Another year, another year in review post.
This year simultaneously feels like it’s flown by yet lasted forever, probably because it’s been so busy and chaotic. The truth is, we knew from the beginning that parts of this year were going to be a wash, travel-wise. We had a lot of real life things that needed to take priority, which meant adventures took a back seat.
But in between all our adult responsibilities, we did sneak in a couple road trips, a handful of shorter getaways, and a few hikes. So without further ado, I present the highlights of 2025.
January
I actually had to go back and look at my photos because I couldn’t remember what we did in January. Not a lot, as it turns out, which is probably why nothing immediately came to mind. I have a few photos from a local museum and one photo of some cool cloud iridescence, and that’s about it.
February
For our first getaway of the year, we spent a weekend at Glenwood Hot Springs Resort. By February, it’s been cold and dark for so long that I’m always feeling pretty blah (I know, I know, compared to much of the rest of the northern hemisphere, winter in Colorado is neither cold nor dark). Luckily, a weekend in the mountains was the perfect antidote. Glenwood Springs is a town we’d been meaning to visit for a while, and we had a wonderful three days exploring, drinking beer, and soaking in the steaming mineral water.
March
In contrast to the near total lack of hiking that took place in January and February, we actually got out two weekends in a row in March. We wanted to snowshoe, but the first trail we picked was far too packed down to necessitate flotation devices. Not to be deterred, we picked a lesser traveled trail the following weekend, and this time, our snowshoes (and our legs) ended up getting quite the workout.
April
The highlight of April was heading up to the mountains for my friend’s bachelorette party. The weekend got off to a cold and snowy start, but by Saturday morning the sun was breaking through the clouds and we were able to get outside for a hike and a soak in the local hot springs. Combine that with good food, good company, and a cozy AirBnb, and it was a wonderful weekend!
May
May was an extremely busy month. But we’d had our Memorial Day trip planned for a while, complete with permits that were not easy to get, so we were determined to still make it happen. And so, after many long days wrapping up multiple things at work and at home, we set off for Zion National Park and Page, Arizona for a week of sunshine, camping, and some bucket list hikes.
June
June started out just as busy as May, but by the end of the month things had calmed down a little. Which was good, because we had a second roadtrip planned, this time to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. My husband and I loaded up the car and headed north, where we met up with my in-laws for the trip. We spent the next week on a thorough tour of both parks, immersing ourselves in the amazing variety of geysers and hot springs, waterfalls, scenery, and wildlife.
I published posts a few months back about our far-too-brief time in Grand Teton and Jackson Hole, as well as the drive over the Beartooth Plateau on the final day of our trip. I’ve spent the past couple months sorting through all my Yellowstone photos from this trip and multiple others, and I’m pleased to report that multiple posts about the park are finally almost complete!
July
Our Yellowstone trip actually stretched into the first week of July. But since I’ve already talked about that, I’ll pick something else as the monthly highlight. Without a doubt, it would be the weekend we spent up in the mountains watching our friends get married. It was a small affair at a cabin, reached via a road our car could barely make it up; a very off-the-grid situation. The ceremony was lovely, the company was great, the location was stunning, and the hike we sneaked in along the way was absolutely overflowing with wildflowers. It was the best wedding we’ve been to (aside from our own).
August
Every year, it seems as though summer goes by faster and faster. That was especially true this year, probably because we had so much going on. Before I knew it, it was August and I’d hardly done any of the hikes on my list for the summer. I also hadn’t summited a single 14er. And we hadn’t gone backpacking at all. Throughout the month, we tossed around ideas of squeezing in an overnight backpacking trip, but multiple weekends of poor weather put the kibosh on that plan.
In the end, the highlights of August were two stunning hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park and summiting my only two 14ers of the year.
September
The month of September was filled with a mishmash of activities: we went fruit and vegetable picking, my mom came to visit, I went hiking with some friends from work, another friend and I spent a day up in the mountains chasing fall colors, and my husband and I went to an (unfortunately not very enjoyable) Oktoberfest celebration. And, as the cherry on top of a busy but fun month, we got to meet up with Meg and her family during their trip to Colorado!
October
The highlight of October, as you’ve been reading about recently, was our long weekend trip to Omaha to attend a Mumford & Sons concert and explore Nebraska’s largest city. It’s likely not a place I would have ever planned to visit otherwise, but we actually found plenty of things to do and really enjoyed our time there.
November
For the first time since the advent of our Thanksgiving roadtrip tradition six years ago, we cancelled our plans. The weather forecast wasn’t looking great, so rather than get stuck in a neverending traffic jam on snowy mountain roads, we decided to just stay home. And all was not lost; Thanksgiving Day itself was nice enough that we were able to head up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a morning hike.
December
Winter was slow to arrive in Colorado this year and, as a result, I initially had some trouble getting into the holiday spirit. As someone who has pretty much always lived in places that get a decent amount of snow, it’s weird to be putting up a Christmas tree when it’s 60°F (15°C) outside and the grass is still green. But with December came a little bit of snow, which made it feel more like the holiday season – temporarily, at least. As always, we traveled to visit family for the holidays. And this year, while we were out on the East Coast, we managed to set aside a day to finally properly visit the highest point in Rhode Island!
2026
Travel planning for this coming year has been underway for a few months now, though I’ve been largely keeping it under wraps here on WordPress. However, I’m very excited to announce that in just a few months, we will be dusting off our passports and boarding a plane bound for Iceland!
Iceland has been #1 on my travel list for years, and I’m so excited to finally visit. We’ll be hiking, snorkeling, getting sprayed by waterfalls, visiting museums, and just generally basking in the beauty of the land of fire and ice. I absolutely cannot wait!
We also have some short roadtrips planned: South Dakota for sure, and hopefully we’ll manage to squeeze in a couple others. Some friends and I are planning a girls trip in Canada. And I’m sure we’ll continue to slowly but surely work our way through my neverending list of local hikes and backpacking trips.
As we say goodbye to another year, I want to thank all of you for following along with my travels. I’m so grateful to be part of this WordPress community. Happy New Year to you all, and wishing you lots of adventures in 2026.
Cheers!
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