Let me begin this by saying that this wasn’t a “planned” solo trip. Sure, I had the plane ticket but other arrangements were made to meet up with a friend & unfortunately that didn’t work out. Instead of canceling, I decided to put on my big girl pants and experience my first ever solo trip.

Don’t be fooled. I was a wreck. Ask any one of my friends or family members. If I text or talk to you on the regular, you probably heard me saying how scared I was. Fortunately - not ONE person told me not to go. I am beyond lucky for the people in my life because every single one of them was supportive and encouraging. And, that’s how this happened.

Day 1

I woke up that morning feeling excited and nervous. It wasn’t until I saw my mom that I broke down into tears. “I don’t know what I’m doing but I feel like I need to do this” - is what I told her that morning.

She told me I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to but the thing was, was that I WANTED to do it. I wanted to face my fears. I was just nervous. I got through my workday, telling my coworkers just how nervous I was. And, much like anyone else, they were supportive and encouraging

I hadn’t flown in ten years - a whole DECADE of staying on the ground. I had never flown alone in my life. I tried to pretend I was confident as I strolled through the airport. I held my head high as I pulled my suitcase behind me. Luckily, I was familiar with the airport layout because of work.

I got through security (talk about nerve-racking) and got onto the plane. A nice man helped me shove my overpacked suitcase into the overhead compartment and I took my seat next to an attractive couple around my age. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath - I’m going to be okay.

The flight was fine. I read the entire 2.5 hours {The Tattooist of Auschwitz} and it wasn’t until we were close to landing that the couple struck up some conversation with me. Turns out that they were originally from the Colorado Springs area and just moved to Indiana. We swapped suggestions, names and contact information. If this was how people in Colorado Springs were, I knew I was in for a treat!

“We’re now landing in Denver, Colorado. The weather is currently 14 degrees.” sounded the pilot.

Day 2

I woke up in my Airbnb feeling empowered. I made it, I’m here, now what the HELL am I going to do?

Luckily, I joined some women travel groups on Facebook and received some great suggestions on places to check out. But first, coffee.

Google was my best friend for the entire trip. I Googled best coffee shops - top-rated - and BOOM, Jives Coffee Lounge popped up. I arrived at this quaint little coffee shop & the amazing aroma wafted in the air. I approached the counter to be greeted by a sweet Italian lady. I ordered a White Chocolate Raspberry latte and a blueberry muffin (which was WARM). I can’t tell you how delicious both items were. I secretly wanted to go back my second day but I was trying to try different places.

After breakfast, I headed towards my first destination: The Garden of the Gods. This place was always the top recommendation from anyone that I asked. So, it was number one on my list.

Upon arriving, I was in awe of the large red rock formations that were reaching towards the skies. The place was pretty touristy but I arrived pretty early in the morning so there weren’t a lot of people and plenty of parking. I made my way to the viewing deck where I met a girl from New York. We decided to swap cameras so that we each had a picture of ourselves.

I walked through the paved sidewalks and admired the formations. I watched as people took countless photos. I passed by joggers and people walking their dogs. It was freezing, but I hardly noticed it. I made my way to the backside of the formations and found some dirt paths. Obviously, I followed them. This is where I REALLY enjoyed it.

Garden of the Gods, overlooking the city.

If you make your way to the backside, there are a bunch of trails that lead you back towards more rocks and a beautiful view of the mountains. Far better experience than a paved sidewalk in my opinion. It’s pretty quiet back there as most of the tourists stay on the paved sidewalks. I climbed one of the trails and sat on top of some rocks that overlooked the city. From there I could see wild elk, people riding horses and a view that was priceless.

After a couple hours, I decided to head to my next destination: lunch. Back to my best friend, Google, I searched best diners – top-rated – and Google suggested a couple different places but I landed on Adams Mountain Café in Manitou Springs.

When I arrived, it wasn’t much to look at. But, inside it was really cute. A great, eclectic atmosphere. I sat at the bar and ordered the baja style fish tacos – which were delicious. They were served with barley corn chips & salsa (which was probably my favorite part because who doesn’t like chips and salsa?) The servers were really sweet and gave me some suggestions on things to do after lunch like hitting the downtown Manitou Springs area for some shopping.

