After a couple tremendous days in Utah, I was truly looking forward to getting in to Colorado, a place I thought I could see myself retiring to eventually. I was certainly not disappointed…

I posted a photo similar to this one on Instagram and tried to explain what driving through Colorado is like – but basically it’s this. It’s like the feeling of having new sheets on your bed…

(Incidentally, the photo above is the one that I printed out and taped to the upper corner of my windshield to help get me through the hell known as Kansas, but that’s a completely different story).

I’d been to Durango, Colorado several times when I was much younger and it’s basically exactly as I remembered it — and that’s a great thing.

We have a graduate of Greensburg Salem who’s currently a student at the United States Air Force Academy, so after spending a little bit of time in Colorado Springs, I had the chance to meet him for lunch and get a quick tour of the campus — it’s absolutely, incredibly beautiful. The chapel is stunning and you’d never know there’s as much stained glass that projects so well from looking at the outside. And how about that backdrop for your football stadium???

Later that night I had the chance to have dinner with a former Yearbook Editor in Denver and had a blast as well. I really liked the area we were in – LoDo – and it was great to catch up with this young lady as well…

If you know me, then you know how much I enjoy street art and murals as well. This piece of Frank Shorter in downtown Boulder certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Rocky Mountain National Park was the last of the National Parks I got to visit and it was stunning as well. Driving the Trail Ridge Road was a blast and the views were incredible. While I was hoping to see some Big Horn Sheep, the Elk didn’t disappoint…

And then… Red Rocks Amphitheater. While I didn’t get to see a show here, it was pretty neat to get to tour the spot where one of my all-time favorite concerts (U2 at Red Rocks) was performed. What an insanely scenic spot – if you take a look at the top pic in this set, you can see Denver along the horizon of the pic.