Vacation: Colorado

The husband and I traveled to Colorado a few weeks ago to enjoy some much needed down time.  On the way we stopped at my Dad's to visit with him and to drop off Lola for a fun filled weekend with her Grandpa.  My Dad lives out in the middle of nowhere on a farm and he has many animals.  He breaks horses as a hobby and currently owns three horses.

Looking out the living room window

Then we went on to Colorado.  We chose a smaller city outside of Denver to spend a few days.  We wanted to be in a small town, surrounded by nature.  The town, Idaho Springs, is 8,700 feet above sea level.

About to drive through the side of the mountain to get to Idaho Springs

Nestled in the mountains

In Idaho Springs

Highlights:
We took the scenic byway to Mount Evans.  It's 15 miles to the entrance and then 15 more miles to the top.  Mount Evans is 14,240 feet above sea level.  The second 15 miles is the scenic stretch, driving on the edge of the mountain.  The narrow road twists and turns to the top of the mountain making this drive not for the faint of heart.  There are no guardrails and at times, no lines on the roads.  It's just you, the other drivers and 15 million cyclists.  Once we were at the top, we parked and got out to enjoy the views.  It was about 70 degrees in Idaho Springs, but it was 41 degrees (with a 41 degree windchill) on top of Mount Evans.  Brr!  There is a hiking trail to that leads to the very top of the mountain.  Mount Evans is amongst an elite group of '14ers'.  The views are amazing.

On the drive up.

On top of Mount Evans

We also visited St. Mary's Glacier.  There is a rocky hike up to the glacier and since it is summer, it leads to a beautiful lake (which is the runoff of melted snow).  There was snow still on the glacier, though.  We enjoyed watching other visitors ski down the side of the glacier.  The views were amazing here, as well.

That person is me and that is snow in front of me.

One day it rained all afternoon, so we headed over the Buffalo Bill Museum for some brain fun.  It was a very informational visit.  Some of the headdresses they had on display were absolutely beautiful.  We really enjoyed it and it kept us out of the rain.

Smaller highlights:
We discovered the best pizza I have ever had at a restaurant called, Beau Jo's.  It was so delicious that we went there twice. I wish I took a photo of it, but when hunger strikes, I do not have time for photos!  Idaho Springs, being such a cute little town, had such charm.  There was a small bakery that is staffed with the happiest man I've ever met. He was so full of optimism and he was really sharing the joy at such an early morning hour.  They have a little coffee shop, a small library, a soap store and more.  The town is nestled between the mountains.  We look forward to visiting again.

SIDENOTE: On our way to my Dad's house, we stopped at this little place called Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies.  It was highly recommended by a co-worker and I have to say they make the most delicious fried pies. I believe it is right outside of Ardmore, Oklahoma, so if you're ever in the area, it's worth a stop.

Thank you for reading.