We were picked up for our tour in downtown Denver at 9:00 a.m. Our tour guide, Paul, was an absolute riot and a wealth of fun facts.
Our first stop was Lyons, a tiny town at the foothills of the mountains. Visited a cool antique store with my free time there. Drove through Boulder (meh), Estes Park (so cute), and into Rocky Mountain National Park.
We made lots of stops, took a short and easy hike up to a waterfall, saw elk in rut, and stopped for a picnic lunch.
Continued on and it got so cold. It was 75° in Denver, but at our highest elevation it was 46° degrees! Definitely bring layers and sunscreen.
We traveled above the tree line (about 12,000 ft) and watched a rainstorm approach in the distance. The aspens were turning brilliant yellow. Our tour guide said last week they were green. It was just stunningly beautiful.
Paul skillfully navigated narrow, winding roads in a gigantic transit van while talking to us at the same time! He got a big tip.
Ended the day with a speed run through a gift shop and drove back to Denver. Overall, one of the funnest days I have ever had!