Piggy Playtime: RMNP Road Trippin'!

The Piggies and I have been here, there, and every where enjoying this beautiful Colorado October! 

We started off our 4 day trip with a night in Boulder, the coolest little college town I've ever seen. 

The intricate bike/pedestrian path system is crazy! And Subarus. So many Subarus! Although my favorite thing about Boulder was that nobody gave you that typical half smile and sigh when you asked about gluten-free options. They just offered 'em up everywhere we went because it's just something that's widely accepted there. I never felt less judged in my life. People were kind and courteous (everyone that we ran into at least) but they also didn't "care" about you, as in they weren't the least bit interested in your business. I like Boulder. 

We stayed at the Best Western Boulder Inn, which I was skeptical about when we pulled up because it's nothing at all to look at and kind of right off of a busy road, surrounded by construction. But the rooms were clean and comfortable (with fabulous views from the 2nd story pool view rooms) and very quiet. Breakfast the next day rocked my face off, too. All you can eat responsibly sourced eggs and sausage, gluten-free bread & real juice (and cereal, yogurt, fruit, waffles- if you're into that stuff). I think the Piggies had 3 plates each.

We had dinner at The Sink, which was totally cool! You can write on the walls and ceiling (just do not disturb the art work), they had buckets of Legos for the kids, and killer gluten-free pizza. Apparently they have been featured on Food Network AND President Obama had pizza there (you can order what he did. It's called the POTUS Pizza). If it wasn't so vibrant inside, it could totally be one of those dank college bar hangouts that kind of smells of stale beer (it still kind of smelled like stale beer) but somehow it just worked. 

The next morning, I packed our lunch and we hit the road! 

How do we eat gluten-free while traveling? Fresh stuff is typically reserved for the first day in the car, as they don't keep very well without proper refrigeration.
Day 1 in the car: deli ham (on lettuce wraps with mustard), banana, sliced bell pepper, mini-lara bars
"FUN FOOD" Day 2 in the car:  pb&j sandwiches on Canyon Bakehouse GF bread (it's tasty and soft right out of the bag and the size of regular bread, not tiny like most GF loaves), Almond Silk "milks", Simply Cheetos Puffs, and Fruit/veggie squeeze pouches. 

 Estes Park! 

If you haven't been, this is a quaint, outdoorsy tourist spot with a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains and foliage. You can find all sorts of accommodations from camping to "glamping", hotels (including the infamous Stanley Hotel from "The Shining"), motels, and vacation condos. You can rent anything you need for fishing, biking, hiking, driving, touring. It's nice to just go somewhere and not stress about forgetting anything! The visitor's center is a nice place to start and from there, you can park for free and hit the Lake Estes Trail or make your way to the Riverwalk that winds through the good sized downtown shopping/eating area.

We made our way to the Lake Estes Trail right after lunch, parked in the visitor center and took a bike ride around the lake. It's flat and easy (one hill that the 5 year old couldn't manage) with breath taking views. We followed some of the side trails around and hit a few great play grounds before going to check in at our "cabin". 

We stayed at Mary's Lake Vacation Condos, which was a great deal for a fully furnished 1 bedroom condo (2 baths, kitchenette, and pull out sofa bed) with private hot tub...and grazing elk! 

Maybe some people don't like to cook on vacation, but I think having a kitchenette is so convenient with young kids. No public meltdowns or waiting for tables. I packed simple supplies for a taco salad dinner in a cooler (it kept cold on ice for 2 days) and it was so nice to unpack and make dinner after a fun day. 

We spent the rest of the night relaxing with stunning mountain views. 

Beakfast
 BWB pancake mix, eggs, bacon,  can of coconut milk, BWB hot cocoa mix

We headed a few miles down the road to Rocky Mountain National Park

If you are Military or have a 4th grader, be sure to get your FREE America the Beautiful annual pass http://www.nps.gov/findapark/passes.htm

October is the perfect time to see fall colors in RMNP

We started our trip with a drive up Old Fall River Road. Lucky us! This road is only open when conditions are just right, since it is unpaved and full of switch backs and steep drops. It takes you right over the Continental Divide with plenty of stops to explore along the way. 

Alluvian Fan
The kids could have climbed around here all day. 

Old Fall River Road terrain. 

Lunch in the car! I've never seen these before but was impressed and the Piggies thought they were awesome.
You get a packet of sun butter with crackers, fruit strip, apple sauce, and allergy-friendly "Lucy's" cookies (they aren't the greatest, but if you have multiple food allergies, they might just hit the spot!)

Another stopping point off of Old Fall River Road. Not as much to hike, but a pretty place to stretch your legs! 

At the summit! It was a good little walk UPHILL from the pull off point and 11000 kind of crushes your lungs a little bit, but so worth it! You are literally on top of the world!

 We were wiped after playing in the National Park all day so we took a quick stroll downtown (Estes Park is so adorable!) at the Riverwalk and stopped at Penelope's for dinner. BIGGEST burgers with gluten-free buns, which was awesome! We found a playground and then headed back to the condo for some hot tub soakin' and local beverages. J really liked the local Stinger beer, while I stuck with wine but wasn't too impressed with anything. 

The next morning, it was scrambled eggs and OJ before heading back to Colorado Springs. 

Pit stop at the Colorado Cherry Company in Lyon.  Do not be deceived. This place is legit!

Inside, they have a full breakfast menu, pies, 100% juices, ciders and all kinds of local sauces, candies, and basically anything imaginable. They even have gluten-free CHERRY PIE (frozen whole pies) for only $1 more than the regular pies. 

Of course we bought one and of course I made it as soon as we got home. And yes, it was good enough to make the highlight reel! 

The End!