Come pack and prep with me for a quick trip to Denver! Here’s how I planned, what I packed, what I learned, and what I’d do differently next time.
As your resident vacation prepper, I have to let you in on a little secret.
Sometimes I think I enjoy getting ready for a trip almost as much as the trip itself.
I love researching hotels. I love checking the weather every five minutes. I love planning outfits, organizing my toiletry bag, testing out new travel gear, and making packing lists I’ll probably rewrite at least three times before I leave.
To me, all of that is part of the vacation.
So I thought it would be fun to start sharing more of that side of my travels with you.
This post is a little different than my usual destination guides because it’s a true Pack & Prep With Me. It’s part pre-trip planning, part packing guide, and part trip recap all rolled into one.
My sister and I planned a quick three-day trip to Denver to visit family, and I took notes throughout the entire process so I could share exactly how I prepared, what worked well, and what I’d do differently next time.
If you’re also the type of person who starts thinking about vacation the minute you book your flight, welcome.
This blog post may contain affiliate links. Please note these do not impact my review, and no extra costs have been added to the items mentioned.
Vacation Prep Snapshot
Destination: Denver, Colorado
Trip Length: 3 Days
Travel Style: Sister trip + visiting family
Season: Summer
Airport: McClellan-Palomar Airport (Carlsbad)
Packing Challenge: Hot, sunny days and very dry weather
Most Excited For: Coffee shops, bookstores, and family time
Table of Contents
- Why We Planned a Trip to Denver
- Booking Our Flights to Denver, CO
- Planning My Outfits for Denver in the Summer
- Packing My Makeup & Toiletry Bags
- “Everything Shower” Before the Trip
- Preparing for Denver’s Weather
- My Carry-On Setup
- Flying Out of Carlsbad Airport
- Things I Was Most Excited About
- What Worked Well
- What I’d Do Differently Next Time
- Final Thoughts
Why We Planned a Trip to Denver
This was a quick sister trip to visit our family in Colorado.
We love traveling together, and sister trips are always the best! They’re low-key, full of coffee stops, bookstore visits, and lots of wandering around without much of a plan.
Sometimes those are the best kinds of vacations.
Booking Our Flights to Denver, CO
This ended up being a pretty last-minute trip for us.
We booked our flights about three weeks before we left and decided to fly out of McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad.
Since we live in North County San Diego, the location couldn’t have been more convenient.
The airport recently reopened for commercial service after primarily serving private aviation, so we were excited to finally try it.
It doesn’t offer nearly as many destinations as San Diego International Airport, but for a nonstop flight to Denver, it was perfect.
(Well…mostly. I’ll explain in a minute.)
Planning My Outfits for Denver in the Summer
I don’t know if you’ve been to Denver in the summer, but it’s hot…and dry.
Every day we were there reached the mid-90s, so I packed lightweight clothes, comfortable walking shoes, and plenty of sun protection.
Sister and I each had our umbrellas to protect us from the sun, our brother definitely made fun of us but we could care less.
Always practice sun safety!
Packing My Makeup & Toiletry Bags
This might be the accomplishment I’m most proud of from this trip.
I finally feel like I’ve figured out how to pack so much in such a tiny bag. And as a full-on overpacker and maximalist – I really impressed myself!
I’ve learned how much shampoo, skincare, and everything else I realistically go through on a short trip. And what I actually end up using.
I know that when its hot I tend to wear less makeup but also go heavier on skincare.
I made sure to refill all my basics in my toiletry bag like shampoo, body wash, face wash and moisturizer and then packed in a few extra basics.
Because it was such a short trip and I knew what I actually needed and not just wanted – I didn’t need to stop off for any errands before this trip to restock or purchase new items.
If you’re still putting together your travel toiletry bag, I have a complete guide with everything I pack for trips big and small – from skincare and haircare to medications and all those little things that are easy to forget.
→ Read: Complete List of Must-Pack Travel Toiletries
“Everything Shower” before the Trip
Before every trip I always make sure to take an “everything shower”. You know, the long-ass shower you take where you shave, scrub, use multiple hair masks and do all the things that need to be done to look and feel your best before a trip.
