illininutt

https://www.mapquest.com/directions/...rk?optimized=1

Day 1/2-Land at DIA and be ready to roll by 10 am. Go to Bear Lake Road/Peak to Peak Highway/Red Rocks Amp. tour and maybe Boulder.
Day 3-Head to Colorado Springs for Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak...head down 50 and spend the night in Salida.
Day 4 Head to Colorado National Monument and spend the night in Glenwood Springs.
Day 5-Down 70 to Trail Ridge Road and spend the night in Grand Lake
Day 6-Head to Estes Park....turn the car in...and spend the night near DIA.
Day 7-Fly home.
How about some "tips"

historytraveler

First tip is to cut back on your itinerary.

Lexma90

Even though MapQuest says you have only 13+ hours total of driving time, I think that it would be more than that. Also, it has you starting your trip in Fort Collins, not DIA.

And I agree, you're hitting a lot of places, but you will be doing a lot of driving (admittedly, in gorgeous place) and possibly not a lot of sitting (or walking, hiking, biking etc.) and enjoying the scenery.

What are your interests? Natural beauty? History? Do you want to do any outdoor activities, such as hiking or biking?

While Trail Ridge Road is usually open by Memorial Day, there are occasional closures in June due to snow, so you will need to reroute yourselves if that happens.

Rather than spend the last night of your vacation in a very dull airport hotel, spend your last night in Estes Park or Boulder, and drop the car before your flight the next morning.

Bear Lake Road - I'm not sure where that is. I Googled it, and there's one in Rocky Mountain National Park. Is that the one you're referring to? And then the Peak to Peak Highway; while I've driven that road, and it is very beautiful, I didn't know that's what it is called. If you plan to drive this, you'll be ending up with a bit of an odd route. You would be leaving DIA, driving to Estes Park, then (after driving Bear Lake Rd.) immediately leaving it on a slow but beautiful route to end up in Boulder (fun town) or further south. Then, at the end of your trip, you'll end up back in Estes Park.

While Red Rocks is great (my kids' high school graduation ceremonies were there, awesome), it's the same type of red rocks as in Garden of the Gods.

Gretchen

Thread 4 with the same question? Tips? Still a drive by

Gretchen

Have you considered anything around Aspen--Marroon Bells, Roaring Fork River--for your photography.

wtm003

This is still a photography trip? I don't like your updated itinerary and would not drive all the way to Grand Junction. If you really want to go to Glenwood Springs I'd take Gretchen's suggestion and head to Aspen. From Salida head to Aspen and then to Glenwood Springs. Very scenic and you won't run out of photo ops. I think the drive between Glenwood and Grand Junction is boring.

Tabernash2

I'll never understand why visitors want to spend all their time in their cars. This drive-by vacation sounds awful.

illininutt

Colorado National Monument is out....Indepense Highway is now in to Aspen.

illininutt

Easy hikes are ok and will be taking a few. Bear Lake being one.

Bitter

WE were unimpressed by Salida, but was a means to and end when rafting in Browns canyon.