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Our Colorado Travel Diary

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Our Colorado Travel Diary

If you happen to follow my personal Instagram account, you probably know that Rob and I took a long weekend trip to Denver, Colorado last weekend to get out of town for some rest, relaxation, and a change of scenery. Having grown up all over the US, I have a huge love for traveling and exploring new places. Rob and I also both love hiking and spending time outside, and we fell in love with western US when we visited Zion and Bryce Canyon on our 1st wedding anniversary.

After that trip, we made it a point to explore more and focus on building memories that we could cherish for a lifetime. Our last trip was last April when we went to New England and explored Boston and a tiny town in Maine. We were long overdue for another adventure, and when Rob’s friend, Austin, reached out to us after Layne passed away about coming out to Colorado, we knew that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore a new place and reset before we headed into a new season.

READ ALSO: Our New England Travel Diary – Part 1: Boston, Massachusetts

READ ALSO: Our New England Travel Diary – Part 2: Ogunquit, Maine

So today on the blog, I can’t wait to share with you our Colorado travel diary. If you plan to take a trip to the Denver, Colorado area in the future, here’s a little bit of where we ate as well as what we did — and even what we wish we would’ve had more time to do!

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Where We Stayed

We took advantage of using our Hilton points, and we stayed at the Hilton Doubletree in Thorton. We have always had great luck with Hilton (sorry, mom and dad! – they are Marriott loyal), and this time was no different. It was really nice and quiet, clean, and the staff was super nice as well. Not to mention, we had free breakfast every morning – and there was a Starbucks directly in front of the hotel! Meanwhile, it was a great area, super close to a lot of restaurants and the outlets, and it wasn’t far of a drive to downtown. Since we didn’t spend hardly any time downtown, that didn’t bother me. When we go back, I’d definitely stay there again – but I’d probably like to rent a cabin closer to the parks!

 

Where We Ate

Pubhouse Brewery in Longmont, Colorado

When we finally made it to Colorado, we made the trip up to Longmont to hang out with Rob’s friend, Austin, and have a chill evening of catching up. It’s crazy to think we hadn’t all been together since Rob and I got married a little over 3 years ago. Rob grew up with Austin, so it was definitely a night full of belly laughs and old stories. For dinner, we headed to Pubhouse Brewery a couple blocks from Austin’s house. It was a great local spot for bar food and watching games on their jumbo TVs.  Rob ordered a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and fries. Meanwhile, I stuck with my diet and ordered the chicken salad in a wrap with fruit. It definitely wasn’t like a let-down healthy option. It was SO good!

Snooze in Denver, Colorado

Snooze was recommended to us by one of my best friends who use to live in Colorado. We wanted our first full day in town (Saturday) to be another day to hangout in the city and with Rob’s friend, so we decided that kicking it off at Snooze after an early morning workout at the hotel was the perfect way to start off the day. We got there relatively early for a Saturday morning, and there was a huge wait overflowing to the outside of the restaurant. I honestly didn’t mind the wait though with the free coffee and corn-hole boards on the sidewalk. Rob swears he won, but I’m not sure if I trust his score keeping.

For our meal, I stayed in the lighter side with the Sweet Potato Hash (added chicken sausage for extra protein) and one of the best cappuccinos topped with cinnamon. Meanwhile, Rob got the Snooze Spuds Deluxe with green chiles. The food was definitely worth the wait! It tied with The Roost on my favorite foodie spot of our trip.

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

The Roost in Longmont, Colorado

For dinner Saturday night, we met back up with Rob’s friend Austin in Longmont and walked a couple blocks again to The Roost (which is actually next door to Pubhouse Brewery!) It was a fantastic farm to table style place that prides itself on purchasing from local farms and ranchers. While Snooze was the best breakfast, The Roost was hands down the best dinner we had while we were in Colorado.

For our meal, we ordered a bunch of appetizers to share between the three of us. I particularly loved the lettuce wraps and the bangin’ cauliflower. Meanwhile, Rob and Austin loved the buffalo style tots and the bacon and queso tots. (Have you ever had tater tot nachos? Talk about a carb coma!)

