Shopping local for the holidays is no problem here in Colorado. There are markets all over the state throughout November and December featuring hundreds of artists showcasing all sorts of creations. ​From food to clothes to pottery and more, you can find a gift for just about everyone on your shopping lists at one of these markets. Plus, you will find live music, parades, and themes at some of them!

​Here is a list of markets happening in the 2021 holiday season:

This is by no means a complete list of Holiday Markets in Colorado. Comment below and let us know which ones we should add to the list!
​

Also, check out my other Colorado winter guides below!

Winter is definitely the busiest season of the year in Colorado. Once the snow starts dumping, the towns start celebrating.  ​Resorts open up for skiing and snowboarding, and the mountains come alive in a new way.

Skiing at Steamboat during WinterWonderGrass.

Snowboarding in Aspen during The X-Games.

WinterWonderGrass 2019 in Steamboat Springs.

2021:

2022:

WinterWonderGrass -  February 25th - 27th - Steamboat Springs Enjoy some of the biggest names in bluegrass music at the base of Steamboat Mountain during this incredible weekend-long festival. John and I have enjoyed it in 2018 and 2019. See more from our experience here! See more for yourself here!

Read some of our other Colorado Guides:

Fall is a very distinct season in Colorado. The weather starts to get cooler, the leaves all change from green to yellow to orange to red, and the orchards and gardens fill with gourds and apples. You can really feel the difference when Autumn starts here. During the Fall of 2021, John and I had to squeeze all of our Fall pumpkin picking activities into one weekend in October due to our travel schedules. ​

Stop #1 - Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Ranch Hours of operation: 9 am - 6 pm daily Entrance fee: FREE Website: rockymtnpumpkinranch.com

Stop #2 - Ya Ya Farm & Orchard

Hours of operation: Varies Daily - Typically opens at 9 am, closed Mondays Entrance fee: FREE Website: https://yayafarmandorchard.com

Stop #3 - Fritzler Farm Park

Hours of operation: Vary Daily, Closed Mondays and Tuesdays  Entrance fee: $18-$33 (purchase in advance to save money) Website: www.fritzlerfarmpark.com

Read more of my other Colorado road trip guides below:

“Leaf Peeping” is an annual activity in Colorado. Going out to see the aspen trees change from bright green to yellow and orange is something I plan trips for months ahead of time. ​I hope this guide helps you find your own incredible fall foliage spots across The Rocky Mountain State.

Kebler Pass, October 2nd, 2021.

McClure & Kebler Passes - Aspen to Crested Butte

My Kuku Camper on Kebler Pass.

Use code TACOS5 for 5% off your own Kuku Camper Rental!

Telluride

There is so much to do and see in Telluride. I spent a short amount of time in this adorable mountain town the last few days of September 2021. I took the free gondola ride from one side of the mountain to downtown, and drove as far as I could down Last Dollar Road before it became 4WD only. I would highly recommending renting a jeep and spending lots of time on the trails around Telluride.

Golden Gate Canyon ~45 minutes from Denver 

Hiking in Golden Gate Canyon State Park.

A cabin in Frazer Meadow.

The Abyss Trail ~ 1.5 hours from Denver 

In the southern side of The Mount Evans Wilderness is The Abyss Trail. This trail is not for new hikers and non-acclimated photographers. This is a roughly 8-mile round trip to get to the most colorful spots. That being said, every step is worth it! The reward is so worth the difficulty.

Kenosha Pass ~ 2 Hours from Denver

Kenosha Pass is one of the most popular places to see the Fall foliage. It is extremely accessible for all ages and hiking levels, and you can just drive over the pass and see a ton of Aspens from the car. Hikes range from 0.5 miles to 465 miles (if you want to complete the entire Colorado Trail). ​

Hiking Kenosha Pass.

Mom hiking through Kenosha Pass.

September 27th, 2020. Mom and I starting our hike!

Leadville Scenic Train ~2 1/2 hours from Denver 

Riding the Leadville scenic train ride.

Not far from Kenosha Pass is the historic town of Leadville. This former, booming mining town was almost voted the capital of Colorado! ​One place to learn all about the town, state, and mining operations (plus see the fall leaves) is on the Leadville, Colorado & Southern Railroad. It’s a very easy and fun way to get a completely different view of the mountains. Book your own adventure for one of their open-air train cars on their website here.

