Enjoy Magazine - January 2019 January 2019 Issue | Page 10

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
AS EXPERIENCED BY SAM PEREZ
PHOTOGRAPHER, INFLUENCER
@SAMADVENTURE
Rocky Mountain National Park in northern
Colorado is one for the record books. Memorable
is an understatement. I decided to take a 14-
hour road trip from Chicago to the Rockies in
the middle of winter. Not exactly tourist season. I
thought the winter weather would make me enjoy
it less, but it didn’t stop me at all even though the
weather is extreme and changes instantly. Think
arctic conditions with high winds, deep snow and
sudden blizzards. I was freezing, yet, I genuinely
didn’t want to leave.
The park is relatively small, 415 square miles, but
its highest point is over 12,000 feet. Filled with
hiking trails and overlooks, the starry night sky is
beyond words. The most memorable experience
on this trip was gathering the courage to do an
evening hike to catch the sunrise at Dream Lake. It
was like something out of a movie -- wind blowing
snow around, a sunrise in the back and I just
couldn’t believe my eyes. So much beauty in front
of me.