks in front of you was magnificent. Feeling the spray of water on your face, and visualizing how the water carved out everything around you, makes one feel alive and also insignificant at the same time.

To Sum It Up

If my travels were an actual story, there would be a chapter dedicated to my time in Colorado. In this chapter, the Heroine goes through trials and tribulations, but comes out on top. Experiencing those stressful moments made her realize how important it is to maintain balance and not lose sight of your purpose. Maintaining perspective and remembering the journey. Journey having several meanings.

… And with one chapter ending, another is about to begin.

If you missed Part 1, here it is!

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