Great Sand Dunes National Park ~3 hours from Denver 

John standing at the base of the dunes before we hiked up!

Checkout my other guides to Colorado's great places below:

Eating healthily is extremely important to John and I. This attitude doesn’t change when we hit the trail. We have learned it isn’t always the easiest, and preparing to eat healthily in the wilderness is even more difficult.

​The reasons we cut out these foods are thanks to Catherine Shanahan M.D.'s book, "Deep Nutrition". It changed our lives to the way we eat. We HIGHLY recommend you read it! Find it on her website, here: https://drcate.com/books/

Our chessman dehydrator.

​Buying dehydrated meals can be expensive, so we can’t do it for every trip we take. Instead, my parents bought me a dehydrator for my birthday a few years ago, and we use it to create our own meals. ​Check out our Chefman Dehydrator here, and buy one for yourself!

​Thanks to books like “Lip Smackin' Backpacking" and internet recipes, I have made everything from eggplant parmesan, to trail tacos, fruit roll ups, and even seasonings and herbs. Most have been good, but I have learned quite a bit through trial and error.

Here are my top 3 lessons for beginner dehydrated food preppers:

Choose easy recipes to start. As nice as a luxurious meal with sauce and toppings sounds, it’s usually not feasible on the trail. Consider how things will have to be cooked including how many pots and pans the recipe will take versus how many you can carry. ​Also think about how much water each recipe and each piece of the recipe needs. I say this, because my dehydrated milk takes extra water to rehydrate, and I always forget!

I like one pot recipes - like my pasta primavera!

Eating breakfast tacos on the trail.

​This might seem like an obvious lesson, but it is one I do not recommend learning on your own. I once dehydrated taco meat and apples at the same time, and let's just say that the taste of the apples was very interesting.

Here are my favorite recipes to date:

Cook taco meat as normal on the stove. Drain then dehydrate.         On the trail, use 1 portion water to 1 portion of meat​         Pack tortillas and any toppings​ I found these remade beans pair PERFECTLY with the taco meat! Find them at your local Whole Foods, here.

Dehydrate chosen veggies. I chose leftover squash and zucchini Create a mix of butter powder and seasonings Throw it all in the pot and cover with water and boil until cooked One pot recipe, and cooks in under 10!

Share your favorite recipes below in the comment section!

See more from our other backpacking trips:

For my first backpacking trip of summer 2021, I went hiking with a couple of John and I’s friends around the Four Pass Loop trail circling from Aspen to Crested Butte, Colorado. ​We clocked 30 miles and almost 8,000 feet of elevation gain overall. This had been a bucket list hike of mine, and I am so proud to have accomplished it!

My loaded down Kelty backpack on The Four Pass Loop trail in Crested Butte, Colorado.

First solo multi-day trip!

First backpacking trip and first time to Yellowstone National Park!

Here is the initial layout of all my gear for The Four Pass Loop trail.

Lessons learned:

Testing gear is one of the most important steps of preparation. ​It can save a lot of time and weight on the trail. If something is broken, requires a lot of effort, or requires more than one person to operate, don’t bring it.

I have learned how to set up our two-person tent easily by myself.

I now make my own dehydrated meals. Click to read my recipes!

​I have learned that testing gear also applies to food. For instance, I brought along a bag of trail mix that I didn’t like, and it was a significant portion of my food weight. My one friend found out he HATED his meals. He had never used the brand of dehydrated meals before, and he did not like a single one.

I know all of our gear like the back of my hand at this point, so I don’t necessarily need to test it, but before every trip, I patch up anything that might need repairing. (For instance, my sleeping bag had a hole from where Maria, our dog, caught hold of it in Moab.)

Our dog Maria in Moab.

My extremely heavy bag up to Challenger Point's base camp. Click to read more!

This is the biggest lesson I have learned, and it’s still the thing I need to work on most when it comes to backpacking. In two of the three completely solo trips I have taken, my packs have all been over 50 pounds. According to my weight, I should barely be carrying 25. That's DOUBLE the recommended weight!! I feel like I am packing the bare minimum, but 50 pounds is absolutely ridiculous and actually considered unsafe according to GearHunts.com. ​​

This was both mine and John's gear, food, and clothes for Yellowstone National Park.

