3 nights in Colorado
 

Hello everyone!
I got great ideas when I posted a little while ago about a first time short trip to Co but now that my time frame crystallized I would love help planning a 72 hour trip to CO first weekend in October, flying in and out of Denver. We are not hikers but would love the most scenic roads/routes, cute towns a plus.
We also would like to pop in and visit friends in CO Springs quickly (that friend suggested Independence Pass, Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Telluride, Durango but that looks crazy long -we are getting in Sat early afternoon and leaving Tues 3pm or so).
Thanks so much

Forget southwest Colorado on this trip; it is lovely and a great trip but not on a 3 day trip driving from and back to Denver. Do this another time and fly into Albuquerque - it is a much closer drive than via Denver.

Thanks Debit, so just stick with Aspen, Glenwwod Springs? Anything else around there?

Agree with Debi.
You could spend your first night in Estes Park. Drive through the Park on Trail Ridge Road, take Route 9 down to Silverthorne to I70. Then head west to Glenwood Springs and Aspen. Be sure to see the exhibit about building the highway around Glenwood. See the Maroon Bells, and that area for the rest of Sunday and at least part or all of MOnday.
You could come back to Breckenridge/Frisco for Monday night and tour a bit around that area before heading to the airport.

That's a lot of driving for 72 hours. I'd drop the Estes piece. Drive I-70 to Vail, for lunch. Go on to Glenwood and stay in Aspen. If you must, spend a night somewhere else, but personally, I'd stay put in Aspen with that time frame.

Hey Tab, what's wrong with going to the Park the first night? The driving time might be 4 hours more, but with scenic/psychic dividends? They arrive in the aft. ;o)

Personal preference, I guess. With such a short stay, I wouldn't want to drive that much, or check in/out of two or three hotels.

So, Sat. aft arrival--go to Aspen and that is the deal for the time for you? Vail for dinner? Then on to Aspen?
That is fine, but I think if something else attractive is available, it could happen.
Sometimes people who are ''visitors'' have ideas en route?
Only really suggesting one hotel change--couldn't agree with you more about that--Estes Park and Aspen environs.

Tabernash2 is absolutely stuck on Aspen so expect that recommendation. We also seem to have forgotten OP needing to go to C Springs to visit friends.

It is hour or so to your friends in CS so go there Saturday night. On Sunday head into the mountains via 24 through Buena Vista and up to Leadville. Overnight Sunday in Leadville, you have the Mineral Belt trail which is a paved 12 mile circle that you would walk - relatively flat - so you could walk a portion. From there you can decided if you have time to swing through Aspen via Independence Pass (just south of Leadville) or continue via 24 to Midturn just west of Vail or 91 (I think) to Copper Mt and I-70. If you have time a swing through Aspen and on to Glenwood Springs (at I-70) and through Glenwood Canyon is very worthwhile. You might consider staying in Glenwood Springs on Monday night via Aspen. Glenwood is three hours to DIA so with an early start on Tuesday you could easily catch your 3 pm flight.

If you don't have time for Aspen then take 24 to Midturn and maybe stay in Vail or somewhere closer to Denver.

It is mostly a question of judging your time and not spending too much time in a car just watching stuff wiz by.

Independence Pass from Leadville to Aspen, as well as the whole area should still have great colors then too.

fmpden, no need for the call out. You always recommend your favorite places, too. Big deal.

I seldom recommend my favorite places. I try to recommend places that are appropriate to OP's question. There is often a knee jerk reaction for some people to recommend RMNP/Estes and Aspen at the first shot. Everyone seems to have forgotten that OP wanted/needed to visit someone in Colorado Spring so that has to be either the beginning point or the ending point.

Just don't call out other posters.

I agree that OP should go to Colorado Springs on the first day. Get that out of the day and move on with the rest of the trip. RMNP is nice and worthy of a day if you can swing it, but I wouldn't go there on a fall weekend. It will be insanely busy. You'd be better off going there on Monday, staying overnight in EP and then heading back to the airport from there (if you even make it RMNP in the first place).

Thanks so much guys. Our Co Springs friends are actually coming out to meet us in Glenwood springs so I think we are going to incorporate everyone's suggestions. We don't mind lots of driving and hotel changing as we have other trips coming up where we are just laying on the beach old day so will try to do Estes P one night, a night in Glenwood springs with time in Aspen and last night in Vail. Really appreciate everyone's input