State #3: Colorado

Colorado State Facts

Motto: Nil Sine Numine “Nothing without Providence”

Flower: Rocky Mountain Columbine

Animal: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Bird: Lark Bunting

Nickname: The Centennial State - Colorado became a state in 1876, which is why it is known as the Centennial State. Its state animal is the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, its state bird is the lark bunting, and its state flower is the Rocky Mountain columbine.

Fun Fact: Rocky Mountain National Park has roads that climb above the tree line, and Trail Ridge Road reaches elevations over 12,000 feet, making it one of the most scenic high-altitude drives in the country.

The Best Thing We Did in Colorado: Royal Gorge Bridge & Park

Our first big Colorado splurge was Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, and it ended up being the perfect “tourist treat” reward from the Lemon Box.

We had pulled a reward that said: Pick one attraction experience you normally wouldn’t splurge on. After searching for something that was fun but not wildly expensive, we landed on Royal Gorge Bridge. It was around $35 per person, and it gave us exactly what Colorado does best: huge views, a little fear, and a whole lot of “wow.”

The bridge sits 956 feet above the canyon floor, and walking across it is not for anyone who hates heights. We could hear the rapids far below, saw all the state flags across the bridge, rode the gondola, and even joked about coming back someday to do the zipline if the channel hit a subscriber goal.

Drive Skyline Drive in Cañon City

After Royal Gorge, we drove Skyline Drive, a narrow one-way road along a ridge. It was intense, beautiful, and a little nerve-wracking. Hillary drove it while Bob got the drone shot, which made it even more of a Lemon Route moment.

Visit Rocky Mountain National Park

In the second Colorado video, we took the Noovo Plus to Rocky Mountain National Park, which became national park number two on The Lemon Route for us. We booked a timed entry reservation for Bear Lake Road the night before and were able to drive the van all the way to the Bear Lake Trailhead.

Bear Lake was beautiful, but the real magic was driving higher and higher through the park toward Rainbow Curve and the Alpine Visitor Center. We climbed above the tree line, hit nearly 12,000 feet, and saw views that honestly did not look real.

Soak in hot springs

Thanks to another Lemon Box reward, we found a hot springs stop with mineral pools, including some that were extremely hot. After several stressful travel days, this felt like exactly the kind of splurge we needed.

Boondock in the mountains

Colorado was a huge relief because the weather made boondocking feel possible again. We stayed at a Harvest Host, found free places to sleep, and woke up to mountain views instead of fighting Texas heat all night.

The Noovo Colorado Chapter

Colorado was also where a van company reached out and offered us a Noovo Plus to use for a couple of weeks.

That completely changed the feel of the trip. Suddenly, we had a tall interior, a working shower, a big battery system, an induction cooktop, a convection oven, and enough power to boondock without constantly worrying. After the heat, inverter problems, and roof leak, the Noovo felt like a reset button.

We took it through Rocky Mountain National Park, cooked dinner with mountain views, slept by the water, watched TV in the lounge, and woke up feeling like this was the version of vanlife we had been missing.

So, What Should You Do in Colorado?

For a Colorado road trip like ours, we would recommend:

Start with Royal Gorge Bridge & Park if you want big views and a touristy-but-worth-it splurge.
Drive Skyline Drive if you want a short, scenic, slightly scary road.
Visit Rocky Mountain National Park, but book your timed entry ahead of time.
Drive up to the Alpine Visitor Center if the road is open.
Stop in Grand Lake for a slower mountain-town feel.
Find a hot springs stop and let yourself relax.
Boondock if the weather is good, because Colorado is where vanlife starts to feel dreamy again.

State #3 of 50 🍋 The Lemon Route

We’re Bob and Hillary from Vancaskeys, two regular people chasing a big dream in a Class B van named Mr. Lemon. The Lemon Route is our attempt to visit all 50 states, find the stories along the way, and figure out if this leap of faith becomes the adventure of a lifetime… or a terrible financial decision. Watch the Episode: →

Colorado was exactly what we needed after Texas. It gave us cooler mountain air, free camping, Royal Gorge views, a drive through Rocky Mountain National Park, hot springs, and a little taste of what vanlife can feel like when everything finally slows down. Of course, Mr. Lemon still found a way to keep things interesting with a roof leak and ongoing inverter drama, but that’s The Lemon Route for you. State #3 is officially unlocked and if Colorado taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the best part of the journey starts right after everything goes wrong.

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What to Do in Every State: The Vancaskeys Field Guide (COLORADO)