Tag: Cub Lake

Memorial Day Weekend 2026 in the Mountains

Published on by Cheryl LockLeave a comment
We spent a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in the mountains of Estes Park.

Happy Tuesday, friends! We returned yesterday from a last-minute mountain trip to Estes Park. It was the exact decompression we needed before heading into the final week of school.

The. Final. Week. Of. School.

Let that sink in.

Our summer is full in a way that I hope will be the most fun and not the most stress. We’ve got a little bit of camp. A little bit of travel. A whole lotta friends and family. And zero down time. But that’s okay. We’ll nap when we can.

Anyway, for this trip …

We stayed in this Airbnb, which was so beautifully set in nature, but still close to everything you could want — downtown Estes, restaurants, the Rocky Mountain National Park entrance, etc..

Look at that view! That tall mountain back there is Longs Peak, the 14th tallest mountain in the state.
The full wrap-around porch had chairs and tables so that you could see the glorious mountains from several angles.
On our first night, Chris grilled for dinner, and we ate outside as the sun set. Swoon.
They had two types of swings, a croquet set, and a fire pit outside, too.
Inside was equally as gorgeous. Plus, they had tons of games, books, and even art supplies that the girls loved.

On Sunday we walked into the park and checked out the visitor’s center, which included a short video on the history of Estes Park.

Walking into the park from our cabin was such a perk.
Cutest ranger in the world.
You don’t even need to do an actual hike to see beautiful scenery like this. This was right outside of the visitor’s center.
So pretty.

After spending a couple hours in the park we headed back to the cabin where we played Sorry (so much fun!) and did a science experiment with a pine cone.

This game is so savage and so fun.
We put a fully open pine cone into a bowl of water and within an hour it closed right up. Nature is SO COOL.

Driving in on Saturday we saw a restaurant about two minutes from our cabin with a sign that said: RESTAURANT.

So of course, we had to go 😉 The restaurant was actually called Bird & Jim, and it was so yummy!

Grace had just come up with the sequel to my children’s book that comes out this fall, “Purple Potatoes Will Turn You into a Witch!” We’re not telling what it is, though. You’ll just have to wait and see!

After dinner we drove into the park again. We planned to do the Cub Lake hike, but it was getting dark so we only make it about 3/4 of the way before I made us turn back.

What? I didn’t plan on getting eaten by a bear on my trip.

Still gorgeous, though!

Adventuring together for nearly 20 years <3
Now with three additional adventurers in tow.
Emilia talked the entire time about the gruesome things that would happen to us if we encountered a bear. These are my children, friends.
So glad that Chris pushes me outside of my comfort zone. Even if I’m terrified the majority of the time I’m doing the things he suggests.
It’s elk season! They were literally everywhere. Including our front yard.

Our intent was to take a final hike on Monday, but we didn’t make it into the park by 9 a.m., which is what you have to do in order to avoid needing a reservation at any of the hiking spots. We drove past the lake, though, and it was gorgeous.

Final morning coffee with this view.
Do the Lily Lake hike if you can! Prettttyyyyyy.

We drove home the scenic way through Nederland with every intention of stopping there for coffee/treats. But by the time we got there, Emilia was asleep.

Best laid plans.

It was still a great final day and a lovely Memorial Day trip and we are now geared up and ready for summer, friends. I hope you all had healthy and happy holidays. Until next time … bis bald!