Of all the places I’ve visited in the United States, Colorado is the one that keeps calling me back. I’ve explored different parts of the state, traveled solo and with friends and family, celebrated a birthday there, hiked through the mountains, fed alpacas, soaked in a not-so-hot hot spring, and made plenty of memories along the way. My Colorado travel experiences have taken me from mountain trails to unexpected adventures, and no two trips have ever felt exactly the same.
But honestly, it’s not one particular city or attraction that makes Colorado my favorite. It’s the feeling I get when I’m there. Something about being surrounded by mountains, fresh air, and wide-open scenery makes me feel grounded and at peace. Every trip has given me another reason to appreciate the state, even when things didn’t go exactly according to plan.
Colorado Wasn’t Just One Trip
My Colorado experiences have happened at different times and with different people. I’ve visited Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Breckenridge, Morrison, Golden, Littleton, and Aurora, and each place gave me something different to remember.
Some trips were solo. Others were with friends or family. Some were carefully planned, while others were more of a “let’s see what happens” kind of adventure. And honestly, some of my favorite memories came from the trips that didn’t go according to plan.
That’s part of what I love about traveling. You can have an itinerary, but you never really know which moments are going to stick with you.
Colorado Springs: Hiking at Seven Falls
One of my early Colorado trips took me to Denver, where my best friend, Faith, was living at the time. She basically became my unofficial tour guide, which was perfect because I got to experience the area with someone who actually knew where she was going. One day, we decided to hop in the car and ended up in Colorado Springs.
One of our stops was Seven Falls. We went hiking and spent some time taking in the scenery, and it was one of my first real opportunities to experience Colorado’s landscape up close.
Coming from Atlanta, I wasn’t used to seeing mountains like that. There is something completely different about hiking when you’re surrounded by that kind of scenery. Even when you’re tired and wondering why you decided to walk uphill voluntarily, you can look around and realize the view is worth it.
Paying My Respects at the Columbine Memorial
Another Colorado stop that stayed with me for a completely different reason was the Columbine Memorial in Littleton.
The memorial is peaceful and beautifully maintained, with brick walls featuring quotes from family members and students, the names of the students and teachers who lost their lives, and a fountain in the center. Walking through it was both calm and incredibly sad.
The tragedy happened years ago, but standing there and seeing the names made the loss feel fresh. I felt like it was important to pay my respects and remember the people behind the headlines.
It also made me think about how short life really is. Experiences like that are part of why I want to keep traveling, trying new things, and making memories while I’m here. None of us are promised forever, so I want to see as much of the world as I can while I have the chance.
Denver, Good Friends & a Free Flight of Beer
I’ve also spent time in Denver visiting friends, including one I hadn’t seen in years. One trip was pretty low-key. We did a short hike, enjoyed the views, and eventually ended up at Oasis Brewing Co. I’m not a huge beer drinker, but they offered a free flight of beers and a souvenir cup, and I’m not one to turn down free anything. LOL Unfortunately, it seems Oasis Brewing Co. has permanently closed since then.
Not every travel memory has to involve a major attraction. Sometimes it’s just catching up with someone you haven’t seen in years, trying something new, and enjoying a relaxed afternoon in a different city.
Denver also gave me one of my favorite food memories: Barcelona Wine Bar. There’s a location in Atlanta, where I’m from, so finding one in Denver felt a little like stumbling across a tiny piece of Spain while traveling through Colorado. The tapas were delicious, and the wine made me feel like I had briefly been transported back to Europe.
A Day at Elitch Gardens
Another Denver experience I can’t leave out was visiting Elitch Gardens theme park with my friend Faith. Since we’re both from Georgia, we’re pretty familiar with Six Flags Over Georgia and Six Flags White Water. So naturally, Faith had a comparison in the chamber for Elitch Gardens. She called it the “poor man’s Six Flags.” HAHAHA I mean…I understood what she meant. When you’re used to having Six Flags as a staple back home, you can’t help but compare every theme park to it.
Still, we had a good time exploring the park and getting on rides. The only ride I clearly remember was the Sidewinder. What I remember almost as vividly, though, was how ridiculously hot it was while we stood in line. After all, it was the middle of July! There is nothing like standing in a long ride line under the blazing sun, wondering whether the ride is actually worth sweating through your clothes for.
Thankfully, the experience gave us another funny travel memory to look back on. Sometimes the attraction itself is memorable, but other times it’s the random comments, inside jokes, and little moments that make the day stand out.
Elitch Gardens may not have replaced Six Flags in our Georgia-loving hearts, but it was still a fun part of my Colorado visit.
When Our Ski Trip Turned Into a Hiking Trip
One of my favorite Colorado trips was a group trip to Breckenridge to celebrate my cousin’s birthday. We had around ten people, rented two cars, and stayed in an incredible Airbnb cabin with huge windows, lots of wood, multiple bedrooms, and a beautiful mountain view right in the backyard. There was even a lake nearby that was partially frozen. It looked like something straight out of a winter postcard.
The original plan was to go skiing, but this was during the COVID era, and restrictions meant we couldn’t rent the equipment we needed. None of us had brought our own gear either, so skiing was officially off the table. So we did what travelers do when Plan A disappears: we made a Plan B. When in doubt, hike it out!
We found a nearby hiking trail around Dillon Reservoir and went for it. The views were absolutely breathtaking. Literally. Colorado’s air is a different beast, especially while hiking. LOL Between the altitude and the effort, you definitely notice your breathing more than you might expect. But every time I felt tired, I’d look around and see the mountains and the water, and think, “Okay…this is worth it.”