The Locals Grill in Estes Park, Colorado

We spent the first half of Sunday at Rocky Mountain National Park before we went over to Estes Park to rent UTVs. But, we couldn’t drive UTVs on an empty stomach, so we stopped to have a quick lunch at The Locals Grill in Downtown Estes Park. To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting much from the appearance of the restaurant. However, Rob is usually the king at finding the best hole-in-the-wall places. I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually an amazing burger and sandwich place. Rob had an Elk burger that he still raves about, and I had one of the best grilled chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had!

Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ & Brew in Estes Park, Colorado

After renting UTVs in Estes Park, we all ended a super fun packed day with some of the best Texas-style barbecue that I’ve had (outside of Texas) at Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ & Brew. Rob and I are usually skeptical of Texas-style barbecue and Tex-Mex when we are not in Texas – and usually for a really good reason! However, it was a super fun and quirky place with seriously amazing food.

We were starving after playing with UTVs all afternoon, so for an appetizer we all shared the BBQ Nachos. We each then got our own Smokin’ Platter. Austin and I each got Texas BBQ Sausage and Texas Beef Brisket, and Rob got Texas BBQ Sausage and Smokin’ Buffalo Ribs. It’s safe to say this is a must-have if you’re ever in Estes Park! You will NOT regret it! We ate so much food that I promptly fell asleep about 5 minutes after pulling out of the parking lot.

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Trail Ridge Cafe @ Alpine Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park

During our full day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center off the Trail Ridge Road and enjoyed a cup of chili in the Trail Ridge Cafe. To be honest, it was really pricey (gotta get that tourist money!), and I wasn’t super impressed. However, with Rob and I both getting colds during the trip it definitely hit the spot on the last day. (Did I mention that it was in the mid-50s up there?!) All in all, you really couldn’t beat having lunch with that breathtaking view!

 

What We Did

Softball Games and Laughs

When we finally made it to Colorado, we made the trip up to Longmont to hang out with Rob’s friend, Austin, and have a chill evening of catching up. For dinner, we headed to Pubhouse Brewery a couple blocks from Austin’s house, and then we hung out at the softball fields and watched Austin’s softball game. We haven’t seen Austin since Rob and I got married a little over 3 years ago, so it was definitely a night full of belly laughs and rehashing old stories. Those are the best nights, in my opinion!

Scooter Rentals in Downtown Denver

After breakfast at Snooze, we took advantage of our time in the city by renting Lime scooters in Downtown Denver to explore the city a little bit. Even living in Atlanta we have never done that before, so I was a little nervous at first. But the city was definitely pretty quiet for an early Saturday morning, so we didn’t have to worry about a lot of people or traffic. It was a BLAST! The weather was great, and it was a super fun way to explore around downtown.

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Shopping at the Outlets

With us living in a small(ish) town that really only has a Walmart, I love the chance to go shopping a bit when we travel. Especially to outlets with deals and stores we don’t necessarily have back home. After leaving Downtown, we went up to the Denver Premium Outlets near our hotel to shop a little bit before freshening up and heading to Longmont again to meet up with Austin. I got some new workout gear, and Rob got some new clothes and shoes. The only issue was fitting it all back in our carryons.

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Sunday, we spent the first half of our day driving through about half of Rocky Mountain National Park along the Trail Ridge Road. If you’ve never been to Rocky Mountain before, their website kind of describes it perfectly….

“Feel Like You’re On Top of the World! Rocky Mountain National Park’s 415 square miles encompass and protect spectacular mountain environments. Enjoy Trail Ridge Road – which crests at over 12,000 feet including many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds – along with over 300 miles of hiking trails, wildflowers, wildlife, starry nights, and fun times. In a world of superlatives, Rocky is on top!”

It takes about 2 hours to drive through the entire park (one-way) with no stops, so with half a day before our UTV rentals in Estes Park, we were only able to drive through half the park while stopping at some of the scenic overlooks. We made it up to the Alpine Visitor Center before turning around. Talk about breathtaking! It was really hard to take it all in. Rob and I kept saying that it was like staring at a painting. (God sure is an amazing artist!)

