💫 Roadtripping with the stars

☀️ Happy Wednesday and welcome back to Roadtripper, y’all!

I hope America’s big semiquincentennial bash treated you well this past weekend, whether you were out on the road or BBQing in the backyard.

While fireworks were a no-go here in the mountains due to several ongoing wildfires, the cool air, much-needed afternoon rainstorms, bustlin’ local farmers market, and time with family more than made up for it.

The holiday weekend may be over, but I’m avoiding going home to the sweltering Texas sun — the heat index is up to 107 degrees 🥵 — and am currently hiding out in Colorado for as long as possible.

Fun fact, Colorado is also celebrating a big birthday this year, turning 150 later this summer, so I might just road trip around the entire state until Texas cools off. 🤔

Rearview Recap

Reminder, last week’s tip about 5x back on gas with this card is in effect ALL summer long, so take advantage while you can.

And it pairs beautifully with this card, which is rocking a delectable limited-time offer.

Full Speed Ahead

This week’s road trip is pretty stellar — literally — so let’s get right into it, y’all.

• 🔭 The Route Report: Written in the stars

• ⛺️ The Check-in: Glamping with a view

• ⛽️ The Roadside Assist: Throwback prices on gas

• 🛑 The Pit Stop Poll: Road trip goals

🔭 The Route Report: Written in the stars

As I mentioned, I’m hanging out in Colorado this week and stumbled upon a really interesting road trip idea.

Earlier this summer, the state announced the Colorado Stargazing Trail, a route connecting the 21 Dark Sky Parks and Dark Sky Communities across the state.

If you’ve never heard of a Dark Sky Park, it’s a designation from DarkSky International that basically says this park has incredible stargazing and minimal light pollution.

The “Dark Sky Communities” are towns that are doing the most to keep light pollution down and their communities appropriately dark while maintaining overall safety — think street lighting that directs light downwards and warm-toned lights.

As a result, you can get world-class views of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way in a relatively accessible destination.

My parents actually lived in a Dark Sky Community for years, and we could stargaze and look for constellations in the driveway in their suburban neighborhood. 🤩 

Colorado has done us all a favor by mapping out the Dark Sky locations so we can plan a road trip to hit them all. 😏

So let’s look at some Colorado stargazing road trip options. 🚗

The Route

If you’re not local, you can start by flying into Denver International Airport, picking up a rental car, and heading west towards Breckenridge — Colorado’s first International Dark Sky Certified Ski Resort Town.

The community has worked for the last 20 years to meticulously manage lighting to preserve the night skies, so much so that you can glimpse the Milky Way from Main Street.

But locals actually suggest heading up the gravel road in the warmer months to Boreas Pass to really appreciate the night sky in all its glory.

After spending a night or two there, join back up with I-70 and head west through Vail before turning south.

You could then pop over to Old Snowmass, a quiet community in the Roaring Fork Valley, less than 30 minutes from Aspen, known for its ranchland and access to outdoor activities.

Linking back up to scenic Highway 133 and continuing south, you’ll eventually hit the town of Paonia, a Dark Sky Community where some of the highest-elevation wineries in North America are located.

There’s even a West Elk Wine Trail that explores the different wineries in the area if that’s your thing. 🍷 

Surrounded by mountains, national parks, and natural areas, you’re now in the neighborhood of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

A steep gorge with some of the tallest cliffs in North America, this is the first Dark Sky Park on this route, and thousands of stars are visible to the naked eye here at night.

You can drive the north and south rims of the canyon if you want to make the park a road trip all its own, but the South Rim offers easier access, more amenities, and short hikes to breathtaking views of the canyon.

After exploring the park, you now have a couple of options for how to round out this road trip.

Option #1

You could turn east to slowly make your way back to Denver, taking the scenic route and stopping by Curecanti National Recreation Area (another Dark Sky Park), where you can experience a different version of the Gunnison River, along with 3 reservoirs that offer views and ample opportunities for recreational water activities.

From there, you could head to Crested Butte, the Wildflower Capital of Colorado, or Buena Vista for some epic white water rafting or relaxing hot springs.

Keep going east, and you’ll hit U.S. Route 24, which will take you to the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where you can see petrified redwood stumps that are wider than two really tall people laid end to end, along with insect and plant fossils and — you guessed it — another Dark Sky Park.

Now, you’re in the backyard of Colorado Springs, which, to be clear, is a road trip destination all its own with:

• Pikes Peak

• Garden of the Gods

• Cave of the Winds

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

• The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum

• And endless other things to do

From there, it’s an hour to DEN, where you can return your rental car and hit the Capital One Lounge for a bite if you’ve got this card in your wallet.

