@evanalvarez8 man, driving down Highway 1(that's the number right) in a convertible has always been a dream of mine. Would love to take the wife, hit foodie spots, the Monterey Aquarium, the beach line, everything!
@arthur-dent During the summer I find Estes to be overvalued while Breckenridge is much cheaper than the winter months. So we stay in Breck for a few days then head to RMNP for a day and over to Estes and see the Rodeo. I usually will make the short drive somehwere nearby and spend less than Estes. Great are though...So many awesome places to visit in CO. Durango is cool, the 4 corners, I could go on and on....
Rocky Mountain National Park and all the other area around Estes Park, CO, and along the Big Thompson River. Hands down.
Estes is our favorite vacation spot. We go every couple of years. One year we stayed up in the mountains southwest of Estes. Beautiful, but when the air in Estes seemed thick explained the problem. Carrying our suitcases to/from the car was a challenge. No more of that.
Last year we did Glacier and Lake Louise up in Banff. Glacier was really nice, but Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are stunning. I would put them on a list of most beautiful.
Estes is a little too touristy for me to want to do anything other than a day visit, which I did this summer.
But the Big Thompson River valley...such a great drive into the park
@evanalvarez8 man, driving down Highway 1(that's the number right) in a convertible has always been a dream of mine. Would love to take the wife, hit foodie spots, the Monterey Aquarium, the beach line, everything!
It's well worth it! Definitely recommend
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@arthur-dent During the summer I find Estes to be overvalued while Breckenridge is much cheaper than the winter months. So we stay in Breck for a few days then head to RMNP for a day and over to Estes and see the Rodeo. I usually will make the short drive somehwere nearby and spend less than Estes. Great are though...So many awesome places to visit in CO. Durango is cool, the 4 corners, I could go on and on....
We spent 2 days in Breckenridge during what they call "mud" season. Literally the week after ski slopes closed and the week before summer programs started. 6PM on Saturday and I could walk down the middle of the main drag and not worry about a car. It was incredible to be somewhere so empty.
Estes is touristy, but far better than a Branson or Gatlinburg. When the elk are hanging out in town, it is awesome. Eating ice cream next to Big Thompson is something we do often.
Another beautiful site is standing at the Peace Memorial at Gettysburg and watching a moonrise.
@arthur-dent I love Smokey Mountain NP, but can’t stand Gatlinburg and surrounding areas. It’s basically a country Vegas.
As far as Breck during the summer months you can a huge house for about the price of a small place in Estes.
We biked the Big Sur coast several years ago. The most challenging thing we did together on our tandem. Gorgeous scenery.
Not referring to a country, city...literally the most beautiful spot(s) where you stood there in awe or thought this is the most amazing, beautiful place you've ever visited.
I'll go....
The south rim of the Grand Canyon. I had always heard the GC was amazing, but nothing said does it justice unitl you visit. I'd like to go back and see it and hike more. It just makes you realize how old this planet is for this canyon to exist. It literally brought a tear to my eye. I've heard the north rim has experienced some damage due to wild fires. I'd really like to step onto that glass platform to look down into the canyon.
If the GC is my #1, I'd like to give honorable mentions to the Great Wall of China. It's incredible to see what man can build. Two others would be Machu Picchu and Gokyo Peak in the Himalayas. Due to the peak altitude of 17,500 it was the most challending slow climb of my life but at the peak allowed amazing views of the Himalayas including Everest.
I’ll echo most of the places already mentioned. I think Southern Utah has more great scenery and beautiful places per square mile than any similarly sized place in the U.S. A must visit.
I’ll add Beartooth pass between Montana and Wyoming, near the NE entrance to Yellowstone. Worth a trip.
https://enjoyyourparks.com/montana/top-things-to-do-in-montana/beartooth-highway/
Permit me a brief war story about this. Many years ago there was a part time federal magistrate in Estes Park whose main job was to deal with all the crimes and violations in the park. During the off season the magistrate was assigned to deal with civil case from the district court in Denver. I had an acrimonious discovery dispute and a couple of other issues in a case assigned to the RMNP magistrate. He held Court in the conference room at Park HQ. As you might imagine, the conference room had one wall of all windows and outside the Window was the most stunning view of Longs Peak. It was winter and Longs was almost all snow-covered and the view was amazing. So there we were, arguing a case looking at the Magistrate with that beauty in the background. Talk about deescalation and a court room calming effect. I remember walking away thinking that if all courtrooms had such a view, litigation would be much more civil.
@co-hoosier that sounds amazing. I need to make this happen. How hard was the biking? Pretty hilly?
Very hilly. Several
1,000 climbs followed by downhill to sea level.
we rode from Monterey to SLO meaning we were in the drop-off side of the road. No guardrails in some places.
@arthur-dent I had meetings in Denver and flew in early and a buddy and I booked a cabin in Estes and went hiking/fishing and it was great. This was early May and it was snowing when we drove in and there were elk everywhere. Town wasn't crowded at all, although some restaurants were. We hiked up snowy mountain trails, caught a good many trout and saw tons of wildlife: elk, big horns, bear, mountain goats and mule deer.
Our first trip to Estes was our honeymoon, and it was in February (1987, a year easy to remember for IU fans). We hiked, where we could, then rented snowshoes and could go further. Town was pretty empty. My favorite was a restaurant with a busker, he played Battle of New Orleans. I gave him a decent tip for that one
The other tourist trap town we love is Bar Harbor. They voted to limit the number of cruise line passengers just after our last visit so I am looking forward to going back. When the big ships came in, the town and park both became a sea of humanity.
We love the National Parks but to an extent a Yogi Berra quote fits, "no one goes there anymore because it is too crowded."
@evanalvarez8 one of our favorite places, spent two nights off the pch in a cove, in the back of our SUV. Woke up both mornings with the fog rolling over us, the ocean waves crashing into the cliffs. Two of the best nights of my life
@evanalvarez8 one of our favorite places, spent two nights off the pch in a cove, in the back of our SUV. Woke up both mornings with the fog rolling over us, the ocean waves crashing into the cliffs. Two of the best nights of my life
That sounds incredible, wow. It's such a beautiful place of the country!
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