Are you limited on time, but long to find a perfect getaway? RMNP is a great fit. Denver international is a 90 min drive from Estes Park, the gateway to this magnificent national park and it has flights routinely coming in from all over the country. As a Floridian I long for cool weather and mountains when I vacation. I was able to snag a 4 hour direct flight after work Friday from MCO to DEN. A quick drive to Estes Park and off to bed. Breakfast was at the Donut Haus located inside the Sinclair station. It’s a do-nut miss stop for these lovely fried pieces of dough! With an early wake up time we wandered around the cutest little downtown shops picking up the collectible pins we’ve come to love and indulging in the best huckleberry waffle cone I’ve ever tasted. I got to enjoy said cone on a picnic table by the babbling river with the scent of lilacs filling the air. Our next stop was the Mustang alpine coaster. 10 min wait and it provides a breathtaking view of the town. We waited until after 3pm to enter the park because we didn’t purchase timed entry tickets and wanted the best chance to view animals. We drove past amazing mountain vistas, 8 foot walls of snow (yes in June!) and numerous hiking paths. We encountered moose, elk and deer all along the drive. We spent a glorious 5 hours in the park taking it all in. Dinner was back in Estes Park at the Burger & gyros on Morraine. I ordered the gyro which was absolutely PACKED with meat, we shared a few orders of seasoned fries and everyone else got some pretty amazing burgers. We hit up Safeway for a variety of dessert options. The next morning we had a splurge reservation at Dunraven. This fabulous restaurant serves epic Italian dinners and a variety of brunch items. I chose the blackberry mimosa and breakfast burrito complete with chili verde, my sister in law enjoyed the French toast, while my brother got the denver omelette. Everything was enjoyed on the fresh air deck overlooking the lake. We had plenty of time to make our way back to Denver to catch a 4pm flight back home. How much can YOU pack into a weekend?