Its the best shower of your life, basically.
I always end it with double moisturizing with body oil and body lotion.
I have a full breakdown of the best “everything shower” if you want to check it out.
Oh! And then I also painted my nails the night before we left. Glitter nail polish is always my go-to because it always looks cute and it drys very quickly.
Preparing for Denver’s Weather
If you’re visiting Denver in the summer, don’t underestimate how dry it is.
Coming from San Diego, we noticed it immediately.
Everything felt dry. Our skin. Our lips.Our noses.
Even sleeping felt different. We were coughing the first night because it was so dry in the house. On the second night, we used the humidifier and it helped so much. Absolutely recommend picking one up if you’re feeling uncomfortable.
My biggest recommendations are:
- Drink plenty of water.
- Pack lip balm.
- Bring moisturizer.
- Pack lotion.
- Consider drinking something soothing like throat coat tea at night if your throat gets dry.
The sunshine is also incredibly intense.
My sister and I packed umbrellas to use as portable shade while walking around. We also wore lots of sunscreen and packed hats and sunglasses.
My Carry-On Setup
I was ridiculously excited about my carry-on setup for this trip.
I recently bought the BÉIS Travel Backpack, and this was my first time traveling with it.
Spoiler – I loved it!
It paired perfectly with my black TUMI carry-on, and together they made me feel like I had my life completely together.
My smaller TUMI was perfect for this trip because the plane was a smaller model than the usual commercial planes and the overhead bins were super tiny.
Even my small carry-on luggage was a very tight fit.
Flying Out of Carlsbad Airport
This was definitely the biggest surprise of the trip.
Because the airport is so small, we assumed arriving about an hour before departure would be plenty of time.
Unfortunately, everyone else had the exact same idea.
The TSA line stretched outside the building and ended up taking us about an hour.
By the time we finally made it through security, our flight was already boarding.
It was chaos.
Some passengers even missed their flights because two departures were scheduled close together and everyone was waiting in the same security line.
Lesson learned.
Small airport does not automatically mean short security lines.
Next time we’ll absolutely arrive 90 minutes to two hours early.
Things I Was Most Excited About
One of my favorite parts of visiting Colorado is how familiar it’s starting to feel.
Over the past five or six years we’ve visited during Christmas, summer, and different seasons in between.
It’s fun getting to know different neighborhoods instead of only visiting the tourist attractions.
For this trip, I was especially excited to:
- Visit local bookstores
- Try new coffee shops
- Spend time with family
- Wander around together
Nothing overly complicated.
Just a simple weekend away.
What Worked Well
Looking back, there were a few things I’m really glad I did.
Checking the weather ahead of time helped me pack appropriately for the heat.
Using my smaller carry-on worked perfectly for the regional aircraft.
Simplifying my toiletry bag saved space without sacrificing anything I actually needed.
And despite the airport surprise, flying out of Carlsbad was incredibly convenient.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
The biggest change?
Arriving earlier at the airport.
Without question.
I’d also bring a few extra snacks since there aren’t many food options after security and continue packing lighter whenever possible.
The Carlsbad airport also didn’t sell water past security – so packing an empty water bottle is a must.
Vacation prepping is always a work in progress, and that’s part of what makes it fun.
Every trip teaches me something new for the next one.
Final Thoughts
This may have only been a quick three-day trip, but it reminded me why I love the planning process just as much as the vacation itself.
There’s something exciting about laying out outfits, organizing travel bags, researching a destination, and slowly watching a trip come together.
And now I get to relive it all while writing about it.
I’ll be sharing more from this Denver trip soon, including where we ate, the coffee shops we visited, and a few of my favorite local stops.
Until then, thanks for packing and prepping with me.
I have a feeling this won’t be the last one.
XOXO,
Julia
Posts You May Like:
- Carry-On Essentials for Stress-Free Travel
- The Best Tips for First-Time Travelers
- Top Travel Gadgets and Accessories
About the Author: Hey there! I’m Julia, a passionate theme park and travel writer. My love for theme parks has fueled my obsession with sharing tips and adventures for years. Join me as I uncover the magic Denver and beyond!
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