Colorado 2026

In less than a month, I’m heading to Colorado for a week, and I’m getting really excited about this trip.

I’ll be staying in downtown Denver in a hostel, which should be an adventure all by itself. The building dates back to the 1800s and, at one point, was apparently a brothel. I figured, “what better way to spend a week than with the ghosts of former prostitutes?”

Honestly, though, I kind of love stuff like that. Old buildings, weird stories, places that actually have some character to them. I’m much more interested in that than staying in some giant hotel that looks exactly like every other hotel I’ve ever stayed in.

The week itself is going to be pretty packed, but I tried to leave myself at least a little room to wander around and see what happens.

Sunday is mostly getting into Denver, checking into the hostel and getting my bearings. Then I’m heading over to Meow Wolf that evening, which feels like a pretty solid way to start a Colorado trip.

Monday I’ll pick up a rental car and head south toward Colorado Springs. Garden of the Gods is definitely happening, and then I want to make my way up Pikes Peak if everything cooperates. I have a feeling this is going to be the day where Colorado really starts feeling like Colorado.

Tuesday I’m heading toward Boulder to explore the Flatirons and do some hiking. Nothing too insane, but enough to get outside and spend some time in the mountains.

Then Tuesday night I’m seeing Kacey Musgraves at Ball Arena because, apparently, I can’t just go on vacation anymore. I also need to build concerts into the itinerary.

Wednesday is Rocky Mountain National Park, and that is probably the day I’m looking forward to the most. I’m planning to spend pretty much the entire day out there exploring.

I’ve always felt more like myself when I’m outside, especially somewhere that feels huge and quiet and a little overwhelming. So I think that day is going to hit me a little differently.

Thursday will be a little more wandering around the foothills. Golden, Lookout Mountain, probably Dinosaur Ridge, and whatever else I stumble across along the way.

And then Casa Bonita. If you know me, you know why this is an important part of my week. They will also be having their Halloween event going on, so it feels like the right place at the right time. Forget your fine dining, give me sopapillas and cliff divers any day.

Friday I’m going to slow things down a little. Denver Botanic Gardens is the main plan, and then I’ll decide what I feel like doing after that. Maybe the art museum. Maybe another museum. Maybe I just walk around Denver and find somewhere good to eat.

I’m trying not to schedule every single hour of this trip, which is not exactly one of my strengths.

Saturday is the big finish.

I’ll spend part of the day around Denver and then head out to Red Rocks to see Dermot Kennedy.

That one is going to be special.

Red Rocks has been on my list for years, and Dermot’s music has meant a lot to me at different points in my life. Getting to see him there feels like one of those things I’m probably going to remember for a very long time.

And I think that’s part of why this trip feels a little different.

There’s some emotional weight attached to it.

This year has been weird. There have been some really good moments, but there have also been some disappointments and some things I’m still trying to make sense of. Relationships that changed. People who disappeared. Plans that didn’t work out the way I thought they would. Just life doing that thing where it reminds you that you really don’t control much of anything.

I think I’ve been carrying more of that around than I realized, so maybe getting away for a week is coming at a pretty good time.

I don’t expect to go climb a mountain and suddenly figure out my life. That seems like a lot of pressure to put on Colorado.

But I am looking forward to getting outside, seeing somewhere new, hiking, taking pictures, hearing some incredible music and just letting my brain be somewhere else for a little while.

And maybe somewhere along the way I’ll get a little perspective.

Maybe I’ll leave some things out there that I don’t really need to keep carrying around anymore.

Or maybe I’ll just come home with 2,000 pictures of mountains and a bunch of stories about sleeping in an old brothel.