Niagara & NYC Trip 2025

 Trip to Colorado - October 2025

**Disclaimer**

Written by my brother, Aditya!

Day 1

We started very early in the morning on an exciting road trip to Colorado! It took about eleven hours to get there. I slept for like half the trip. Along the way, we stopped at a shop called Buc-ee’s — it was really big, but we didn’t buy anything. After that, my dad told us to book a hotel. It took some time, but we got it done.

A few hours later, we finally arrived. While my mom and dad went to get the bags, my grandma and I set up the couch bed and arranged the luggage. After settling in, we took a quick bath so we could head to the Garden of the Gods.

We made two stops there. The first stop was at the red rocks — we were able to climb them and take some pictures. The view from up there was amazing, with just a few houses scattered and big mountains in the distance. Then we went to a much bigger rock wall. We couldn’t climb it, but we took some good pictures.

By then, we were all tired and just wanted takeout. We tried to find a good Thai place and found one called “Aroi Thai.” We ordered ramen and a chicken dish, but it took forever to come. They gave us some mixed berry juice, which we drank and threw away. It had already been 30 minutes, and still no food. Finally, the food came. After that, we stopped by Walmart to get some chicken for my dad, and then went to Chipotle to get more takeout.

We headed back to the hotel, ate while watching a movie on TV, and eventually fell asleep.

Day 2

We started the day with showers and breakfast downstairs, then headed out to a place called Pikes Peak — it was just 15 minutes away. As we drove up, the roads got steeper and more dangerous. After a while, we reached the top. It was freezing! I could actually see the clouds like fog on the ground. We went inside to take shelter and found a small exhibition to look at.

After spending some time there, we got hungry and ordered some food. Once we were full, we went back outside. I picked up a few cool stones as souvenirs. Then we took some last pictures and began heading back down. At the bottom, we stopped by a lake with Colorado Springs water. I even took a sample! Since my dad hadn’t seen the Garden of the Gods yet, we gave him a quick tour and visited the gift shop. He bought me some really strong magnets to fidget with.

Later, I wanted to go to an ice rink, but it turned out to be closed. So instead, we looked for a restaurant. We saw an Indian one, but it was too expensive, so we ended up at a place called Thai Lily. We ordered soup, green curry, and a few other dishes. We asked for a normal spice level, but the lady warned us it would still be spicy — and she was right! The soup bowl even had a hidden flame under it, which was cool. It was super spicy, and we all agreed we should’ve listened and gone with a lower spice level. But we still liked it.

Later that evening, my dad and I went to check the ice rink again, but it wasn’t there. We went back to the hotel and tried to sit by the fire area outside, but it didn’t work. Even after asking someone for help, it wouldn’t start — until my dad tried one last time and got it working! After hanging out for a while, we went back to our room to watch a movie and sleep.

Day 3

We woke up, showered, and went downstairs to eat. Then we headed to a place called Royal Gorge, which was about an hour away. We quickly booked our tickets. At the entrance, the lady told us that many of the fun rides were closed, but we still went in with stamps on our hands.

At the front, there was a spinning water wheel, so we took a picture there. We walked through the famous Royal Gorge Bridge, which had all the state flags — it made a great photo spot. On the other side, we went to a small theater that showed an informational video about Royal Gorge. It was short, but interesting.

Next, we went on a ride called the Sky Coaster — it swings you across the gorge. It was amazing! After that, we ate lunch at a free table we found. I saw a park nearby, but it wasn’t as fun as it looked, except for a small carousel ride. Then we went to the bathroom and headed out. Our dad picked us up and drove us to a place called Seven Falls.

At the entrance, we bought tickets and got wristbands. Then we had to walk about a mile to the falls. First, we took an elevator to the first viewing point. Then we climbed the main peak — more than 200 steps! At the top, we saw the waterfall from above and walked on a short trail in the forest nearby.

After that, we came back down and stopped for ice cream. I got cookies and cream, and my sister got mango and raspberry. We ate and went back to the parking lot.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a restaurant called Thai Satay. We wanted a round table, but ended up with a square one. We ordered miso ramen and some other dishes. The ramen came with pork, which we couldn’t eat, so they replaced it with chicken — much better! I couldn’t finish it all, so we saved it for the next day.

That night, while watching TV, the screen glitched and we couldn’t fix it, so we turned it off and went to sleep.

Day 4 (Last Day)

It was our last day in Colorado, and we woke up in a rush to pack up. After packing, we went downstairs for breakfast. I ate a little of the leftover miso ramen, and my sister finished the rest.

Then we loaded our suitcases and headed to the Great Sand Dunes before going back home. The drive was about three hours. It was freezing outside, so I bought a sweatshirt from the visitor center. While there, I was nominated as a Junior Park Ranger! Most of the other info was boring, so we jumped back in the car, excited to play in the sand.

Just then, it started raining hard. I thought to myself, We can’t cancel this! I came all this way just to touch the sand. Luckily, my dad agreed. I skipped my way through the muddy, magnetic sand. I was way ahead — my family looked like ants in the distance. Eventually, I was shivering as we walked back to the car. Our shoes were super muddy, so my mom cleaned them with tissues.

All cozy in the car, I started writing this amazing story for you to read. It took two hours to reach the dinner place, and honestly, I got bored writing during the drive. After those two slow hours, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant called Wonderful House.

The food was good and came quickly, except for my grandma’s bland tofu dish. We packed up the leftovers. I liked the chili oil with my noodles. Finally, we got in the car and I finished writing about the trip!

All that’s left now is to go home and enjoy my bed, late at night!