Things To Do
Rocky Mountain National Park
Zach and Kelsey have been on many hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park over the years. If you want visit the place Zach proposed, do the Emerald Lake hike from the Bear Lake and stop at the viewpoint as you reach Dream Lake. In late May, we would highly recommend renting microspikes from Estes Park Mountain Shop to avoid slipping on ice and snow. You may have to reserve an entry time to enter the park between 9am and 2pm from recreation.gov .
Garden of the Gods
Zach and Kelsey took a trip to visit the Garden of the Gods in May 2020, when Zach drove to Boulder and spent several months quarantining with Kelsey and her roommates. There are some nice strolls through beautiful geological features here! The Manitou Incline is also nearby for those wanting to test their cardio fitness on its 2768 steps straight up a mountain.
Pikes Peak
You can drive all the way to the top of Pikes Peak, one of the tallest mountains in Colorado at 14115 ft. There is also a train up to the top mountain too!
Chautauqua Park
Chautauqua park is a gorgeous park in the open space around Boulder. There are hiking options for all fitness levels with beautiful views of the city of Boulder and the flatiron mountains. Kelsey hiked most of the trails in Chautauqua park during her time in grad school, with Zach as a hiking partner when he visited!
Denver Botanic Gardens
The gardens are beautiful in May! Kelsey celebrated successfully defending her thesis with a visit to the Botanical Gardens in 2022! Zach and Kelsey have visited Botanical Gardens together in Minneapolis, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Buffalo.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Zach took Kelsey to see Florence + the Machine for Kelsey's birthday in 2019! Kelsey also attended many concerts here while in grad school - including Fleet Foxes, Bleachers, Matt and Kim, Vampire Weekend, and Phoenix. The park has trails and occasionally hosts fitness events, too!