Destination: Estes Park, Colorado
When: Most recently, September 1997 (4th trip)
Itinerary: Drove from Mankato to Estes Park and back (15+ hours!)

Ok, are we nuts? We DROVE to Estes Park and back? Yes, we did, and in my little Dodge Shadow convertible! This trip is special to me because it is where Ross and I got engaged.

The drive out wasn't so bad. We stopped at my cousin's house in Omaha for the night, so it broke up the drive for us. We stayed at the Lazy R Cabins in Estes Park, which we loved. We were at the foot of the hills, just outside the Rocky Mountain National Park.

Shopping in Estes Park was fun. There were several small boutiques that had unique items for sale. The best part though, was driving through the mountains. We saw a lot of wildlife, hiked to remote lakes and maneuvered through some pretty curvy roads.

My Recommendations: GO! You would probably want to fly into Denver and rent a car to travel north. Peak season starts mid-June. Prices are always cheaper in the shoulder seasons (May and October.)