We're In the Rockies?

My Denver friend Matt and I decided to go on an adventure through the woods last Saturday. From Boulder we went up hwy 7 and figured it would loop us around within a few hours, bringing us back to Denver at a decent hour. No such luck, Matt was wrong, it didn't loop. Once we got all the way in to Estes Park (where Steven King stayed for a summer and got his inspiration to write the Shining!) we saw a map telling us to back track almost the entire way to Boulder before heading to Denver. The trip in total was over 5 hours.

A few hours into the drive we were talking about the Rockies and I turned to Matt and excitedly asked if we were actually IN the Rockies. "Uh, yes, we're definitely in the Rockies." We were IN the Rockies! I don't know why I think that's so cool. There were so many times I felt like it was all fake...as if I were at Disneyland and a Disney Princess was going to appear with Mickey Mouse and the whole gang.
Everything up there was stunning.

I feel like I should be embarrassed that I didn't know it was actually THE Rockies for so long as we drove on winding roads through so many trees and mountains, but we never discussed where we were going, that's what made it an adventure!