Welcome To Colorful Colorado! — [Traveling During COVID-19 Part 3]

Well, I did it again….

I got the courage to go on another solo trip and get away for a few days. I was originally supposed to go to Los Angeles, but since the COVID-19 cases in California are well over 600k, I decided to reroute to a more low key destination where I can spend time in the mountains.

Where To Stay:

I went to Denver last year and planned on returning back, but never thought it would be alone (you can read about that trip here). Even though I love the city, I wanted to venture out more west near the mountains this time. In order to live the best of both worlds, I decided to stay in Lincoln Park, which is right in the middle of Denver and a walkable location. My Airbnb was also next to the highway, which made it easier to get to the mountains.

Depending on what you have planned, you might find it more helpful to stay outside the city. It’s also cheaper if you’re on a tight budget, but being in a prime location makes it easier to get around. Especially if you don’t rent a car.

What To Do:

I spent most of my time in Denver, but I also drove an hour and half west to Dillon and an hour south to Colorado Springs.

The drive to Dillon was absolutely beautiful! It’s literally a scenic drive and there are some areas you can pull off to the side to take pictures of the view. It’s a straight trip from the city and the elevation gets higher the closer you get (obvi). The car I rented was just a normal midsized sedan, but having a SUV would probably be a little smoother.

Dillon Reservoir was breathtaking! The scenery looked like a default background on a desktop computer. There were people fishing, biking, running, or just looking out at the view. It was nice to sit down and take it all in. Alone.

I also went to Colorado Springs the next day, which was a little shorter of a drive. I specifically went so I could check out Garden of the Gods. Even though it was a little busy, it was still easy to social distance and get away from the crowds. I would suggest going really early. I met up with a friend prior to leaving to Colorado Springs, so I left Denver closer to 9 a.m and the parking was already full by 10 on a Monday morning. Just a heads up.

Some other outdoor places I would recommend are:

• Hike Herman Gulch Trail
• Cheesman Park
• Sloan’s Lake
• City Park
• Red Rocks Park

After this journey, I think I proved to myself that I am capable of doing things alone. This was my second solo trip and I believe I handled everything well. At least as well and as safe as I can during a pandemic, but I’m definitely glad I pushed myself to travel alone again. Life is way too short to miss out on the things you want to do. You only get one life, why wait to live?

Xox

La Flare