Things I always pack with me:

Me using my Dueter rain cover at Taylor Park Reservoir in Colorado.

I capture every trip either on my GoPro Hero 8, Nikon D3300, or iPhone 12.  The Nikon D3300 is by far the heaviest single piece of gear I carry. I usually justify the weight on my shoulder by the quality of images it takes, but I could most certainly benefit from something smaller.

Carrying my Nikon D3300 on my chest strap.

Gear I love:

Celebrating my birthday at Twin Lakes, Colorado in my Selk Bag!

If you have not heard of a Selk Bag, you are absolutely missing out. It is a snuggie-style sleeping bag! It is an absolute luxury camping item, but after using one, I cannot go camping without it. ​The lounging sleeping bag is so cozy to sit around a campfire in, and it makes the morning easier, because I don’t have to get out of my sleeping bag to pack up or go to the bathroom!

Gear I cannot wait to replace:

Sadly, our Eureka Apex 2XT tent has just about bit the dust. We have loved our tent for years, but now, a zipper is broken, and our rain cover has a rip.  ​Plus, it is way too heavy for backpacking. It weighs around 8 pounds which is almost double the weight of some other brands. We have been searching for a new tent, and have found articles on Gear Lab and Gear Junkie helpful in the process! ​

Our Eureka Apex 2XT tent at Taylor Park Reservoir.

The main thing I really cannot wait to fix is my backpack. My Kelty Coyote 80 doestn’t really fit my body properly, so it sits in all the wrong places when I walk. The Kelty Coyote hasn’t done me wrong per se, but the waistband is a touch large, and the shoulder straps can’t get small enough without bunching up on me. ​

I can't wait to get back on the trail!

Read about some of our other camping trips:

Back in 2018, John and I had our first experience with “van life” when we rented a Kuku Camper van in Iceland for an eight-day road trip. We spent the week circling the whole country in the convenience of a converted commercial van, and we’ve been wanting to do it again ever since that trip. Read all about that fun, wild time in that van In Iceland, here! Eight days, one speeding ticket, one flat tire and countless spectacular sights seen, it was a trip we will never forget!

Here has been our experience!

Our Class C-Lux Van at our campsite on The Arkansas River.

​The KuKu Camper vans has made everything so convenient! 

A view from the back of our van.

Kuku Campers really have the luxury camping experience figured out. All of their van rentals include a bed, stove, and cooking utensils. The larger class C and M vans also come with sinks, shelves, and extra bed space! All the vans have top of the line appliances including dimmer lights, fans, and solar panels with outlets to plug in your items!

Here is all that was has been inside each van:

Maria getting in my way of packing the van.

Here are the items we still packed from home:

​Kuku Campers also has a ‘take it or leave it’ shelf inside the rental office where other renters have left items for new campers to use. Things like unopened food, propane tanks, coffee, and other useful items might be found on the ‘take it or leave it’ shelf. Don’t rely on the ‘take it or leave it’ shelf for any specific item, but it is worth a glance before leaving the Kuku office!

Kuku's grab and go shelf in the office.

The differences between the vans:

Use code Tacos5 to get 5% off your entire booking!!

Woke up Sunday to less than ideal weather conditions.

Our van at sunset in Salida!

Use code Tacos5 to get 5% off your booking!

Getting engaged has been the most exciting time in mine and John’s lives. We have both been waiting a long time and were thrilled to finally be to taking this next step together. I knew, right after he proposed, that having engagement pictures taken would be the easiest and most fun way to share the exciting news with our family and friends.

​We flew our photographer, Holley Grimes, out to Denver to spend an entire week visiting and photographing. She broke up her time between Denver, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs to photograph us and a handful of other couples. ​We crossed hundreds of miles to scope out some of the most scenic spots in Colorado, and we were were not disappointed in the places we chose!

#5 Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater - Morrison, CO.

This might be one of the more “obvious” places to visit near Denver. Red Rocks Amphitheater is one of the most famous and scenic places near the city and rightfully so! This iconic amphitheater is beautiful with its huge and towering rocks, but the park surrounding it is perfect for photographers. It has great trails and we were able to get up close to the red rocks. That being said, our pictures from the road into the park were our favorite!

