I have no idea where Evergreen is and I do not own a Google. What is the closest airport?
The closest airport is Denver International (DIA)! DIA is about 30 minutes from downtown Denver and approximately an hour from Evergreen. A NOTE ABOUT ALTITUDE: Evergreen sits at about 7,100 feet above sea level. If you are prone to altitude sickness, we recommend staying a night in Denver prior to traveling up to Evergreen. Staying at 5,000 feet first for a night may help you acclimate a bit quicker, though the best thing to do is drink lots of water! Pretend you are a cow (seriously—cows consume the most water per pound of bodyweight. The moo-re you know!).
Where can I stay near the wedding venue?
We have several options available for folks who would like to stay near the venue:
Comfort Suites Golden West. This is a traditional hotel in Evergreen with several rooms available in the “Bradlee-Roller” room block (hey, that’s us!). Comfort Suites is about 20 minutes from the wedding venue. We are planning to provide shuttle transportation to and from the venue from this location (details to come).
Alpen Way Chalet Mountain Lodge. The more adjectives, the better the accommodations! Alpen Way is a suite-style lodge roughly 7 minutes from the venue. While there are limited standard occupancy rooms, Alpen Way specializes in multi-room suites, meaning this is a great option for groups of 4-6. Several suites are reserved and available for guests to claim by referencing the “Bradlee-Roller” wedding. We are planning to provide shuttle transportation to and from this location (details to come).
Bed & Breakfasts. There are a wide variety of B&Bs available in the area ranging from historic inns to gorgeous vacation homes. Should you want to stay a while in the mountains, you may choose to reserve your own lodging either through AirBNB or directly through one of the many small inns that cater to mountain living. Anything in Evergreen, Morrison (where Red Rocks is!), or Conifer (itty bitty mountain “town”) will be within about 20-25 minutes of the venue.
Do I need to rent a car?
We do recommend renting a car to travel to Evergreen as ride shares in the area can be hard to procure. However, we are planning to provide shuttle transportation on the wedding day itself from both downtown Evergreen and Comfort Suites Golden West so guests can enjoy themselves without having to worry about navigating mountain roads at night. We will email additional details on how to access this option a bit closer to the date itself (ha ha, we’ve totally booked it, for real, but…our…dog ate…the email confirmation…).
What should I do in/near Evergreen when I’m not busy dancing my pants off with you?
Time not spent at our actual wedding is well spent rehearsing your favorite dance moves, brainstorming lengthy compliments to bestow upon us, or contemplating what on earth compelled Mollie to actually agree to getting married in a barn. Should you choose to venture outside, however, there are several local activities that you may find to your liking:
Hiking!!! There are many, many options for folks who want to hike. Generally, the best way to choose is to use alltrails.com and filter by length and difficulty. If you are not used to the altitude, we recommend choosing something in the “easy” category. If you’d like a challenge, “moderate” may be more your speed. For a leisurely stroll in sandals, head over to Evergreen Lake. For a moderate challenge, we like the Alderfer/Three Sisters Trail. If you’re staying a while and want to go a bit further, Rocky Mountain National Park is about 2 hours north and FULL of some of the most stunning trails you’ll ever see. Whatever you choose, though, we would recommend not pursuing anything in the “hard” category unless you 1) live and regularly hike hard trails in Colorado, 2) are competing in the Olympics, or 3) enjoy barfing on mountains.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Part park, part outdoor music venue, it’s worth a visit for either a daytime hike or evening show. Major acts play here almost every night, and the early June performers are listed on the calendar here.
Explore Nearby Cities. Both Denver and Boulder are less than an hour from Evergreen, offering all the parks, restaurants, coffee shops, bookstores, and breweries of major metropolitan areas (we are happy to provide recommendations!). For more of a mountainy town like Evergreen, both Golden and Georgetown are great options to check out.