Colorado Adventures

Our recent family trip to Colorado was everything we needed—fresh mountain air, cozy downtime, and so many little moments that made the week feel like magic. We split our time between Glenwood Springs/New Castle, and by the end of the trip, none of us were ready to head home.

We packed in a surprising amount of adventure. One of the highlights was hiking Hanging Lake—a bucket-list stop that was just as stunning in person as it looks in the photos. Leo even made the entire hike to the top and he loved this adventure. We balanced that with some relaxed exploring, including shopping in downtown Glenwood and spending time at the Glenwood Hot Springs, soaking in the warm mineral water with mountain views all around.

And of course, we made sure to eat well. Chris’s restaurants—Grind and Zheng’s—did not disappoint and we even ate at Grind a few times just to enjoy our favorites again and again.

For the more active moments, we squeezed in some biking at the mountain biking park which Noah and Bodhi were so brave at, and even visited an alpaca farm, where we fed fluffy alpacas and Highland cows. Being spit on by an Alpaca was one of my most memorable parts of the trips. It was one of those experiences that feels equal parts peaceful and hilarious.

Poor Willow spent part of the trip pretty under the weather with the flu, so we balanced adventure days with plenty of quieter ones. Honestly, those ended up being some of the most memorable. We hung around the house, played card games and puzzles, soaked in the hot tub, and even made a stop at a brand-new Barnes & Noble—the perfect spot for a little early Christmas shopping (and a lot of book browsing).

On the way home, we broke up the drive with a stop in Boulder for a visit with Uncle Chris and Aunt Erin. True to form, we were spoiled with great food and good company. We walked through Chautauqua Park, taking in the unbeatable views, and even drove up to the Boulder overlook, where we snapped some beautiful family photos.

We made a quick driving tour of the CU Boulder campus, and after taking in the mountains, the sunshine, and the whole vibe… let’s just say no one was eager to leave Colorado behind.

Leo made the most of his time, especially getting to play with Uncle Chris’s model trains—an absolute highlight. And we’ll all miss Chris and Sara’s sweet pets, Tigger, Cooper, and Clyde!.