Colorado & South Dakota Redemption
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This trip was a triumphant redemption for our failed attempt last year, exactly one year prior, when Frontier Airlines unexpectedly canceled our flight just eight hours before departure, derailing our Fourth of July plans. This year’s adventure, thankfully, proved to be the best redemption ever! We successfully visited all the national parks in Colorado and even managed to include Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, which we’d missed last summer.
Day 1: Red Rocks & Rolling Sands
Our journey began smoothly on July 3rd, 2025, with a 5 AM United flight from Chicago, landing in Denver around 7 AM. After picking up our rental car and a quick breakfast, we headed straight for Colorado Springs. Our first stop was the Garden of the Gods, a stunning park bustling with visitors even on a very hot day. We opted for a convenient shuttle from the visitor center to the trailhead, enjoying a leisurely half-hour walk to admire its iconic red rock formations. Though time was limited, the breathtaking views were well worth the stop.
In the afternoon, we ventured to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Upon arrival, we were delightfully greeted by a huge herd of cattle near the entrance, which happily diverted us for a good twenty minutes.
After a relaxing picnic lunch within the park, we explored the vast landscape. The dunes here are, in my opinion, the tallest and largest among other dune national parks I’ve visited. However, the sand absorbs a lot of heat (unlike the gypsum at White Sands NP), so we wisely stuck to the flat areas, leaving the strenuous climbs for another, cooler, day. That evening, we drove on to Cortez for the night.
Day 2: Ancient Dwellings & Mountain Majesty
Our planning truly paid off on July 4th, 2025, as we avoided crowds despite the holiday. Our day started at Mesa Verde National Park – aptly named for its “green table” landscapes.
This park, though less frequented, is rich with Native American history. We had wisely booked an early morning ranger-led tour of Cliff Palace, offering an intimate glimpse into ancient cliff dwellings and educating us on early Native American civilization. After the tour, we drove through the park, discovering more cliff dwellings, a temple, and various pits. Lunch at the Far View Terrace Cafe was surprisingly good, with satisfying chili and pizza slices that reminded us pleasantly of ski resort food.
Our drive towards Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park took us through the stunning San Juan Mountain range. Colorado truly lives up to its nickname, “Switzerland of the U.S.!” We initially considered the famed Million Dollar Highway, but opted for an alternative route through the San Juans, which rewarded us with even more breathtaking views than we’d seen in pictures of the highway. (Please take a look of the first picture of this blog for the view!) We even spotted a picturesque herd of sheep being expertly herded by Border Collies near Lizard Head Peak Vista Overlook – a moment I’ve pinned for future memory!
We arrived at Black Canyon of the Gunnison late afternoon. Following tradition, our first stop was the visitor center for a souvenir magnet. One great aspect of U.S. National Parks is their car-friendly nature; for parks with canyons, you rarely need to hike extensively to enjoy the views (similar to the Grand Canyon).
To describe this park: deep, incredibly deep. The sheer drop was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. While activities beyond soaking in the immense views were limited, it offered a perfectly chill conclusion to our day. We then drove to Rifle, setting us up for our next grand adventure: Rocky Mountain National Park.
Day 3: Rocky Peaks & Serene Lakes
July 5th, 2025, brought us to the most popular park of the trip: Rocky Mountain National Park! Our strategy of entering from the less-crowded west side, opposite Denver, proved brilliant. We had secured reservations for both the iconic Trail Ridge Road and the Bear Lake area. Arriving early, we enjoyed a peaceful picnic lunch beside a small creek near the west entrance.
The mountain weather was quite dynamic, with sunshine and rain alternating. We patiently waited for a clear sky before ascending Trail Ridge Road. The drive itself, though breathtaking, was thrillingly scary with sheer drops alongside the road – a constant reminder of the incredible cliffs below. However, the panoramic views from the top were utterly stunning, far exceeding what photos convey. I wholeheartedly recommend it; it makes the rest of the park, though still beautiful, feel like a bonus!
In the late afternoon, we descended to the Bear Lake area. After parking, we took a shuttle to the trailhead and hiked to Nymph Lake, the second lake beyond Bear Lake. The view was incredibly tranquil, and we enjoyed watching several ducks glide across the water. This peaceful scene marked the end of our day before we headed to Fort Collins for the night.
Day 4: Prairie & Prairie Dogs
July 6th, 2026, marked the final and most ambitious day of our trip. Our plan involved a round-trip drive from Denver to Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota – a five-hour journey each way, broken up by planned stops. Our first landmark was Scott’s Bluff National Monument, a historic waypoint for Native Americans, Oregon, California, and Mormon Trail emigrants, marked by iconic sculptures.
Not far from Scott’s Bluff, we visited Chimney Rock, another historical landmark. It was fascinating to see how erosion had thinned the rock’s spire over centuries, starkly different from how it appeared in historical drawings.
Upon reaching Wind Cave National Park, our excitement was met with disappointment: all cave tours were canceled due to an elevator malfunction! We later learned this was an ongoing issue. It was truly unfortunate to miss seeing the cave’s unique boxwork, a rare limestone formation.
Despite the cave closure, we discovered another side of the park: its preserved lands teeming with wildlife. We drove along the scenic routes, delighting in vast prairie dog towns (now my spirit animals!) and numerous bison. The trip concluded with our drive back to Denver, a red-eye flight back to Chicago, and a final bus ride to school. While I wouldn’t recommend this exhausting final leg, it was an adventure we’ll cherish from our younger, more energetic days!
We had the chance to return to England for Poy’s graduation at Oxford University—a trip filled with celebration, friends, and family. It was such a joy to revisit familiar places and explore new ones, like Canterbury and Hampton Court Palace, which took us a bit outside the city. Accompanied by Poy’s family and my college bestie, Emma, the trip was packed with laughter, meaningful moments, and plenty of walking—over 15,000 steps a day!
At the end of the spring semester, I attended a number theory conference in Dallas for a week. After the conference, my fiancé flew in to pick me up, and we took a trip to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas! We hadn’t originally planned it, but once we realized how close Dallas was to the park, we decided to go for it. Without the conference, we probably would never have considered visiting Arkansas, given its distance and how far it is from other national parks. We really enjoyed the thermal baths there and hope to return someday!
Although the University of Illinois has some cherry blossoms near the Japan House, we thought it would be fun to visit Washington, D.C. to see more blooms around the Tidal Basin. However, catching these delicate flowers turned out to be more challenging than we expected. We booked our flights based on historical peak bloom data, but still missed the peak—wind and rain had swept through just a few days before we arrived. Despite the timing, we thoroughly enjoyed other aspects of D.C., especially the art galleries, museums, and the (long-awaited return of) giant pandas!
We’ve been to Florida together before, but last time we stayed in Orlando and visited Disney World. Now that we’ve started exploring more national parks, we decided to return to Florida with the goal of visiting all three national parks in the stat, namely, Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas. Except for Everglades, the other two are only accessible by ferry or speedboat, which gave us some unique experiences we hadn’t had anywhere else in the U.S.