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home BlogOur Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

UTV Rentals in Estes Park

When we were planning for our trip, Rob was saying that he really wanted to rent UTVs. I didn’t realize that was a possibility until I googled it and Backbone Adventures came up on Trip Advisor! Not only do they rent 2-seat Razors and 4-seat UTVs, but they also rent jeeps, snowmobiles (in the winter), ATVs, and dirt bikes. It was so easy too – I reserved it online, we showed up about an hour early at the shop to sign paperwork and get helmets, and they delivered and picked up the UTV at the trailhead.

Rob, Austin, and I ended up renting a 4-seat UTV for a half day for only $219. To be honest, if we were doing it again, we would have done two of the 2-seat Razors or a Razor and ATV. The 4-seat UTV had a super cramped back-seat, so it was a little uncomfortable with how rough the trail was. If you saw on Instagram stories, I *apparently* almost *killed* Rob and Austin. But that’s another story for another day. One thing I wasn’t a real big fan of was that the trails were really rough. There weren’t hardly any flat spots to speed through and have fun. We were hoping that it’d be more flat and open to some amazing views. In the end, we had an amazing time though with a lot of laughs! Definitely would do it again!

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home BlogOur Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Rocky Mountain National Park (again!)

On Monday, for our last day in Colorado, we decided to change our original plans and go back to Rocky Mountain National Park to completely drive through the park and to do some hiking. When you arrive at the park entrance, the rangers will give you a map and a newspaper. Inside the newspaper is a list of ‘Gentle Hikes’ that are throughout the park. While they are each pretty short, they definitely add up to several miles and are a great way to see a lot of different parts of the park in one day!

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

Shopping in Downtown Estes Park

After a full day in Rocky Mountain National Park, we finished our day with some shopping in Downtown Estes Park before heading back to the hotel and getting some sleep before our 6:00 AM flight Tuesday morning. From candy shops to local art galleries, Downtown Estes Park was such a cute tourist town with lots of local shops and restaurants. The heavy rain drove us to head out early, but I wish we would’ve had more time to explore these local spots. I definitely recommend you make time to stop here if you can!

 

Our Favorite Parts

Rob and I definitely agree that our favorite part of our short time in Colorado was visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. I mean, no wonder we changed our plans and went back for another day! It was absolutely breathtaking and really hard to take it all in. Our second day there I was sitting on an overlook on one of our hikes taking in the view, and I couldn’t help but shed a tear thinking about how much we would have loved getting to experience such a beautiful place with Layne. On our walk back, it made me think that Layne was probably looking down on us saying, “If you think Colorado is breathtaking… just you wait, mama!”

When I asked Rob what his favorite part of the trip was, he said he loved walking up on the elk herd in Rocky Mountain National Park. He then went on about his fantasy of carrying one with him back to the truck…. “a trophy bull elk with the antlers draped over his shoulders” and all. What a typical southern boy hunter answer, right? I was almost embarrassed to type that. But, real life over here y’all!

Our Colorado Travel Diary / A Hosting Home Blog

 

What We Wish We Would Have Done

More Hiking Trails in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is a place you can seriously spend days upon days in. I’m not a camper, but I do love hiking and exploring. If we had more time, I would have loved to do some more of the hiking trails. I especially had my eye on the Ute Trail, running from the Alpine Visitor Center down to Poudre Lake and Milner Pass. However, it was 4 miles long (each way) and probably would have taken up too much of our day. It’s on my list for next time!

Colorado Springs – Manitou Incline and Pikes Peak

For our last day in Colorado, our original plans were to wake up super early and drive down to Colorado Springs. We wanted to drive up/down Pikes Peak, spend some time in Colorado Springs, and then hike the infamous  Manitou Incline (with its 2,744 stairs and 2,000 feet of elevation change in about a mile.) However, with how much we fell in love with Rocky Mountain National Park, it didn’t feel right to do only half of it. In the end, it just wasn’t enough time to do all the things we wanted to do. So the next time we go to Denver, we want to spend time in Colorado Springs!

