Know What to Pack

We traveled during the dates of Sept. 14-24th and experienced beautiful sunny days that reached into the 90’s, as well as cold evenings & mornings that dipped into 30-40 degrees. Because of this, we had to pack for both extremes. The fact that it had snowed the week before we arrived in SEPTEMBER, means that you should be prepared for anything when visiting Colorado in some months. The key: layering, layering, layering. We packed t-shirts, a few shorts, a few pants, a sweatshirt, coat, hat, and gloves for each person. We then added one pair of pj’s and lots of warm socks. Oh, and we managed to do that for 6 people with just 2 suitcases and a backpack each. We only packed 6 outfits each and washed clothes halfway through the trip.

ESSENTIALS TO INCLUDE: Day pack – Water bottle – Hiking pants – Fleece – T-shirts – Layering Jacket or sweatshirt – Hiking boots – Sunglasses – Lip balm – Swimsuit – Camera – GoPro – Portable Oxygen

ADD FOR WINTER: Beanie – Winter Coat – Sunscreen – Thermal layers – Waterproof boots – Snow pants – Gloves 

COLOR PALLET: I can’t help it!! I love our family to coordinate. I know, I have a problem. Does anyone else do this? Please don’t tell me I’m alone. It took a little effort while packing, but made it so easy while traveling, as everything went with everything!! Literally. This meant that they could mix and match to make different outfits. It also meant that we all coordinated in pictures. Our color scheme for this fall trip was neutrals, blues and burgundy.

Directions and Connections

We learned this the hard way… save addresses and directions onto a device that isn’t dependent upon cell service. We didn’t realize till it was too late that there would be many places that had no cell service. We couldn’t even pull up maps. We had specific check-in directions that we couldn’t access because i hadn’t downloaded the email in order to view it. So, do yourself a favor and make sure you gather that information before you hit the road. You’ll have service in the larger towns, but if you follow this itinerary, there will be much  driving in the high country without service. Also, not a bad idea to let someone know where you are heading before hitting a trail, river, slope or back road. Fill up on gas while in town. There are very long stretches of highway with nothing but beautiful views. A great way to road trip… as long as you have gas.

 Events

Don’t forget to check out Colorado’s official events page to see if there are any special events, festivals, farmers markets, or rodeos scheduled in the towns that you will visit. We scheduled our trip in order to finish in Estes Park during the season of elk bugling. 

Elk rutting and bugling season is when the males come down from the high regions of the Rocky Mountains in an attempt to find their mates. Elk rutting season normally peaks from mid-September through mid-October. In attempt to dominate and earn the right to mate, the bulls clash horns and become particularly aggressive,  displaying their antlers and bugling (the noise they make to attract the cows, female elk, and show their dominance to the other bulls.) Colorado is home to the largest elk population in the world. It’s estimated that there are 280,000 elk in the Centennial State.

The elk rut season is a great time to visit Estes Park, as the elk are seen wandering through town. Our kids loved the opportunity to watch them up close and personal.