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Featured Outdoor Blogger of the Month: Ryan and Carrie of Hashtag Colorado Life
Meet Ryan and Carrie. The amazing couple behind the travel podcast and blog, Hashtag Colorado Life. Ryan is a Colorado native who has a passion for cooking while Carrie used to manage her own six figure business before dedicating her time to Hashtag Colorado life. Together they produce content for both newcomers and natives to enjoy accessible adventures, local cuisine, and all the outdoors the state has to offer.
They have been featured in multiple media outlets such as NBCnews, U.S. News & World Report, GOBanking Rates, Money Inc, We Travel There Podcast, Big Locals Podcast, Real Estate Rama, and CBDevious.com. They were even recently dubbed as one of the top25 Colorado Blogs by Feedspot.
"We’re a married millennial couple who’s passionate about unplugging from technology and spending more time outdoors. We hope to inspire you to do the same!"
1.Why did you guys choose to stay in Colorado?
We chose to live in Colorado since we have lots of family who live in the state too. We are also right in the middle of family members that we can easily visit in California, Kansas, and Texas so it's not too far in any direction. Colorado is a beautiful state and we love the feeling of being outdoors in nature. This coupled with the fact that family members live so close, we thought it would be a great location for raising a family of our own.
2.The both of you started your own podcast “Colorado Life”. Tell us more about it.
When we first started our local travel business, Hashtag Colorado Life, we started it as a podcast first and then added on other things like the blog and YouTube channel. When we were moving back to Colorado from Texas, we did a lot of research and found that there weren't a lot of resources available, and definitely not many Colorado podcasts. We thought it would be a great resource for other people as well as a fun project ourselves. Recording the podcast has been one of the most rewarding things that we do! We also receive a ton of messages every week from listeners saying they found us from the podcast.
3. Among all the places you have visited and activities you have done in Colorado, what is one place or activity you would recommend for first-time visitors?
Garden of the Gods is one of the most popular tourist destinations for a reason, so we absolutely have to recommend it for first-time visitors. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places to see stunning natural rock formations but it's completely free to visit all year long. Visitors can go for walks and easy hikes all throughout the park or drive along the one-way paved roads. There's plenty of free parking lots available, or you can check out the Visitor Center which has a free museum and a viewing deck. And if you're still adjusting to the altitude it's a perfect place as most of the trails are flat and at the same altitude as the rest of the city. It's a one-of-a-kind place that you won't see anywhere else! As locals we typically visit Garden of the Gods at least once a month and never tire of it.
4. Outside Colorado, what city would you like to visit the most and why?
We are actually in the process of planning a trip to Salt Lake City sometime next year. We have friends who live here but we have also never visited the city and have heard great things about it. We are hoping to make a road trip out of it and visit Moab along the way too! That's the great thing about living in Colorado; it's centrally located close enough for day trips or weekend getaways like this one to Utah.
5.What is one major misconception about Colorado that you would like to debunk?
Lots of people we've talked to about Colorado think that we live here just because marijuana is legalized. A big misconception is that everyone thinks Coloradans are stoners and that's the only reason to live here. But that's not true! I mean, yes, some people enjoy recreational marijuana but the state is home to so much history and beauty thanks to the Rocky Mountains. Not to mention Pikes Peak, which is considered America's Mountain. Weed isn't the only reason people enjoy living in Colorado!