 

Well, friends, that quick (kind of, not really) overview of our time in the Denver area concludes the first installment (of hopefully many more trips back!) of our Colorado travel diary. Colorado definitely stole our hearts, and it’s safe to say that this won’t be our last trip to the Rocky Mountains. If you ever find yourself traveling to the Denver area for a quick trip away like we did, I hope our travel guide helps you plan your trip with intention. Have you been to Denver before? Tell me about your experience in a comment below! Are there any other things we must do the next time we go?

 

August 11, 2019

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Atlanta based Award Winning Interior and Event Designer and Home Blogger Cathy Nugent

Hi, friends! I'm Cathy, a nationally published award winning designer of spaces to gather and southern belle writer based out of a small(ish) town outside of Atlanta, Georgia. However, most people know me as the Monica Geller of my friend group – a coffee connoisseur and dog mom with a huge heart for hosting and an eye for design. The heart behind what I do is simple. I want to help you be intentional on creating spaces to gather and celebrating life's precious moments - whether that be weddings, parties, or something as simple as having loved ones in your home. Living Simply, Loving Generously, and Hosting with Heart.

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Momma went shopping… and I spent a lot more than Momma went shopping… and I spent a lot more than $873. (But don’t tell Rob that part. 💁🏼‍♀️)

The furniture for the study finally came in, and I was SO excited to see how perfect everything looks in here. Hands down my favorite room in the house. 😍👏🏼 Real talk: I can’t wait to curl up in here with a cup of coffee and a book while my kids destroy the house around me. 🫠🤷🏼‍♀️😂 #ahostinghome 

Comment STUDY for the link to these gorgeous leather arm chairs and the end tables. OR You can shop via @shop.ltk here ➡️ https://liketk.it/45GFW 

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Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I Spring gardening is right around the corner, and I’m already starting to get ours prepped thanks to @walmart Lawn and Garden! #AD With a newborn and a toddler, running errands can be quite the task. But thanks to #WalmartLawnandGarden, I’ve been able to get everything I need to kickstart our garden this year in one place — from the convenience of snuggling my babies on my couch with Walmart.com and the app! The time it saved me from running all over town, I got to spend making core memories with John as we taught him how to start his very first set of seeds in the @jiffygroup seed starting tray. 

Here’s a look at what we got to kickstart our garden this year:
- The @jiffygroup Seed Starting Greenhouse Kit: to grow our own seedlings and get a head start on the season by starting them indoors! 
- The  @ferrymorseseed Seed Starting Heat Mat: to give our seeds the best chance possible to promote germination and improve transplant results 
- Ferry Morse Seeds (flowers, tomatoes, and peppers!) 
- @pennington Rejuvenate Potting Mix and Garden Soil: to give our seedlings the nutrients they need once transplanted into our garden 
- Pennington Rejuvenate Tomato Plant Food
- @scottslawn Landscaping Fabric: to keep our garden clean and free of pesky weeds
- The @flexonhose Flextreme Advanced 100ft Hose: to keep it all watered without fighting kinks as we move easily around our raised garden beds

Add this kit to your cart now ➡️ https://click2cart.com/59600bc

Get a jumpstart on your spring and summer garden this year by shopping everything you need at Walmart, in-store or online at Walmart.com. And stay tuned to see how our garden comes together and grows this year! 

#GrowYourGardenatWalmart #GreenThumbAndGardenVariety
Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or reall Tired of constantly charging your Dyson? (Or really, are you tired of forgetting to charge your Dyson?) Because I was. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Enter in: a DIY-er’s solution ➡️ stick a @dewalttough battery on that thing and vacuum for weeks on a single charge. 

