march: burgers, beer and backyard camping

March roared in like a lion in terms of workload, so our getaway for the month was a date day followed by an overnight campout…in the backyard. It’s easy to plan a staycation here with so many things to do, see, eat and drink.

We started the day touring a nearby camping spot, Elk Creek Campground, that our good friends purchased and have been renovating. This is a beautiful spot in New Castle, Colorado, that’s about 20 minutes from home and, now that we’ve seen it, is bound to be on our list for the year. It’s located in a beautiful, wooded valley right on Elk Creek. The new owners have cleaned things up and invested in lots of infrastructure upgrades—including full hookups at every site. There are sites in all sizes, including a couple for big rigs, and multiple cabin options. A new laundry area and rec room are in the works now and should be finished by the May 1 opening day.

Jan 10

travel tuesday: wine + winter = winner

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Barrel Cave at Colterris Winery in Palisade, Colorado

The first getaway of 2023 is a wrap! Just like in 2022, it was to Palisade, Colorado. This up-and-coming wine region is less than an hour from our house and it’s quickly becoming a favorite destination. It’s a straight shot on I70, no passes to worry about. I’m ready to go back now!

Our original plan included multiple stops to sample the local food and drink, but we had to whittle that down when they moved the KC Chiefs game to Saturday. It ended up being very relaxing, which was nice after the busy holiday season at our store.

Nov 10

10 months, 10 states, 14 getaways

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Ten months and a few days into 2022, and we’re blowing past all of my travel goals for the year. My heart was set on at least one getaway each month and to go someplace new. In the first five months, we made seven trips to six different states.

Oct 09

fall in love with bryce canyon

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Fall is a wonderful time to visit Bryce Canyon. This was my first visit, so I can’t judge the other seasons too harshly, but it was perfect autumn weather when we were there in late September. Highs in the low 70s, lows in the 40s. My kind of weather!

We planned this trip way back in July 2021, so we’d been anticipating it for months. We joined our camping friends from Las Vegas, who we try to camp with every year. They had been there before, so we took advantage of their knowledge and love of the place.

Sep 08

all the feels on this road trip

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Sometimes everything goes right on a road trip, and it’s magical. But it’s not always sunshine and rainbows, and our recent Montana vacation set a new standard for luck. Let’s start with the best and work our way down to the worst. You can start at the bottom if you’d like. Then everything will get better as you read on.

Aug 02

travel tuesday: do go chasing waterfalls

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Shoshone Falls has been on my radar since 2017, when we were in the area and didn’t have time to stop. I made sure to include it in our itinerary for our Montana road trip this summer, which I’ll write more about soon.

Jun 14

travel tuesday: our favorite colorado state park

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It’s okay to play favorites when it comes to travel destinations. We love exploring new areas, which we hope to do soon, but also enjoy going back to a place with more than 20 years of good memories. So heading to Ridgway State Park for a weekend getaway was a much-needed respite from our crazy work schedules.

Jun 07

travel tuesday: hanging out at rifle mountain park

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Did you know that Rifle Mountain Park offers some of the best limestone climbing in the world? You do now! It’s a quick drive from our house, so we took the Jeep there when we had some free time over the weekend.

On the way to the park, you’ll pass Rifle Gap State Park, which boasts a 350-acre reservoir that’s popular for fishing, paddle boarding and boating. Plus, the Gap is where artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Valley Curtain was briefly hung in 1972. Past that, it’s a beautiful drive up to Rifle Falls State Park, which features beautiful caves and a breathtaking, cascading triple waterfall. Next up, the Rifle Falls Fish Hatchery that’s linked to the park via hiking trails.

May 31

travel tuesday: sippin’ wine in palisade

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If you’re starting to think we like Palisade, you are correct. This was our second mini-staycation there this year. We attended the Sip into Spring Wine Fest for the first time, and it was fabulous. The location, the wine, the weather, the food, the hotel…all fabulous!

May 24

travel tuesday: 5 months, 6 states, 7 getaways

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map of 2022 tales from the empty nest travels

We are crushing my goal of at least one getaway each month in 2022! So far, we have visited six states on seven getaways. Here’s a quick recap.

RELATED: Vacation planning for 2022

January: We kicked the year off with a mini-staycation in Palisade and Grand Junction that included visits to a brewery and winery and some incredible food. Soon after, a Colorado road trip took us to Denver for the RV Show and on to Colorado Springs for a relaxing weekend with our best friends.