They say better late than never, so it is appropriate that this blog post is late because the original trip we had planned in the Steamboat Springs, CO area for Molly’s 40th birthday was also delayed. Due to work getting absolutely nutty, an enormous fall to-do list, and a can’t-miss family wedding in Nebraska, our planned mid September trip got pushed into early October. For those who don’t know mountain weather, this is a big swing in alpine temps. As a result, Steamboat came off the books and an old favorite, Gateway Canyon Resort took its place. We had first visited Gateway 10 years prior and had been waiting for an excuse to revisit, this time with our two kids in tow.

The trip came together pretty quickly and we set off on the familiar route through the nothingness of Nebraska driving overnight to reach the Blue River Campground outside of Silverthorne, CO on Saturday. We had eyed this campground the year before when we passed it on the way to Ute Pass Road where we took advantage of dispersed camping off one of the Forest Service roads. The Blue River Campground was beautiful and the kids had a great time skipping and flipping rocks in the river. However, we had a site somewhat near the road and it became apparent overnight why these sites were easier to book; the traffic on Highway 9 is LOUD! It was decided that we would probably only stay here again if we could get one of the sites tucked back far from the road and closer to the river.

The next day, we got up early and moseyed our way west to the Colorado/Utah border and Gateway Canyon Resort. It was as stunning as we remembered and we quickly extended our reservation from the originally-planned two nights to three. Along with the obligatory hot tub/pool time, we spent one day exploring and taking in the fall colors on the myriad of state line dirt roads; even making it all the way over to the dinosaur tracks at Bull Canyon Overlook and Moab, UT for a late lunch. Seeing Arches National Park in the distance was a tease, but we decided to save that for another dedicated trip. Another day was spent closer to the resort exploring the nearby canyons and partaking in some local customs.

Feeling rested and indulged after 3 nights in such an incredible spot, it was time to pack up and do some dirtbagging. We pointed the truck east toward Aspen, figuring we could find some decent backcountry camping before we got there. On the way, we stopped in Redstone and had possibly the best pizza ever (yes, two Chicagoans are saying this so it must be true!) at Propaganda Pie. After filling our bellies with delicious pizza and Pliny the Elder IPAs, we settled on camping at Avalanche Campground. After setting up camp, the ladies went on a hike and the boys did some fly fishing lessons on the stream. It was a fantastic little campground and in warmer weather, would have been a great place to hang for a couple days.

We had intended on camping two nights, but after an absolutely frigid and miserable sleep, we quickly reevaluated, packed up camp, and continued east toward Aspen. We spent most of the day shopping and meandering through town eventually booking a room at the Marriott Viewline Resort in Snowmass. Fall in Colorado was in full effect as we partook in leaf watching from the pool and hot tubs and capped off a great, but unexpected day with a delicious dinner at nearby Venga Venga.

As always, our time out west was too short and Friday we started our journey back east. We had a wonderful time at the wedding where it was fun to reminisce about how different our lives were the last time we had made the trek to Gateway. Revisiting your favorite places it often a cathartic experience and it was incredibly rewarding to share such an epic spot with the kiddos.