But really, I’ve been using the same battery charge for a couple weeks now on vacuuming the downstairs of our house — and with two kids and two dogs, I do a quick vacuum every single day (sometimes multiple times a day!) The best part? Can rotate and charge with all our other Dewalt tool batteries. 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with links to shop or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/432TF

#ahostinghome #ltkhome #diy #diyhacks #diyhack #diyprojects #diyproject #amazonfinds #dyson #ltkfamily #ltkfind
Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this stu Wait for it… ✨ Still can’t get over this study transformation we finished right before baby got here! Officially my favorite room and project in the house right now. 😍 #ahostinghome 

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

Comment LINK 🔗 for a DM with a link to shop sources or shop via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/42XaB

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #whodatwithponderosa #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diylikeamother #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #ltkhome
James Kayleb Nugent January 20th, 2023 💛 James James Kayleb Nugent
January 20th, 2023 💛

James was born last Friday morning, and spent the first 5 days in the NICU for some breathing issues and fluid in his lungs. While those days were extremely rough, trying, and brought back a lot of emotions from Layne’s birth — God is so good, and my heart is just overwhelmed by His faithfulness. My favorite moment in life thus far was surprising John before bedtime the night we were finally discharged to come home. I’ll never forget the look on his face when I walked through that door. Thank you, Jesus, for my babies. 🦋💛 #ahostinghome
10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the 10/10 recommend just going for it and painting the entire room black. ✨ #ahostinghome

Color Details: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint (Marquee, Eggshell) from @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

Wallpaper : @wall.blush (See the full mural on the other wall on my stories saved to the ‘STUDY’ highlight bubble!) 

#diy #diyprojects #diyproject #diyhomeprojects #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomedecor #diybuilds #diybuild #diybuiltins #builtins #builtinshelves #bhghome #bhg #mybhg #bhglivebetter #hgtvmagazine #hgtvhome #diyideas #diyhome #homedecor #homedesign #interiordesign #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #modernfarmhouse #modernfarmhousestyle
✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous respon ✨ STUDY REVEAL ✨ I got a lot of nervous responses when I said I wanted to design an all black formal study right off my entryway, but I’m completely obsessed with every detail of this space. Rob has always wanted a study, so my goal with this space when it’s finished is to have almost like a moody, swanky cigar lounge feel. When we moved into this house this spring, I told Rob I was done playing it “safe for resale” with designing projects. Here’s to more of doing whatever the heck I want design wise in 2023! 👏🏼✨ Next up: let’s get this space styled and furnished! #ahostinghome

// Paint Color: Tricorn Black by @sherwinwilliams mixed in @behrpaint Marquee (satin on built ins, eggshell on walls) at @homedepot #swcolorlove #tricornblack #tricornblacksherwinwilliams 

// Wallpaper: @wall.blush 

// Light Fixture linked via @shop.ltk ➡️ https://liketk.it/3Yy4l #ltkhome 

#diy #diyproject #diyprojects #interiordesign #homedesign #builtins #diybuilds #diybuild #diyideas #diyhomeimprovement #diyhomeprojects #diyhomedecor #diylikeamother #diydesigntherapy #traditionalhome #traditionalhomemagazine #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomestyle #homerenovation #bhg #bhghome #mybhg #bhgcolor #bhglivebetter #bhgstylemaker
It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see wh It’s been a year. ✨ & I can’t wait to see what the next one holds. #ahostinghome
“And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end. “And with that, the 2022 season comes to an end.” ✨🎄 When do you take your Christmas decor down? The Christmas decor got put away earlier this week, and the house always feels so empty every year when it gets taken down! I was going to wait till next week to take it down, but with only 3 weeks left until baby arrives I’m finding myself in total nesting mode right now. Behind the scenes we’ve been putting finishing touches on the study while Rob was off work for Christmas, so I’ll be sharing all the photos and updates on that to the feed soon. In the meantime, who wants to come organize closets and baby stuff with me?! 😜 #ahostinghome

#bhghome #bhg #bhgholiday #bhghowiholiday #bhgchristmas #bhgcelebrate #homedecor #christmas #christmasdecor #christmastree #traditionalhome #traditionalhomedecor #traditionalhomemagazine #homedesign #interiordesign #tablescape #tablesetting #tabledecor #tablescapes #centerpiece #tablecenterpiece

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