Being from Indiana, I always thought there was something familiar and home-like to Colorado. It has the same calm vibe, friendly people, and wide open space that conjures up those Midwest feelings — the main difference being Colorado has the beautiful Rockies as a backdrop instead of flat nothingness.
Colorado definitely has some Midwest flavor to it, but one weekend when we decided to hop in our car and explore Colorado National Monument, a national park on the most western side of the state — I thought again about that Midwest/West comparison because everything about this part of the state felt like I was neck deep in what I had always envisioned as The West.

The thing I’m learning about Colorado though, is that you can label it almost anything that you want, and then get in your car or jump on your bike, and you are sure to find something, somewhere in this state that can fit the label you are giving it.
It’s like a world within a state, where you can experience any climate, any season, and see any landscape that you’re craving.
If you’re searching for that “Out West” road trip feeling — where you can roll your windows down and stick your head out of the car and take in all of the unique and ever changing landscapes — Colorado National Monument might just be the perfect place.
We left home on a Friday around 3:00, and arrived in Grand Junction (the nearest town) just around 8:30pm. The drive to get there was a gorgeous mix of flowing rivers and huge mountain peaks, giant gorges and jutting red and brown cliffs. It was half the fun and by the time we arrived to our VRBO, we were already blown away by the beauty of Colorado.
Liberty Cap Trail

I know how overused this phrase is, but this area of the state really does have something for everyone when it comes to activities. There are short hikes with spectacular views, intense hikes through the canyon floor, rafting, climbing and biking opportunities, wineries and spas — whatever you want, it’s probably there.
We booked this VRBO which we LOVED for so many reasons, but also in large part because we were able to walk just a few steps out the front door to the trailhead for either Ute Canyon or Liberty Cap.

Here’s the other thing about the park…when it comes down to it, it’s really just a concentrated area of eroded red rock formations, somewhat impressive canyons, and some really cool colorful rocks. If you’ve been to the Grand Canyon, then you’ve already seen a similar landscape on a grander scale, and it definitely doesn’t seem to have a huge tourism draw, because we often felt like the only people there.
There’s so much about it that felt peacefully understated, which was such a huge part of the appeal to me. There was so much space to just be…to really take it all in at your own pace without anyone encroaching on the experience. It’s the kind of simplicity that I find increasingly hard to come by, and for me was such an important part of the magic of the whole thing.
We walked out our front door around 8:00am and began the 12 mile hike (we only ended up completing about 8 miles of it) and I felt like we were hiking through Mars (or maybe less dramatically, Arizona).

The first two miles of the hike was a pretty intense incline working our way up through the side of the canyon to the top, where we climbed up steep rocks and wound our way past patches of sagebrush and various wind created rock formations before reaching the Liberty Cap itself.


The Liberty Cap formation is the remnant of a 160 million year old sand dune that nature and time have been working slowly and steadily to erode.

Walking past the cap you arrive at large flat plateau area that overlooks stunning views of Ute Canyon and the Grand Valley.

We walked around the rim for another several miles before finding this perfect isolated lunch spot along the rim.

The sun was starting to get pretty vicious by this point, and even with our constant slathering of sunscreen we felt that it was time to turn around and head back.
Rim Rock Drive

I’m almost embarrassed to say that we had no plans to do this drive, which would have been a huge mistake on our part because it ended up being one of the most memorable parts of the day.
After the hike, we went out for lunch on Grand Junction’s main street, and then enjoyed a stroll around the old town. We popped in a few bookstores and then treated ourselves to coffee and a vegan chocolate cookie at Main Street Bagels, and afterwards decided to head back to our VRBO to enjoy the space and spend some time relaxing and reading.
Once we were settled in at home, a coffee table book caught my eye. It was an entire book on the Rim Rock Drive, and although I had read a few things about it before coming and was vaguely aware of its existence, I thought we wouldn’t need to do the drive after getting so many great views from the hike. The second I opened this book, I knew I was wrong.
I did some quick googling and read this line from the National Park Service’s website:
One of the grandest scenic drives in the American West, the 23-mile Rim Rock Drive offers redrock canyons, crisp blue skies, and glorious views along the way for motorists and bicyclists. The road is inseparable from the identity of the Monument. The drive provides access to Saddlehorn Visitor Center and campground, 19 signed viewpoints, and 14 hiking trails — from ½ to 14 miles round trip. Many short, easy trails allow you to gaze upon or walk up to towering masses, while backcountry trails head down into remote canyons full of bird song and solitude.
I immediately pulled Al out of the deep reading trance he was in and suggested we go. He was on board, and then we agreed to get up and go within the next half-hour. As I started to get up to get ready – Al hesitated and then wondered if we might be better off going at sunset.
I was reluctant to agree to this at first because I was so excited to go RIGHT NOW, and since it was only 5:00pm, the sunset wasn’t going to happen for another two-and-a-half hours. We had already spent so much time in the park in broad daylight, that I knew that it would be worth pushing my impatience aside and waiting it out until sunset.
Another last minute decision that ended up being the right one. At 6:45, we cued up our playlist and hit the road. It was about a 10 minute drive to the entrance of Rim Rock Drive, and the heat was already cooling down to that perfect evening temperature. We paid $15 to enter the drive, and then we set on our way.

Rim Rock drive is incredible. I even said to Al, When you think about going on a road trip out West, this is exactly what you picture in your head.
I read on one of the signposts that this drive was designed to make guests experience the area in a way that only birds could prior to the road being built. I loved that, and I held that perspective in my mind the whole time.

It took us almost two hours to do the whole drive, because I drove as slowly as possible and stopped at nearly every single view point along the way. We watched the sun explode across the rocks, constantly painting and then repainting the colors of this two billion year old landscape (that’s almost half of the time Earth has existed!)

We saw only a handful of other cars along the way and had every viewpoint to ourselves.

We worked our way through the whole drive and wound our way down the side of the mountain as the sun gave us its few last streaks of light.


Once again I felt so thankful to live in a place where I can easily make my weekends feel as if I’m right back on that trip around the world, sitting in that wonderful feeling of being so overwhelmed by how beautiful things can be.

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