Below are some of the highlights of our recent trip to Colorado. We flew into Denver and rented a car for two weeks and 3,000 miles (with a excursion into New Mexico). We visited four national parks, one national monument, a city park, and other scenic places.
![Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain rise above Dream Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/881a3c67-e376-4c4b-914f-4cca59ffcdf1_rw_1920.jpg?h=03e81a97c0ee06cf74a62a5775103a02)
Hallett Peak and Flattop Mountain rise above Dream Lake
![Rocky Mountain National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/90a93a63-c270-4049-b25c-06baa3f6c1c6_rw_1920.jpg?h=4a8232f74a647a0393c67308cf1f9d2f)
Rocky Mountain National Park
![Tyndall Creek Cascade](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/2d753ae1-fb74-471a-8bdd-073cf5782716_rw_1920.jpg?h=fcfbd5d09d23879f5456dd1e1f15c803)
Tyndall Creek Cascade
![Resting Elk](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/8522fac8-a55c-4f75-b52b-2924f7250635_rw_1920.jpg?h=608c44b87a9bafe252603d67e1ac5a1c)
Resting Elk
![Bighorn Sheep](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/f2bbc6ee-9330-4953-9f9e-83e5b66d1c82_rw_1920.jpg?h=c9fd986b96d4e228e2b862541a0349a3)
Bighorn Sheep
![Mama and Baby Moose](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/fde6c22f-f450-4373-9743-e8acce1e3b4c_rw_1920.jpg?h=6b20a219ece5db31b578dbe2d6ab3d40)
Mama and Baby Moose
![Rocky Mountain National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/00b86ec8-b66d-4eb7-84fe-ec7b8c379436_rw_1920.jpg?h=aae3bf238e09a1821e2f8fdd43a138ca)
Rocky Mountain National Park
![The South Gateway Rock, Gray Rock, Cathedral Spires and Three Graces, and the Sleeping Giant, from the west side of the park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/824e16f3-30ac-4d9a-be2d-ad7243a0cb85_rw_1920.jpg?h=df7596a43ea4daef0368f88ff2bca90d)
The South Gateway Rock, Gray Rock, Cathedral Spires and Three Graces, and the Sleeping Giant, from the west side of the park
![Garden of the Gods](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/3d32d1c7-32f2-459c-a939-41e815ad41da_rw_1920.jpg?h=7f0d980a76a52d6cab8825f4650c936f)
Garden of the Gods
![Garden of the Gods as the sun breaks through the clouds](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/76d0741b-0f7c-47e4-8f93-ceeae1986788_rw_1920.jpg?h=b57171558e83d2e6da08ef7facd59f81)
Garden of the Gods as the sun breaks through the clouds
![The water in the creek moves in a pulsating rhythm known as surge flow, as the sand forms small dams that periodically give way, causing the water to flow in waves.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/c2ef6a9e-c0f0-4dfa-95a8-f55d16540a0f_rw_1920.jpg?h=d1c65ab4f20b65bb8fe441628d6bc0a2)
The water in the creek moves in a pulsating rhythm known as surge flow, as the sand forms small dams that periodically give way, causing the water to flow in waves.