#4 Lookout Mountain - Golden, CO

​Lookout Mountain Park is Golden’s well known sunset-watching spot, but it was also a perfect place to take a few private sunrise pictures. We drove up and around the mountain stopping at just about every pull off and place with a view we could find! We found no one else awake and braving the cold, windy morning on top of the mountain when we went so it was perfect.

#3 Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs

Garden of the Gods is another well-known place to photograph in Colorado. The red spires here tower taller than those of Red Rocks Park and provide a totally different aesthetic with their close proximity to the mountains. The park fills up EARLY every day, so we actually took most of our pictures from a lookout just outside of the main structures. We had a little party on Mars and really explored around every where we could.

#2 Paint Mines Interpretive Park - Calhan, CO

The Paint Mines is one of my favorite places in all of Colorado. It is incredibly fun to take a group of friends and wander through the chalky formations. This was one of the first places I knew that I wanted to bring Holley because there is a ton of variety in color and landscape, and I knew she could take some incredible pictures. ​*Be warned that this area is always windy and almost always muddy. My long dress probably wasn’t the best idea for this location, but I love the way our photos came out!*

#1 Royal Gorge Route Railway - Cañon City, CO

​The best place we took pictures was, of course, the only place we had to pay to go, but it was well worth it! The Royal Gorge Route Railway was perfection! We paid for “Vista Dome” seats on the Royal Gorge Route Railway, and it was a romantic’s dream. We spent 2 1/2 hours sipping wine while taking in the scenic views through the long glass windows. The gigantic, sheer canyon walls surrounding the Arkansas River were beautiful and relaxing. ​This had been on my bucket list for a long time, and I managed to save it for the perfect time with the best people!

Honorable Mentions: 

Horsetooth Reservoir - ​Fort Collins, CO.

​Horsetooth Reservoir in Fort Collins is another fantastic spot to check out. It changes drastically with the seasons and can be crowded in the summer, but in the middle of winter, it’s a winter wonderland perfect for cozy, snowy pictures!

Chautauqua Park - Boulder, CO

​This is where John proposed to me, so it will always hold a special place in my heart, but it’s also a photographer’s playground. There are dozens of trails and scenic overlooks that are perfect for any kind of photos you are looking to take. We didn’t bring Holley here, but it is not to be missed!

Check out some of my other Colorado Guides:

Like many people, the first trip John and I took to Colorado was to go skiing. We went to Breckenridge for Spring Break with a group of friends and fell in love with Colorado instantly. ​We loved everything about the state: the mountains, the people, and the activities. Everything was perfect. It was also both of our first times skiing, and we enjoyed it, but it has taken us a little while to truly fall head over heels with the sport, even after moving here. ​

We are both adventurous, and we didn’t like the idea of going along with the crowd. Instead, we turned to activities like snowshoeing, winter camping, and fishing. It has taken us a lot of time to get into all of these different activities, but they’ve been less expensive than skiing could have been. From new gear to season passes, there are plenty of ways to spend money on skiing.

Our tent at Conundrum Hot Spring October 2019.

Resort Fun = Resort Prices

We skied Steamboat Springs with our friends who have Ikon passes.

Season passes are a huge part of skiing in Colorado, and if you plan to do it most every weekend, it might be worth the asking price. Season passes, like the Epic of the Ikon, can range from $500 to $2,000 and allow access to certain mountains in Colorado and all across the world. Picking a pass is a big deal in Colorado because it then limits which mountains you usually want to visit since you’ve already paid for the ones on your pass.

Also, they’re also subject to ‘blackout days’.  Usually on these passes the most popular days of the year are the ‘blacked out’ days, unless you pay for the highest premium package. Since John and I had no plans to ski most weekends of the winter season, we the last two years have chosen not to buy season passes.

Us at Steamboat, which is on the Ikon Pass.

Me and two girlfriends at Keystone, on the Epic Pass.

We often found ourselves using ‘buddy passes’ and ‘ski with a friend’ passes. These are discounted single-day tickets that season pass holders can give their friends. Taylor and I have purchased single day lift tickets for 25% - 40% discounts using ‘buddy’ or ‘ski with a friend’ passes on the Epic Pass - that’s how we got to see at Keystone!

