From the top of Trail Ridge Road - the highest continuously paved road in America (3,731m at its peak) - mountains rose like stone giants all around. The air was thin and dizzying, the tree line lying far below. Up here, in the tundra of Colorado's high peaks, everything felt grander and lighter. I took in a view normally reserved for mountaineers and mountain goats, but in Rocky Mountain National Park even mere mortals like me could gaze upon it with ease. I had found, perhaps, the most spectacular stretch of tarmac in America.
It was a fitting start to a wonder-filled road trip across the state. Colorado has long been my adopted home, after I swapped the streets of London for its mountains ten years ago. I've seen it all in bits, but never in one go. My plan was to travel north to south, following the spine of the Rockies the entire way. So, after one last look, I got back in the car, turned the key and smiled. Road trips don't get better than this.
The base camp for Rocky Mountain NP is Estes Park, so that's where I headed next. I tracked ghosts in the 113-year-old Stanley Hotel, where Stephen King dreamt up The Shining, and hiked to the bare rock summit of Estes Cone a well-kept local secret - screaming a primal roar as I reached the summit, the plains shimmering below like an ocean in summer heat. My guide, Bob Chase, a Rocky Mountain veteran, recognised that roar and smiled.
"There's something about being up here that's special," he said. "It's humbling, and it's good to feel that sometimes."
I smiled back. That feeling of being humbled by the mountains; of being small and insignificant but at the same time part of something vast and profound - that's what Colorado is all about. That's why you go.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Vermont, USA
The Wanderlust team relocated to New England for part of this issue, as we explored a lush state filled with outdoor escapes, historic towns... and lashings of maple syrup
Unique North America
See a side to the USA and Canada beyond the big cities and discover incredible stories and special wildlife with our pick of the trips
The call of the Rockies
From historic ski lodges to rustic backcountry cabins and a mock-Scottish castle, we pick the stays in Canada's Rocky Mountains that make the most of their setting
A new dawn for the Garifuna community
When the Garifuna people settled in Belize, they had to carry their traditions and culture with them; now a new trail is inviting visitors to explore this heritage through local communities
On the edge of history
In south-west Colorado lies the largest archaeological preserve in the USA, a series of vast cliff dwellings whose residents 'vanished' overnight. But was the answer to their disappearance in plain sight?
Tigers burning bright
As India celebrates 50 years of its Project Tiger conservation scheme, we visit the reserves of Madhya Pradesh to see how its success has impacted a tiger population that once looked in danger of disappearing
SEASON'S GREETINGS
From fiery fall foliage to art fairs and harvest festivals, opens up a wealth of across the USA and Canada autumn experiences
Waking a sleeping GIANT
A slow drive along the North Wales Way, from the English border to Anglesey, reveals not only a land of incredible local food and castles, but a region that is slowly reimagining itself
The rebirth of old JEDDAH
As efforts to restore Al-Balad, Jeddah's historical district, take hold, we get an exclusive peek at how art and culture are taking centre stage
Star-studded escapes
Wilderness, history and wildlife combine at some of Britain's most iconic stargazing sites, as more and more travellers are looking to the heavens