Manitou Springs is this adorable little historic town full of character. It has several small spring water fountains that you can sample taste. I enjoyed watching little kids run up to each one with a cup to taste the spring water. I entered one of the shops and purchased a magnet (of course). Then, with only two hours left until sundown, I decided to get in one more hike.

I stumbled upon a trail near Manitou Springs called the Barr Trail. I decided that I would climb for an hour and then that left me with an hour to get back to my car before it got dark. The climb was challenging for me. I wasn’t used to the elevation. It’s a 4-mile hike with 2,122 feet in elevation gain.

This trail is heavily trafficked so I felt comfortable and safe here. It amazed me how many people were running the trail when I could barely walk it without losing my breath. I guess that’s what I get for living in Indiana - the land of the flat.

By the time I finished the hike, it was dark. I decided to call it a day and head back to my Airbnb for the night. I was exhausted and ready to have a hot shower and relax.

Day 3

I woke up feeling pretty sore. The Barr Trail did a number on my left knee. But, I didn’t care. This was my last full day in Colorado and I wanted to make the most of it. So, first things first, coffee!

Back, to my best friend Google, I found another top-rated coffee shop called The Roost. I asked for suggestions at the front counter and they said to try their Sweet Pecan Vanilla Latte. I also opted for a scrambled egg concoction - that was delicious. I sat at the front window and looked at the mountains as I devoured my breakfast.

After breakfast, I headed to the North Cheyenne Canon Park. If you want to get in a legit hike, this is the place to go. It’s a little more rugged and less trafficked than the trails I experienced the previous day. I chose the Middle Columbine Trail. It’s a 2.3-mile trail with 666 feet in elevation gain.

It was a really nice, rugged trail. I would say the difficulty level was pretty easy. The views towards the top of the trail are to die for. I sat at the edge for quite some time just taking it all in.

Middle Columbine Trail in North Cheyenne Canon Park

Going back down the trail was a BITCH. My left knee kept locking up and I was in a lot of pain. I’m not sure what the problem was - whether it was the cold weather, or just strain from not being used to hiking. But, it was awful.

But, of course, I didn’t learn my lesson. I wanted to make the most of my trip so naturally I chose another trail to experience. This time, I wanted to see a waterfall. I was fully prepared to practice my slow shutter speeds. I chose the Helen Hunt Falls.

Helen Hunt Falls is a 25 foot waterfall. It has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. The trail was extremely icy and I had to pull myself up the trail with the railing most of the time. I’d suggest putting spikes on your boots if you’re hiking this trail in the winter.

When I reached the top, I found that the entire waterfall was frozen solid. So much for practicing my slow shutter speed. However, the view paid off.

By the time I was back to my car, my knee was totally shot. So, enough hiking for me. I grabbed some food at Panera Bread (I was too tired to research diners with my dear friend Google) and I headed back to my Airbnb to clean up.

After a bit of relaxing and editing photos, I tried thinking of what to do next. It’s no secret I’m on dating apps, so I decided to use this to my advantage. I matched with an adorable guy named Matt and we decided to meet up for drinks - both of us knowing this was my last night and we would never see each other again.

Matt suggested a place called Cork & Cask - wine & whiskey - my kind of place! The decor was so amazing. Each table had velvet tufted chairs. The conversation was great. We enjoyed some wine and laughs. Had I met him on Friday, I would have definitely hung out with him all weekend. But, alas, we hugged and parted ways. Hopefully, a new friendship was made.

The experience as a whole was empowering. I felt alive - full of fresh air and new perspectives. I was worried that I would feel alone but I didn’t. I was so busy planning out my days, hiking and taking pictures that the time seemed to pass me by. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Solo Travel Safety Tips

1.) The first thing I did before I left was I downloaded the Life360 app on my phone and connected with my family. They were able to track me wherever I went.

2.) For the most part, I stayed in high trafficked areas.

3.) I stayed with a verified, superhost on Airbnb and read reviews before booking.

4.) When meeting up with people, I made sure that Matt was verified & we met in a public place. I also shared the information with friends & family.

5.) When posting on social media, post the location AFTER you’ve left the area.

Stay Safe!