Our last full day in Colorado was spent sightseeing and driving through the Rocky Mountains. We mapped out our route the night before to figure out which places we wanted to see on the way to the mountain. Our first stop was Boulder as a few of our friends had suggested seeing it.

Boulder
Before we took off to Boulder we rented a car since it made more sense if we planned in stopping at multiple places throughout the day. We arrived in Boulder at noon and found the town to be much quieter in compare to Denver. We walked around a bit, had breakfast at a local restaurant and then decided to hit up Pearl Street, a four-block pedestrian mall that stretched between 11th St. to 15th St. We realized within a few minutes driving through the streets that this is probably the first thing we should’ve seen in Boulder. The mall reminded me a lot like 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica except it was twice as big and with a picturesque view of the Rocky Mountains in the distance. It was quite a scene I tell yeah.

Boulder Waterfall
After 2 hours of roaming around Pearl Street, we decided it was time to go. As we drove up towards the Rocky Mountains, we drove past this waterfall that drew a huge crowd and seeing the waterfall from a distance we knew we needed to stop and check it out for ourselves. The 70ft. Boulder Waterfall was surreal to see in person. We walked through a proper trail from the highway that led you towards the viewpoint area. It was crowded at the time we went but, totally worth seeing.

Lilly Lake
After stopping by the waterfall we drove another hour up north towards the Rocky Mountain. It didn’t take long until we made another stop along the way at Lilly Lake. Lilly Lake was beautiful. You can actually hike the 0.8 mile loop with an awesome view of the lake. Of course, we didn’t do a hike on this trip as we were short on time but, it is definitely worth checking out.

The Rocky Mountain
At last, we finally entered the Rocky Mountain. Before coming here I suggest gassing up in the last town before entering the mountain because once you’re inside there are no gas stations nearby. Also, prepare for the unexpected climates. When we drove in the change in the weather was very drastic from rain one minute and then sunny the next. I am glad I had change of clothes with me and switched my shorts and t-shirts in the car to my winter leggings, long sleeve and a fleece jacket. At some point, we actually saw thick layers of snow and I was really glad I brought my fleece sweater with me.

Navigating the Rocky Mountain
Our plan for the Rocky Mountain was to drive through it from one side to the other and make stops along the way. We wanted to see both sides of the mountain but, depending on what you want to do you can also take one or two of the several trails they have. We didn’t hike on this trip because of time but, we saw plenty. The landscapes we saw were unbelievable. It probably took us about 5 hours long including stopping at a few sites to make it all the way around the mountain but, definitely worth seeing!