While people often talk about the natural beauty of exploring destinations abroad, many overlook the worthwhile hikes and parks right in their home country. After a string of international backpacking trips, I decided to spend a month touring some domestic beauty. In this photo essay, you’ll see a few worthwhile spots in Colorado as I made my way from Denver to Colorado Springs, passing through Golden, Breckenridge, Grand Junction, Crawford and Ouray. All shots were taken with an iPhone 4s and are unedited.
Highway To Heaven, Ouray
Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 15 miles west of Denver
Hiking To Upper Boulder Lake in Breckenridge
Upper Boulder Lake, Breckenridge
Driving From Breckenridge To Grand Junction
Crystal Lake, Million Dollar Highway, Ouray
Black Canyon of the Gunnison, The United States’ Newest National Park, Crawford
Colorado National Monument, Near Grand Junction
At The Top Of Pikes Peak, 14,114 feet, Colorado Springs
Catamount Reservoir In Pikes Peak National Forest, Colorado Springs
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