To rent or to buy?

Another part of the reason that we haven’t bought season passes is because neither of us have invested in high-quality gear. At first, we rented skis from the resorts, but each time we rented, it would cost us around $50-$75 for boots, skis, and helmets.

In rented skis and a borrowed snow suit in Keystone.

John's first time on his skis was in Steamboat Springs.

John bit the bullet and bought a brand new pair of high-end ski boots when he learned that good boots translate into more control of your skis. We each use second hand skis, and we found our respective pairs for under $100 each. The used skis are fine for a couple of ski days each year but probably couldn’t hold up for an entire season of skiing.

Breckenridge:

Breckenridge was the very first place John and I skied, and it maybe wasn’t the best place for us to “wing it”. We went out without any lessons and very little guidance. All we really knew was “pizza and french fry”. These are basic ski terms that refer to the direction your skis are pointed. You pizza to slow down and french fry to speed up. We had no idea what we were doing, but it was a ton of fun to rush down the mountain and crash into fresh snow.

Both of ours first times ever on skis!

From the top of the "Snowflake" lift.

Keystone:

Post-ski parking lot party.

Keystone was the first place we skied once we were official residents of Colorado. Our friends wanted to take us out and try to teach us to ski. We were able to use their Epic Pass “Buddy Passes” for a nice discount. It was great to have friends show us how to navigate the mountains and to have someone to follow around the slopes. ​

It was a total whiteout day, and we could barely see in front of us. We started out only doing green (easy) routes, but by the end of the day, we were hitting blues (more difficult), and once, we accidentally went down a black (most difficult), and no one fell. It was an awesome day!

At the top of the Summit Express lift.

Steamboat Springs:

WinterWonderGrass 2019.

​Thanks to the annual WinterWonderGrass Music Festival, John and I have been able to ski two different locations in Steamboat Springs over the two years we have attended. Howelson Hill and the Steamboat Springs Resort are very different, but both are very fun.

Howelson Hill

Our first year at WinterWonderGrass, we didn’t purchase festival tickets that include lift passes. It would have been almost $200 extra to ski for the weekend, and we just didn’t want to spend the money. Instead, when we arrived in Steamboat, I found another, smaller ski area and made our way to the other side of Steamboat. ​

Howelson Hill is North America's oldest operating ski lift!

Some of the jump and competition areas.

Howelson Hill has been operating since 1915 making it the oldest operating ski area in North America! It also has been the training grounds of more international competitors than any other place in North America. This made total sense, because a high school ski jump competition was happening while we were there.

​Howelson Hill has been one of John’s favorite places overall, because we both had so much freedom to hone our abilities. Plus, John loved the inspiration of seeing the competitors every time we went up the lift.

The view down onto Steamboat Springs.

Steamboat Resort

Hiding in the trees in Steamboat.

We made the absolute most of our two days on the Steamboat mountains, hit the lifts as early as we could, and stayed until the lifts stopped and the music started! We had friends join us for one of the two days, and they introduced us to tree runs and really showed us the ropes of navigating more difficult terrain. Since then, we’ve never looked back and tree runs are our absolute favorites!

Coming down to the resort area in Steamboat.

Aspen:

​I went to Aspen for The Aprés Music Festival and “Bacon Days'' at Buttermilk Mountain in 2019, I visited Snowmass Mountain that same weekend, and John went to Aspen Highlands for New Year’s Day 2020 to ring in the new year! We had totally different experiences, but we both had great times.

The Apres music festival 2019.

Snowmass

The view from Snowmass Mountain.

Aspen is the only place I have attempted snowboarding. My friends convinced me to try it, since it costs the same as renting skis. It turns out that snowboarding wasn’t as easy for me to pick up as skiing. Sadly, I do not have much to say about this mountain, because I stayed in the beginner area, the “meadows”, and barely explored the mountain at all.

The view from the Snowmass lift.

Buttermilk

I went to Buttermilk because it was their closing day, aka “Bacon Days”. My friends had told me that every lift would have a different kind of bacon, so I had to go check it out.  I tried to make it to as many stations as I could and tried all sorts of bacon. From bacon-wrapped scallops to bacon-infused chocolate, it was all delicious. ​

The chocolate covered bacon station.

