[74-81/365] Colorado

I'm playing catch-up on my photos and 365 project tonight. I was away in Colorado for a week, and took over 900 photos. I now wish I had brought my laptop to keep up with the photos everyday (and my D-SLR, so I could have gotten better photos) but the break was nice. At least I kept up with my Instagram feed. :)

Day 74 - Thursday, June 13

We flew into Denver and visited with my dad's friend. He took us to Estes Park, a quaint town up in the mountains. Later, we brought Josh to pick out some cowboy boots, and headed to our hotel in Colorado Springs. 

Day 75 - Friday, June 14

We checked out the awesome Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Josh enjoyed feeding the giraffes, and watching the elephant "sing" and dance. Later, we ate in a cute town called Manitou Springs.

Day 76 - Saturday, June 15

We visited two natural wonders: Garden of the Gods and Seven Falls. I still can't believe I climbed up all of those stairs at Seven Falls, given my extreme fear of heights. After the stairs, there was a hike up to the top of the canyon, with an amazing view of Colorado Springs and beyond.

Day 77 - Sunday, June 16

We traveled south on Route 25 to Trinidad, where my grandparents live, and where the rest of the family (uncles, aunts, cousins) were gathering. We made a brief stop in Pueblo, to visit my dad's cousin and her husband.

Day 78 - Monday, June 17

The family reunion picnic at Trinidad Lake. They had a pretty awesome playground, so Josh was happy.

Day 79 - Tuesday, June 18

We took a ride up in the mountains to Monument Lake, and found a random but beautiful spot to have a picnic.

Day 80 - Wednesday, June 19

We rode down into New Mexico to get some good food, chili powder, and Western wear. If you're ever looking for Western wear in Raton, NM, I highly recommend Solano's. I also recommend the enchiladas and sopapillas at El Matador. Yum!

Day 81 - Thursday, June 20

We drove back up to Denver and headed home. On the way, we could see the East Peak fire just south of Walsenburg. We never saw any evidence of the Black Forest fire up near Colorado Springs, but it turned out to be the worst wildfire in Colorado history. There were several fires burning in Colorado and New Mexico while we were in the area. Other odd weather events included "dust devils," which look like mini-tornadoes and are made up of swirling dust, and a few tornadoes up at the Denver airport (luckily, a couple of days before we departed). There were also some major winds in Trinidad on our last night -- up to 50 mph. When there are no trees around to cushion the wind, man does it howl!

It's good to be back home near the sea, but I do miss Colorado. The people are down-to-earth and friendly, the air is nice and dry (not good for fires, but wonderful for my hair, allergies and asthma), and the scenery cannot be beat. I can't wait for my next visit.