Option #2

When the wildfires aren’t raging, there’s more to see and do in southern Colorado, and there are several more Dark Sky Parks to visit.

The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a really cool place to visit — especially in wetter springs/summers when the Medano Creek is running — and the dunes themselves make an interesting contrast to the Milky Way when you visit this Dark Sky Park.

If you head south towards Durango, you have 3 more Dark Sky Parks to choose from:

• Chimney Rock National Monument

• Mesa Verde National Park

• Hovenweep National Monument 

Option #3

The final option I’ve got for y’all actually deserves a section all on its own… so keep reading 👇

⛺️ The Check-in: Glamping with a view

With all this talk about Dark Sky Parks and national parks, I started to think about a unique opportunity to use or earn points on this trip.

Enter: Under Canvas, a collection of 13 glamping destinations, located outside some of the most iconic national parks in the US — and conveniently bookable through Hyatt via Mr & Mrs Smith.

Hyatt is currently running an Under Canvas promotion, where you can earn 15% back when you redeem points for stays through December 1st, 2026.

And 7 of the 13 Under Canvas locations are certified Dark Sky Approved Lodging, meaning they’re overnight accommodations with exceptional quality starry nights.

While none of the Under Canvas properties are in Colorado, you could keep driving west a couple of hours into Utah, and head toward Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park to Under Canvas Moab.

A night there ranges from 16,750 to 44,000 World of Hyatt points, depending on the accommodation type you book, though prices are dynamic and can fluctuate.

I’ve got my eye on the Stargazer Tent, where you can lie in a comfy king-sized bed at night and look up at the stars through a stargazing window. How cool is that??

If I register for this promotion and book a night for 32,500 World of Hyatt points, I’d earn 15% back (about 4,875 points), bringing my net points to just 27,625 points.

That’s a price I’m more than willing to pay for a unique experience like this!

If you’re short on World of Hyatt points, you can transfer points from one of these cards or snag the current 100,000-point limited-time offer on this card and use them toward an Under Canvas property of your choice.

From Moab, you can decide whether to backtrack to Colorado or explore more of Utah, possibly flying home from Salt Lake City — the choice is yours!

Bottom line

Whether you road trip around Colorado, find a Dark Sky Park near you, or take advantage of the Under Canvas promotion, I hope you get the chance to marvel at our starry night skies sometime soon.

⛽️ The Roadside Assist: Throwback prices on gas

Alright, friends — stick with me.

I’ve got a gas deal that is frankly blowing my mind, but it’s a limited-time offer available ONLY this weekend.

If you have a 7/11 near you, they offer fuel reward promotions pretty regularly to help drivers save on gas.

And they have a summer promotion that wraps up THIS Saturday, 7/11 (see what they did there?) for 50 cents off per gallon on the 7th and 11th of each month.

Here’s how to get in on the deal:

• Download the 7/11 app and create an account

• Text ALLIN to 711-711 and follow the instructions

• Save 50 cents a gallon

But it gets better. 😎 

If you text FUEL to the same number, you can save an additional 40 cents a gallon.

And then text FUEL30 for another 30 cents off a gallon, and text SAVE to save another 25 cents a gallon.

Plus, if you’re new to 7/11 rewards, you automatically get a welcome offer of 11 cents off a gallon for your first 7 fill-ups.

The Fuel Math

If we add all of that savings up (50 cents + 40 cents + 30 cents + 25 cents + 11 cents), you’d save a whopping $1.56 PER gallon. 🤯 

So if the regular store price is $3.23/gal, with discounts it’s now just $1.64/gal… that’s almost half off, y’all.

We haven’t seen gas prices that low in, like, 20 years? 👵🏻

And you can track your savings in the app to see your available discounts before they’re even used at the pump.

Here’s how:

1. Find your nearest gas station in the app

2. Check your discounts

3. Lock in fuel prices

4. Head to the gas station

Then, when you pull up to the pump, enter the phone number linked to your account, and your savings will be applied!

Pluuus, 7/11 is Slurpee Day, where you can get a FREE small Slurpee. 👀

While this offer only applies this Saturday, they have other discounts throughout the year, so it’s a nice win if you frequent 7/11 gas stations.

And if you pay with this card, you can earn 5x back when filling up and save money with this promotion, all at the same time.

🛑 The Pit Stop Poll: Road trip goals

Whew, that was a lot, but I hope you learned something and were inspired to check out one of these cool Dark Sky Parks!

Let me know if you book a night at an Under Canvas property! 📩

As for me, I’ve got some cool mountain air to enjoy and lots of Colorado to explore, so I’ll catch y’all next week!

38.8339° N , -104.8214° W

With contributions by McKay Moffitt