Honeymoon in Aspen, Colorado

Update: I recently married an Australian about 3 months ago. So we took a trip to Colorado for our honeymoon. “But where are the wedding photos?” you ask … they will be posted on here soon!

When we were deciding where to go for our honeymoon, we were debating on somewhere in America or somewhere in Australia. Being that we wouldn’t move to Australia until a few months after our wedding, we decided that Colorado would be in both of our interests.

If you’ve never experienced a Texas summer, then you’ve never experienced real heat. Hot days. Hot nights. Hot breezes. Dry. Any other weather would be better than that, and Colorado was no exception.

A couple days after our wedding, we headed off on our weeklong road trip. We had made no hotel bookings and had no itinerary whatsoever. In fact, we had no idea when we would actually get to Colorado, much less Aspen. But that was what made it exciting and adventurous.

Our first stop was in Roswell, New Mexico. I thought it would be an interesting sight for my husband. And while it’s not the most exciting thing to see, it was definitely eye-opening for him.

Santa Fe was our next stop. We had originally planned to have lunch there and continue on our journey, but Santa Fe really won our hearts. We walked around downtown and admired the architecture and gift shops. Along our way, we found a cute little used book store, so of course, I had to buy two books from there. We ate dinner at a local pizzeria where I ate a gluten-free margherita pizza. Finding gluten-free food during our trip was not a problem. Evidently, restaurants are becoming more considerate to their gluten-intolerant customers.

The next morning we headed off to Colorado.

We drove through Independence Pass where I almost had a heart attack! They should really put some railing on that road. I can’t imagine when it’s snowing or icy! But the endurance was worth it. There was a sightseeing area near the end of the road and the views were breathtaking!

After seeing all that Independence Pass could offer, we were anxiously anticipating what was waiting for us in Aspen.

Our primary goal was to experience all the outdoorsy activities. We had heard about Maroon Bells and its beauty. We just didn’t know the best way to get there. But after asking several people and doing a little research, we thought to ride an e-bike to Maroon Bells would definitely be stepping out of our comfort zone.

First of all, neither one of us had ever ridden an e-bike before, so we felt like we had superhuman legs riding uphill the whole way. And second of all, Maroon Bells was miles and miles and miles away. Even though we were riding e-bikes, it was still a bit tiring riding uphill the whole way. I can’t imagine how the other bike riders do it! But after a few wrong turns and slight sunburn, the view was definitely worth it.

Maroon Bells is a small lake that lies in between a valley of mountains. The water looked so refreshing, but it was a little too cool to jump in. Although a nearby tourist thought it would be a good idea…

While in Aspen, we decided to roam the downtown area and grab a bite to eat. We visited HOPS Culture where my husband could enjoy his beer and glutinous macaroni and cheese while I drank some chardonnay and ate a tasty ceviche. After moving to Australia, I’ve learned that I need to learn how to make this on my own.

The eateries in Aspen are high-class and savory. I think downtown is a good place to have dinner when you visit. Every restaurant has an eating area outside so you can enjoy the evening as the sun sets.

When we first arrived in Aspen, we purchased some tickets that would allow us to experience different activities around Aspen at a discounted price. Gondolas were on the list so we took a trip on those and enjoyed the views at the top of the mountain.

We took a few trips on some gondolas around the area. Some were longer than others. The longest one took about 15-20 minutes to get to the top. So you can only imagine how tall that mountain was!

I’ve only ever visited Colorado in the winter, but I would advise anyone to visit during the summer. The temperature is perfect and the views are amazing. You actually get to enjoy the scenery without losing all feeling in your limbs. It’s great!

We spent some more time there in Aspen enjoying the views and escape from everyday life. As we headed back to Del Rio, we took another route through Texas and realized how much a landscape can change in a matter of hours. Good ol’ Texas has its own beauty, but there’s still so much to see in every part of the world.