National Park Week

Every year national parks across America offer free admission to kick off National Park Week. David and I decided to take advantage of this opportunity by packing a picnic lunch and spending a leisurely day in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was our first time returning to the park since our one-year anniversary trip last year, followed by the devastating flood that happened one month later.

Before reaching Estes Park, we started to see the aftermath of the flood. Debris of trees and household items littered the sides of the road. A long stretch of the once paved highway was now miles of rock and mud. Our hearts sank as we passed by condemned homes now surrounded by the newly formed river. It was a humbling drive, making us thankful for everything we have.

Driving through the Rocky Mountains was beautiful. Biscuits hung his head out the window, wildly sniffing out the shaggy herd of elk that were starting to shed their winter coats. David and I were in awe of the surrounding snow-covered mountains – we have only visited in late summer, so seeing the park covered in snow was a new experience. Trail Ridge Road wasn’t even completely open due to the amount of snow in the higher elevations.

We chose to picnic in Moraine Park, one of the locations where we took our wedding photos. We set up camp on Inspiration Point – a hill that overlooks the entire meadow and the curvy stream meandering through it. It was sunny, warm and incredibly relaxing. I even caught Biscuits with his eyes closed, letting his ears fly in the breeze, sniffing the fresh air. It was a good day.