![Great Sand Dunes National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/caec804d-9113-4044-a603-fa47904211b6_rw_1920.jpg?h=c8b25bc5fdc03d18d306ae526dc75892)
Great Sand Dunes National Park
![Great Sand Dunes National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/1200060f-fc8d-420a-8cb7-49004403a63c_rw_1920.jpg?h=5e2b7f30985863cfc14b9cc64fe99c6d)
Great Sand Dunes National Park
![Great Sand Dunes National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/9149061f-2b17-472b-8335-c0c38c0ca725_rw_1920.jpg?h=a1b23817696ce6d6f736a70ed584916e)
Great Sand Dunes National Park
![Creede, Colorado](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/2a7bd7e9-ffbb-4d3a-9ace-c25eece170af_rw_1920.jpg?h=e0906dd8a9ca10cdb2b339d0820fb142)
Creede, Colorado
![Creede, Colorado](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/1c2287ee-6e77-42a2-8c18-a25aaa715a85_rw_1920.jpg?h=0b8e4b5efa1647aec02e504162b1a667)
Creede, Colorado
![Ridgway, Colorado](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/a0853eb6-3180-4197-9578-e07fbdd62f75_rw_1920.jpg?h=31ef53412dc51524faeacdb8cfccb4e8)
Ridgway, Colorado
![Bisti Badlands](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/0a097009-2fff-4708-9b6d-c6b9c0b87ee9_rw_1920.jpg?h=6c41e0a44072e64b8f4518a3c3514166)
Bisti Badlands
![Bisti Badlands](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/cc734579-02ee-4585-8cf0-7a96df17821f_rw_1920.jpg?h=0ddd5a7320b7a4785a77297176445e8c)
Bisti Badlands
![Bisti Badlands](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/15e45c85-b15d-41aa-a1f2-2e5f79bc3ee5_rw_1920.jpg?h=9b2392b727889f73163ba6175b3f89c3)
Bisti Badlands
![Shiprock Pinnacle](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/a9ca67ae-162c-4343-9515-6b5b49aadb95_rw_1920.jpg?h=0018325b788824985e3d9c1505883818)
Shiprock Pinnacle
![Mesa Verde National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/eb0cb096-11b9-4d8f-9503-18d8e24ede48_rw_1920.jpg?h=524f5a65614b52714bd4b5b4e4e101d6)
Mesa Verde National Park
![Long House](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/6dbbd4c2-83ca-487d-ba47-c453e5194d8d_rw_1920.jpg?h=f54c8c4d498e412edd91f997013debe4)
Long House
![Mesa Verde National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/7ca74e14-547e-4a06-9672-d5a0d18153de_rw_1920.jpg?h=026f54c3db94115976407b6220b89e39)
Mesa Verde National Park
![Cliff Palace and canyon](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/2bce897c-af0d-47e3-9822-29a2ef6a48e3_rw_1920.jpg?h=0ebd84408d751cb78ca9393f0d4a926d)
Cliff Palace and canyon
![Mesa Verde National Park](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/920e7f6d-4d11-42c0-9484-f9ade7e5a038_rw_1920.jpg?h=c923bd0d25d02e4994d562f801327b0b)
Mesa Verde National Park
![Daises and the Dolores River](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/a2b46ea5-a581-4a0b-add8-129a77ddfbee_rw_1920.jpg?h=d1ef45995793ce1e4c01ec636d353e05)
Daises and the Dolores River
![Wildflowers on Last Dollar Road](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/bcacaaf1-323d-4498-864d-3f3aea32614d_rw_1920.jpg?h=790fd31af5d47b9c15a54ab9c91135bd)
Wildflowers on Last Dollar Road
![Painted Wall View, South Rim, looking northwest](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/658c55ee-4ed3-4846-9bc0-808ceaab7637_rw_1920.jpg?h=e490c3651f18ddf515db79a66119792c)
Painted Wall View, South Rim, looking northwest
![from Devil's Lookout Trail, South Rim](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/3706ad16-0efc-4cb4-8a15-e75d5f679119_rw_1920.jpg?h=7363705cfcb8411b2f8ab85265a9d9f0)
from Devil's Lookout Trail, South Rim
![Kneeling Camel View, North Rim, looking south](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/ca77e761-dc8d-49f6-977d-b81c38f414bd_rw_1920.jpg?h=35209ac91f90b0d7388ab1bdaccf5943)
Kneeling Camel View, North Rim, looking south
![Columbine on Land's End Road, near the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/8615e69e-eda0-46de-a1f3-1ba5c6521107_rw_1920.jpg?h=4f13037d3436623816770d8aee20a175)
Columbine on Land's End Road, near the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway
![Monoliths in Monument Canyon from the Window Rock Trail](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/0aa7f707-f55c-487f-85b2-15144c946774_rw_1920.jpg?h=665280273ed986c45e60ddbc206fd3e9)
Monoliths in Monument Canyon from the Window Rock Trail
![Independence Monument from Grand View, with the Book Cliffs in the distance](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/68e6d7f2-4ce3-4f28-8336-bfaa48f7a95a_rw_1920.jpg?h=ed08aee329f09cb6f6ac1237cae6f816)
Independence Monument from Grand View, with the Book Cliffs in the distance
![West side of Independence Pass](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/589d5767edf03e20909c452b388646d5/8d542cb6-0dd1-44d8-8939-6bb8af222aed_rw_1920.jpg?h=5af84a689d1872817d140ca8c77e8494)