Challenging way back home...

As usual, we enjoyed a stroll through the streets of Taos as the sun went down (click here to refresh your memory - Evening in Taos) and headed back to the place we stayed during this trip. Actually, I think I should say a few words about this place, don’t you think? Normally we stay in the hotel when we are in the area, but this time we opted for AirBnB and we didn't regret it. We spent a couple of days looking at all properties nearby and eventually settled on the historic Mill House. Yeah... it doesn’t look impressive from the outside… an old adobe building that blends in with the surroundings… but inside, it was something else.

 

These beautiful creatures...

Yep, you guessed it right, I am talking about orchids (again). But... instead of looking at them as a whole, let's get closer and search for details. Flowers are amazing creatures, and that's why we love them... but sometimes we can just zoom in and...

 

Everybody has a family... small or big...

Another Saturday and another hike around Barr Lake... I had some hopes when I started out from the parking lot, but I was trying to keep them low so I wouldn't be disappointed... But almost as soon I stepped out of the car, a juvenile bald eagle swooshed above overhead and disappeared into the trees. What a good sign, I thought, and turned around to say hello to prairie dogs that had surrounded the parking lot, ready to run down the holes they have all over the area...

 

Houston, reflections, shapes and shadows...

I've always loved traveling and exploring new places. It's so exciting to spend time in a new city, wander around and learn about it... I spent last weekend in Houston, Texas, but I was busy most of the time and didn't have a chance to explore... too bad...

 

Winter in Winter

The last time I was at the Denver Botanic Garden, I mostly enjoyed some summery blooms and the beautiful orchids (click here to refresh the memory - Summer in Winter). Later, when I stepped out of the conservatory that housed the tropical flowers, I discovered something different. Of course there were no blooming flowers there... but nevertheless, what I found was stunning... Dried seed pods, open and empty, also looked like some kind of exotic flower. Instead of heading home, I decided to stay and see if I can find something amusing...

 

Evening in Taos

We enjoyed visiting Taos museums that day (click here to see it - Two houses, two worlds... ). After we left the Art Museum at Fechin House, we decided to walk the streets. It was such a nice evening and we couldn't resist the temptation to see a little more of Taos...

 

Summer in Winter

February is finally here... Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog weather watcher, was pulled from his warm burrow this morning and saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter. Despite such a forecast, the weather here in Denver is warm and unwintery... But it's not summery either. And we're tired of the cold and snow and would love to escape somewhere. But where? Surprisingly I know the place :) Unsurprisingly it's a Botanic Garden ;) Right, February is the time when orchids start blooming in the Botanic Garden and bring the most summery feeling you can hope for...

 

Two houses, two worlds...

We had a busy morning driving around the town (click here to see - Morning in Taos ). At this point, we needed some rest and recharge. So we quickly cooked lunch and gobbled it :) Now we were ready to explore more...

 

Morning in Taos

As you may remember... our way to Taos was long and indirect (click here to refresh your memory - Adobe churches in Colorado and New Mexico...). But it wasn't really a hard drive, and after a restful night in our historic Airbnb (I promise to show it later) we woke up ready to explore... Since we were staying just a block off the main plaza, we decided on a short walk to look around...

 

Faded day...

An arctic storm slowly crept up and made its way to Colorado last Saturday with below freezing temperatures and light snow. When I opened my eyes that morning and peeked through the window, I was amazed by the light, fluffy snow that covered everything...

 

I miss summer...

January is never warm (and who expects warm weather in the winter, right?)... But this January feels especially hard. The cold bites deeper, and even more frigid air is forecasted for the coming weekend. It's sunny here in Colorado, but I am weary of this endless frost and the monotony of a landscape drained of color.

 

Silhouettes and clouds...

Another Saturday and another wilderness call... when you can't stay home but need to go somewhere and get some fresh cold air to recharge your batteries in anticipation of the week ahead. And Denver is a great place to do that because here you don't have to go very far. You can find what you need just in the middle of the city... All you need is to stop by some state park... Barr Lake park for example. In winter time you won't be able to enjoy the green lush trees surrounding the lake, but you can find something that you won't find in the summer - amazing tree silhouettes. Usually they are accompanied by some incredible reflections (click here to check it out - Spring Close-ups and reflections)... But not now... The water level is still surprisingly low (not as low as a couple months ago - Beautiful Saturday morning, but still low).

 

Chilly day...

Saturday morning was chilly... Hmm.. I guess it was even cold, with about 20F and fog, covering some streets and disappearing from others. Despite the forecast, there was no snow on the ground, but there was a lot of frost on the grass and trees. So I went to the Botanic Garden in hope to find some frost there. But to my surprise, there was none. But the road and trails were dusted with a light layer of snow...

 

All possible colors

Sometimes when summer comes, we are surrounded by flowers and look at them without even noticing them... They just become a part of everyday landscape and... our minds miss registering these bright creatures... But when it's cold outside (that's right, I am talking about winter time) and most of the colors are gone (yeap, winter again) we miss these colorful and beautiful flowers...

