Soaring to an elevation of 12,183 feet, Trail Ridge Road seems to leave the earth behind. It slices through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, entering a world of rare alpine beauty. Distant peaks loom in all directions, while fragrant wildflowers blanket the tundra in mid-summer.

Sharp-eyed observers can usually spy elk, bighorn sheep, and other wildlife traversing the meadows and crags. Higher than any paved through-road in the country, this cliff-hugging highway is as impressive for its engineering as for its stunning vistas. You can't find a road like this one anywhere outside of Colorado.

Reservations may be required.

Oskar Blues is a brewery founded in Lyons, Colorado in 1997. Here you can find good beer, food, and occasionally live music. Check out their website to see what events may be happening during your stay.

The gentle rapids of the St. Vrain River are ideal for both fly-fishing and tubing fun. For a little more excitement, Lyons Whitewater Park boasts a quarter-mile of features like pools and eddies to delight tubers and kayakers.

The Stanley Hotel is a 140-room Colonial Revival hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, United States, about five miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley, co-founder of the Stanley Motor Carriage Company, and opened on July 4, 1909, as a resort for upper-class Easterners and a health retreat for sufferers of pulmonary tuberculosis. Today, the hotel includes a restaurant, spa, and bed-and-breakfast; with panoramic views of Lake Estes, the Rockies, and Longs Peak.

The Stanley Hotel is largely known for being one of the most haunted hotels in the United States, and served as the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's 1977 bestselling novel The Shining and its 1980 film adaptation. Check out their website to take place in a tour, or a ghost tour if you're feeling brave.

Planet Bluegrass is a 20-acre outdoor concert venue. Lyons hosts year-round music festivals, with an emphasis on bluegrass and folk, including RockyGrass, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Winter Wonderland Music Series and the free Sandstone Summer Concert Series.

Great musicians call Lyons home, so you may hear their melodies drifting through the town during a porch pickin’ session. Likewise, many coffeehouses, restaurants and bars entertain with live-music performances.

Colorado's largest pinball arcade. Come play over 50 pinball games from the 1960s to 2020s!

Welcome to a wilderness of lakes, waterfalls, and magnificent peaks. Bear Lake is one of the most popular areas of Rocky Mountain National Park. Surrounded by ponderosa pine and refreshing views of Hallett Peak and the Continental Divide, there is beauty everywhere you look. The Bear Lake Loop is a wheelchair-accessible trail and is great for hikers of all abilities. Interpretive signs along the trail provide learning opportunities.

If you'd like to extend your hike, check out Emerald Lake, Flattop Mountain, Dream Lake and Tyndall Glacier -- just a few of the many sites accessible from the Bear Lake Trailhead.

Note: The Bear Lake area is very busy, especially in summer and on fall weekends. Parking often fills by early morning. Roads are congested. The park’s free shuttle bus is here to help! You can ride the shuttle to stunning destinations and popular trailheads, all while avoiding the hassle of dealing with traffic and searching for parking. Reservations may be required on their website.

Estes Park is recognized as the Rocky Mountain National Park's base camp. With excellent outdoor experiences as well as stores, galleries, and boutiques on the small town's main drag, you'll never be bored.

The Pearl Street Mall is located in the heart of downtown Boulder, Colorado. At 4 blocks long, it's easily walkable from end to end giving you easy access to more than 200+ stores lining the street making it a favorite tourist and University of Colorado student destination. The Pearl Street mall has been around for 40+ years and keeps getting better. Be sure to check out the many Stores and Restaurants around Pearl Street Mall.