Aspen Highlands

Loveland Ski Area:

Our first trip in 2021 was to Loveland Ski Area. Since many resorts have COVID guidelines in place and require reservations, our choices of mountains have been more limited than ever this year. Fortunately, Loveland does not require a reservation and is decently priced for a single-day lift ticket It only cost us $80 for the day compared to $150-250 for Epic or Ikon Mountains the same day!

​We had a ton of fun all day weaving in and out of the trees all across the mountains. We took just about all of the lifts that were open: Chet’s Dream, lifts #2, #4, and #6 and took to the trees any time we could.

Map of Loveland Ski Area Colorado.

Traveling in the midst of COVID-19 is very interesting. Politics aside, things are very different than they used to be. Airlines require you to jump many more hoops, and each state has its own rules regarding how you can enter and what you can do when you arrive. Additionally, these rules are changing constantly.

Taken from Kua Bay - our new favorite beach!

Step One: Figure out Which Island To Visit 

​We checked these sites constantly even just before our plane took off from Phoenix. Luckily, most airlines are being flexible during these uncertain times, so even if something had come up and we couldn’t have made the trip, we would have been able to cancel and reschedule or simply cancel for free. (Thanks, American Airlines!) So we booked for Kona on the Big Island based off their policies and got on our way!

Screenshot from hawaiicovid19.com

Screenshot from LoveBigIsland.com

These sites were great for up-to-the-minute updates. For example, the Governor issued a mandate just a few weeks before our arrival stating that “pending” tests would not be accepted. That means that you will have to quarantine if test results are not available when you arrive. This scared us at first, because the test has to be taken within 72 hours of the flight, but these pages helped us find the right provider, test, and time frame to get it all done!

Step Two: Get The Correct COVID Test on The Correct Day

Viral story that hit right after we booked our flights!

​We were so concerned about receiving our results in time. 72-hours is a quick turn around, but we made sure to choose a provider that offered a “rapid” test that was also classified as NAAT (Nuclear). We called ahead of time and made sure we were doing everything correctly once we narrowed down our list of local providers.

Screenshot from hawaiicovid19.com

Screenshot from Walgreens.com

​Walgreens's appointments are available for scheduling online at 6 p.m. CST  3 days before the appointment day. This meant that our Sunday appointments were open for booking Thursday evening.

​We all hopped online together and booked our appointments without any issue. We got our confirmation emails and were ready to get tested.

The email from Walgreens letting us know our results were ready.

Our NEGATIVE test results!

Step Three: Uploading Results and Declaring Our Travel

screenshot from travel.hawaii.gov

The QR code travel.hawaii.gov generated for us. This is what we showed at the airport!

​We followed the icons and answered every question honestly. We uploaded PDFs of our test results and then, were emailed a QR confirmation code letting us know that we were approved for travel. Finally, we boarded our flight. We were nervous but excited to get to the island.

Step Four: Showing Your Code in The Airport

We were all nervous when we took off. We hoped that the QR codes, tests, and everything else were approved and correct in the system. The airlines didn’t check any of our information until we were in Hawaii which made everything even more nerve racking, because if we didn’t do it correctly, we would have just wasted 10 hours flying to be quarantined. ​

SHowingour QR codes, I.D.s, and negative COVID test results.

​We exited the plane and instantly started walking the maze of ropes they had set up to lead us to the COVID area. This is where we got our QR codes scanned, showed our negative test results, and our I.D's.

The testing area in the airport.

After we showed our QR codes, we were handed a slip of paper, and told to proceed to the testing area. We filled out more paperwork then had our noses swabbed. They told us that our results would be ready in under 30 minutes and that we should only be concerned if we got a call letting us know that our results were positive.

My nice tester at the airport wanted to on camera! Good thing this test was negative too!

First round of celebratory drinks once we made it to Kona!

Radium Hot Spring on the side of the Colorado River.

The Lobster Pot at Hot Sulphur Springs Resort and Spa.

Resort and Spa Hot Springs 

Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs.

The Springs Resort and Spa in Pagosa Springs.

Natural Hot Springs