Because of the COVID restrictions, we spent a lot of our time at the Airbnb instead of going out. We played games, listened to music, drank, and just enjoyed being together. We also made it to Continental Divide Winery for food and wine.
And in true Colorado fashion, it didn’t actually snow until the morning we were leaving!
My 30th Birthday in Colorado
Then there was the trip that probably made me fall even more in love with Colorado: my 30th birthday.
I decided to take a solo birthday trip to Denver and rent a car so I could explore at my own pace. Turning 30 alone in another state wasn’t necessarily something I’d planned years in advance. It was more of a “why not?” decision.
I’m a Taurus, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that being surrounded by nature genuinely makes me feel at peace. So Colorado felt like the perfect place to celebrate a new decade. I woke up early on my birthday and headed to Lookout Mountain to watch the sunrise. The views were incredible, and starting my birthday surrounded by mountains felt like exactly what I needed.
Lookout Mountain is also home to the Mother Cabrini Shrine and the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, which made the morning even more memorable. Standing there and looking out over the city, I remember thinking that this was a pretty great way to start 30.
Yes, I Went to an Alpaca Farm for My Birthday
Later that day, I headed to Morrison to visit the Smooth Alpaca ranch. Yes, I spent part of my 30th birthday feeding alpacas. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way! I got to pet and feed them hay and pellets, and they were adorable. There was also a goat who liked to head-butt my hand for more food. And really, who was I to deny him?
But the funniest part was the alpacas’ names. My favorite was Pablo Picasso. I mean…how am I supposed to forget an alpaca named Pablo Picasso? LOL Impossible. It was such a random birthday activity, but that’s exactly why I loved it. I wasn’t doing what I thought I was “supposed” to do for a milestone birthday. I was just doing something that made me happy.
Red Rocks Was Exactly What I Expected
Since I was already in the area, I also visited Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
I knew Red Rocks was famous, but I was still surprised by how red the rocks actually were in person. Sometimes you see something in pictures so many times that you forget it’s going to look different when you’re standing right in front of it!
Seeing the natural rock formations surrounding an actual concert venue was such a cool experience. It felt like another example of what makes Colorado special: nature isn’t just something you drive past. It’s part of the experience.
Meeting New People on My Birthday
That evening, I decided to use Bumble BFF to meet some local people.
I always use common sense and stay cautious when meeting people I don’t know, especially while traveling alone. But this experience turned out really well. I met a couple of women, and we went out for dinner and dancing to celebrate my birthday. I even had giant number 30 balloons with me.
The only problem? Colorado apparently has other plans for giant balloons because the wind was absolutely no joke. They were tied to my chair and whipping around all over the place, so eventually I popped them. LOL It wasn’t exactly the glamorous birthday photo moment I had imagined, but it was definitely memorable.
And that’s something Colorado has taught me more than once: sometimes the imperfect moments become the best stories.
The Hot Spring That Wasn’t Actually Hot
The next day, I met up with one of the women I’d met for dinner and we headed to Radium Hot Springs. I’d always heard about natural hot springs and wanted to experience one for myself. Since Georgia isn’t exactly known for natural hot springs, I was excited to finally try one.
The scenery was beautiful, but the water itself was…not what I expected. It was lukewarm at best. Not exactly the relaxing, steaming hot spring experience I’d imagined. But that’s on me for assuming simply based off the name. LOL
Getting there was also an adventure. Because I didn’t know that we had to actually hike down to the water, (and because I apparently enjoy making travel harder for myself), I wore flip-flops. That was a mistake. Big. Huge. It took about 45 mins from where we parked to get down there.
On the way back, we got lost trying to find the car. So the return trip ended up being even longer. By the time we found the car, my feet were covered in blisters. If there is one thing I hope you take away from this story, it’s this: don’t hike in flip-flops! Your feet will thank you.
Colorado Travel Has a Way of Slowing Me Down
Looking back at all of these trips, the memories that stand out most aren’t necessarily the biggest attractions. They’re the moments when I felt completely present.
It’s watching the sunrise from the top of a hill. It’s hiking with friends and stopping because the view is too beautiful not to photograph. It’s sitting around an Airbnb playing games with family. It’s feeding an alpaca named Pablo Picasso. It’s meeting new people on your birthday. It’s getting lost on the way back from a lukewarm hot spring and realizing you’ll probably laugh about it later.
Colorado has a way of making me slow down and actually notice where I am and I think that’s what I love most about it.
Why Colorado Is My Favorite Place to Visit in the U.S.
I’ve traveled to a lot of places across the United States, but Colorado continues to stand out to me because of how it makes me feel. The scenery is obviously a huge part of it. The mountains, lakes, hiking trails, sunsets, and wide-open spaces are beautiful in a way that’s hard to explain until you’re standing in the middle of it.
But it’s more than the scenery. Colorado has given me some of my favorite travel memories: solo adventures, family celebrations, time with old friends, new friendships, birthday milestones, unexpected detours, and plenty of stories I still laugh about.
Every trip has reminded me that travel doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes the ski trip becomes a hiking trip. Sometimes the hot spring isn’t hot. Sometimes your birthday balloons get whipped around by the wind so you pop them. Sometimes you wear flip-flops on a mountain and immediately regret your choices. LOL But you remember those moments.
And when I think about the places I’ve visited in the U.S., Colorado is the one that makes me want to keep exploring. There’s something about being surrounded by nature that helps me feel grounded, peaceful, and fully present.
Maybe that’s why Colorado is my favorite place to visit in the U.S. And honestly, I don’t think I’m done exploring it yet.