Road-tripping to Colorado has always been on our Bucket-List.  What better way to see the mid-west than to adventure through the country-side by car?  If you are headed out west, check out this incredible resource for the 100 Best things to do in Colorado!  Here’s our itinerary if you ever make the crazy decision to road-trip!

Day 1:

1. Set off for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE (about 6 hours from the Twin Cities)
2. Enjoy the zoo, the aquarium, and all the food for lunch!
3. Drive through Nebraska and stay near Lake McConaughy for the night (about 5 hours)

Day 2:

1. Following a bit of hotel breakfast, set off for Estes Park, Colorado (a favorite place of Anna’s since childhood) (about 4 hours)
2. Enjoy the scenery, take copious amounts of photos, and shop a bit before grabbing lunch.
3. Eat lunch at Antonio’s Real New York Pizza.
4. Continue on taking photos and stopping along the rivers and lakeside.
5. Head over to Marriott’s Residence Inn in Boulder/Longmont for a great night’s stay. (about 1 hour)

Day 3:

1. Spend the morning swimming and eating breakfast before taking off.
2. Drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming for a lunchbreak. (about 1 1/2 hours)
3. Head up to Custer State Park, in South Dakota and stop along the way for dinner. (about 4 1/2 hours)
4. Visit Mount Rushmore – we love U.S. landmarks and it’s our goal to visit every one at least once!
5. Stay at the Rushmore Inn & Suites in Keystone, South Dakota – a great family-friendly place to stay with a pool!

Day 4:

1. Grab a bite before heading out to visit Badlands National Park (about 1 1/2 hours)
2. Take some time to drive through the pink rugged terrain, you might run into some wildlife along the way!
3. Head home through Sioux Falls, South Dakota! (about 4 hours)

This itinerary isn’t necessarily the most efficient route to Colorado but was instead set with the intention of hitting up each state’s landmarks or “best known for”s.  Enjoy!