Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Rockin' the Rockies: Day 1

Did you guys miss us? Yes? No? Well, even if you didn't, I'm just going to pretend that you missed us and our crazy shenanigans so much that you didn't even know what to do without us. Okay, so maybe that's taking it a bit far - but hey, you never know!

So where were we, then? Last Thursday we left early in the morning (11:30 is early, right?) and drove out to Estes Park, Colorado, where we stayed for 3 days.

I'd never been there before, or ever seen the Rocky Mountains.


They're a bit different from the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina that my family would drive to in the fall for vacations. Mostly the part where there were evergreens all over the mountains.

Well, except at the top.

Our first day there we went on a hike with Tom's family and relatives, up a 7 mile roundtrip trail to see the Calypso Cascades. We saw some beautiful sights.








Hiking through the mountains was amazing. I was constantly intrigued and amazed by the beautiful forms of the trees around us.






I had taken 100 photos already by the time we actually reached the falls!

Not that that's a bad thing.


The view of the falls was breathtaking.


But Tom and I decided we needed to be a little closer to the action. So, naturally, we climbed it.


Those little red and white dots off to the bottom-right? Yeah, those are people.

We were high.


While we were at the bottom of the falls, we ran into a curious little chipmunk.


This little guy was fearless. He let me get quite close with my camera - without zooming in.


We saw one of the rare Calypso Orchids on our hike back down the mountain, thanks to a professional photographer and apparent flower enthusiast who was busy snapping away on the forest floor. She was nice to let me get a quick shot in with my little camera.


What a beautiful flower.

So that's Day 1 of our vacay to the Rockies. Have any of you guys ever been there? To Estes Park or any part of the Rocky Mountains? Did you go hiking too - maybe even on the same trail? Or are you planning a different sort of getaway for the summer? Let's talk about fun trips and good times!

Did you enjoy this post? Please subscribe for free updates in the future and to see what we're up to next!

12 comments:

  1. I'm from Colorado, I LOVE Estes Park, I love the Rockies, and thanks to your post I'm feeling terribly sentimental and sad that I no longer live in Colorado. I hope you enjoyed your trip!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I live in Colorado and love it.

    If you're still in Denver, here are a few tips. If you're in other parts of CO and looking for recommendation, you can message me.

    (1) Get your free hat from the visitor's center. You just need to RSVP here.

    https://www.colorado.com/HatGiveaway.aspx


    (2) Downtown Denver is loads of fun. If you stay on 16th Street mall, you'll be bombarded with chains. If you venture to the off streets, you'll find great places.

    (3) Walk around Wash Park. It's not downtown, but a lot of people watching and you'll see more of the local's side & homes with a ton of character. You can rent bikes or a paddle boat.

    (4) And, if you're looking for cool home decor. Check out shops on and near Broadway. It's more of a younger neighborhood that isn't quite polished yet, but stroll around and you'll find some unique shops. My favorite home decor shop is Lee Alex Decor on Broadway.

    http://www.leealexdecor.com/

    Oh .. best restaurants in Denver that you must try
    * Snooze for breakfast. Try the pineapple pancakes
    * Trios Enteca for Happy Hour wine & pizza
    * Z Cuisine for a fancier more romantic dinner
    * Tattered Cover for local tea and coffee

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well I wondered where you two were! It looks like you had a great, relaxing trip. Unplugging is good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow what a great trip so far and great pictures! That chipmunk is super cute and too funny!

    I have never been to Colorado, but it's on my list of places to visit!

    ReplyDelete
  5. How much fun does that look?! Your pictures are fantastic!

    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  6. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL photos of your trip! Great shots and great eye! So glad you shared!

    xoxo,
    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  7. I did notice that you seemed absent. Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!! Love reading about your trip and looking at the pix!! Your doggie seems overjoyed at your return as well.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh, I LOVE Estes Park! My family went there for 12 summers in a row when I was growing up, driving from Texas - it was awesome. :) Beautiful pictures! And aren't the chipmunks adorable?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow, gorgeous photos! I worked at the Estes Park YMCA craft shop for a summer and absolutely loved the mountains. It is perfect in the summer, and they have so many great hikes. It looks like you guys had a nice break from working on the house. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, guys! We had an amazing time, and we absolutely cannot wait to go back!

    ~Chelsea

    ReplyDelete
  11. And yes - we TOTALLY loved the cute chipmunks!

    ~Chelsea

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the chipmunk dude! Reminds me of Aimee (our prairie dog). Looks like Colorado is stunning! Our neighbors just got back from Estes Park also! That is probably them in the picture down below you two! How far away do you guys live from Colorado? (u mentioned you drove) Love u , Aunt Nese

    ReplyDelete

We love and read all comments, but please no spam, hateful/hurtful comments, drama or bashing. Thank you!

Related Posts with Thumbnails