Our sixth day in Colorado felt like the grand finale of our trip...the kind of day that made us pause and say, “wow… we really got to do this.” With Mason getting out of camp a little early, we packed the afternoon and evening with bucket list adventures, beautiful views, and a whole lot of gratitude. It was a day we had looked forward to for years, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.
After picking Mason up from the Academy, we headed straight for Red Rocks Amphitheater...something that’s been on our Colorado bucket list forever. I mean, yes, the dream is to see a concert there one day… but just being there was incredible in itself.
We were total rookies and parked in the first lot we saw, not realizing there are upper lots that save you from a mountain hike. So yes, we hiked allll the way up to the amphitheater...completely winded (thank you, Colorado altitude!) but also kind of glad we did. There’s just something about earning that view that makes it hit different.
Once at the top, we walked through the amphitheater and soaked it all in...the natural beauty, the sound, the history. It’s no wonder so many artists call it one of the best venues in the world. We popped into the gift shop to grab some ice-cold water, a magnet, a sticker, and Mason picked out a guitar pick to remember the experience. As we drove around afterward, we realized that, yep… we could’ve parked closer. But honestly? I'm thankful we didn’t. Hiking it made it all the more memorable.
After Red Rocks, we made our way into downtown Denver for a quick tour of the city. We drove past and admired Empower Field at Mile High, Ball Arena, and Coors Field...all within blocks of each other. As big sports fans, it was so fun to see all three stadiums up close!
We grabbed a late lunch at The Cherry Cricket, another Colorado favorite that we’d heard so many great things about. From the second we walked in, we knew we were in for a treat. The vibe was casual and cool, and we had another amazing waitress...so friendly and attentive. It’s funny how great service can really make a place stick in your memory. We had a fantastic meal, and while we were waiting for our food, we booked our Pikes Peak reservation for later that evening. Perfect timing!
After dinner, we headed back toward Colorado Springs to make our scheduled time for Pikes Peak...something that’s been on our list for years, and we were so excited to finally experience it. The drive up started pretty mild. Honestly, we were thinking, “is this it?” Just a bunch of trees…
But then the trees opened up.
And wow.
The views took our breath away. We watched as the road twisted and climbed, the landscape changing with every mile. At one point, we even drove past patches of snow...in June! The temperature dropped from 82° at the base to 55° at the summit, and we soaked in every second of that fresh, cool mountain air.
We stopped at multiple scenic overlooks, took tons of pictures, and eventually made it to the summit at 14,115 feet. We explored the gift shop (snagged a magnet, sticker, and a collector tin of mints for Mason), and of course, walked to the iconic summit sign for a photo op we’ve waited forever to take.
The way down was just as stunning...and a bit of a thrill ride, honestly. They do a brake check about half way down. If your brakes are over a certain degree they make you park and wait until they cool down. This is the first time we have experienced this. And honestly? I welcomed it! I'd hate for someone to lose their brakes going down this mountain. Our brakes hit 140 degrees and that was pretty good. We asked what the lowest and highest temps were...Teslas stay in the 60s range and then the highest was over 800 degrees!! Whew! Gotta love those steep mountain switchbacks! We stopped at another souvenir shop around mile 5-6 and got out to stretch our legs.
Day 6 was everything we hoped it would be...adventurous, beautiful, a little exhausting in the best way, and completely unforgettable. We crossed off so many bucket list items, explored new parts of Colorado we’d never seen, and made memories we’ll carry with us forever.
As I sat in the car coming down from Pikes Peak, I just kept thinking about how God is so faithful. This whole trip was such a gift… and this day especially felt like a dream come true.
One more post to go...next up: our final day in Colorado and the drive home to Texas. Oh, and then a bucketlist update post.
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