In 1893, Katherine Lee Bates visited Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs and was inspired by the majestic view to write a poem. This poem was later set to music and became the familar hymn of “America the Beautiful.” We plan to enjoy this same inspiring view of God’s majesty when we visit Colorado in September.

I’ve been busy planning for several months to try and figure out what spots to visit, where to stay, and what to do. There are so many wonderful places in Colorado and the state is so vast with mountain ranges, rivers, and tons of historical sites. My hubby always leaves all the vacation planning to me, so I have to decide our route and which places are “must sees.”  I’ve decided that we will spend 2 nights in Colorado Springs, 3 nights in Estes Park, and one night somewhere in between. That in between spot could be Leadville, Breckenridge, Grand Lake, or somewhere else.

In Colorado Springs the plan is to drive up Pike’s Peak (and try to avoid altitude sickness!) and visit Garden of the Gods. Garden of the Gods is an area with wonderful rock formations. Best of all it’s free! Gotta love the attractions that cost nada.

After Colorado Springs, we plan to visit some of the old ghost towns like St. Elmo. We may also stop by Twin Lakes and Leadville. If we have time, we may take a train ride in Leadville or Georgetown. A drive up Mt.Evans is another possibility.

Our last several days of vacation will be spent in Estes Park visiting Rocky Montain National Park. We are staying in a cozy cabin/condo at the Woodlands. We will have a full kitchen and living room, a fireplace, and even a grill. And all located right on Fall River.

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We plan on doing a lot of hiking around the park, driving up Trail Ridge and Old Fall River Road, and just enjoying nature and the sceneary of Colorado.

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(All images from Tripadvisor)

Does anyone have any tips or sights to see in Colorado? Know of any good restaurants? We like trying out local places. Now I’m just counting the days until we pack up and head west. Now if it only wasn’t a 12 hour drive including a looooong drive across Kansas.