 

Nice and short hike

Last Saturday a friend of mine and I decided that we needed some fresh air and a bit of exercise... And what could be better for it than a nice and short hike? Preferably somewhere nearby ;) And we knew the place that would be just perfect - Alderfer / Three Sisters Park near Evergreen. Just over 30 minutes of driving and we crossed the meadow and entered the woods...

 

Adobe churches in Colorado and New Mexico... Part 1

We really enjoy our short stop in La Veta (Short stop in La Veta, a cute little town...), but we still had something else to explore. We planned our first stop at Fort Garland, where we planned to turn onto Highway 159... It would have been easy to just drive straight to Taos, but... it wasn't what we wanted to do this time. This time we wanted to take some backroads and to see something that usually escapes the attention of travelers - some old adobe churches. And the first one was at Fort Garland.

Holy Family Catholic Church - 626 Beaubien Avenue Fort Garland, CO 81133

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fort Garland, Colorado, the Holy Family Catholic Mission stands as a serene beacon of faith. This cherished landmark is noted for its stunning structure that exudes a sense of tranquility and a welcoming atmosphere. Though some travelers might find the doors closed past the usual visiting hours (sigh... yes... we also were unlucky ones), the mission's exterior beauty continues to garner admiration. 

 

Short stop in La Veta, a cute little town...

It was a real treat to spend an hour in Pueblo (click here to refresh your memory - A quick stop along the way... ) but we still have a lot of plans for this day, so we soon hit the road again. But we already knew our next stop ;) Even though it was a bit off the way, but we couldn't resist making a detour to have lunch in La Veta - a cute little town just off Highway 160. But it wasn't just the delicious burrito at Legends On Main that attracted us, it was the town itself. This small town not only marks the start of the Legends Highway (which is incredibly beautiful when the leaves turn yellow - Vibrant colors of Highway of Legends), but it also has quite a rich history in itself...

 

Bright colors of Pinery lights ;)

Yep, now is the right time to get out and admire some Christmas lights. And some neighborhoods are better than others :) A long time ago we explored Denver in hopes of finding the most decorated houses and we really enjoyed finding them. Click here if you want to see those - Sparkling glare of Christmas lights.

 

A quick stop along the way...

We hadn't been to New Mexico in a while and we missed it terribly... So... "easy to do" we thought, got in the car and just drove south. A couple hours later we felt like we needed a short break and the best place to stretch our legs on your way to Taos was... the city of Pueblo. It wasn't our first time there so we knew what to expect. In fact, we spent more time here last time we visited the city, so click here if you want to learn a history of the town and see more of the beautiful places one can find here - The most boring city in Colorado... Really?

 

Something colorful

It's December... The days are short and dark... and there aren't many colors to cheer us up. Surprisingly, there are still some leaves on the trees, but they are mostly faded. And we hardly see anything bright, blue, red or yellow. It's winter after all. So... let's jump back in time and look at some summer flowers... bright, fragrant and beautiful...

 

Escape the busy city

The Saturday right after Thanksgiving brings a lot of people to the streets of Denver. Everything seemed a bit overcrowded, and it looked like a good idea to escape from a bustling city and spend a couple of hours just walking up the slopes and enjoying the beautiful scenery. And... sometimes you are not up to spending too much time in the car to get there. If so... you can always just pass Golden and take a short (or longer) hike at Mount Galbraith.

 

Beautiful Saturday morning

I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep. My mind was wide awake and the idea of going out and maybe even seeing the sunrise seemed like a good idea :). I was still high from seeing bald eagles at Barr Lake park last week (Bald Eagles on Barr Lake), so I decided to give it another try. Even without bird watching, this park is a great place to spend a few hours and even see some amazing reflections (Spring Close-ups and reflections) even though now there are no reflections to see :(. It didn't take long to get to the park and I realized that I was just in time for the sun starting its journey around the world...

 

Bald Eagles on Barr Lake

Barr Lake State park is an amazing place to hike or bird watch. And while mid-November may not be the best time for birds, it is definitely a good time for a hike. An easy hike, or more challenging one. We weren't sure what we would find there on this chilly Sunday morning. But as soon as we got out of the car, we knew that we had come at the right time... Because high in the sky, a huge flock of birds were making some intricate patterns but we weren't sure what kind of the birds they were...

 

Day of roses

The storm that had broken so many trees was in the past (click here to see - After the storm) and the sun was working very hard to get the snow melted, disintegrated, evaporated... The roads and trails were clear, so we decided that the best way to spend a Sunday morning would be a walk in some beautiful place... And one of the most beautiful places we know is the City Park ;) It is magnificent in spring with flowering trees, beautiful in summer with its green leaves, stunning in fall with these leaves in yellow and red, a bit dull in winter with faded colors and cold... but today it promised a pleasant walk and some vibrant colors in a nice contrast with the white snow. And we weren't disappointed at all... despite the snow, everything was still breathing fall...

 

After the storm

A few days ago, after Before the storm... post, a friend of mine asked: "What about after the storm pictures?" At this point, no one knew how big the storm was coming and what we could expect from it... When it came, the soft  snow covered everything, and it was just beautiful First snow... So we relaxed and didn't expect the next part which came the day after. On Friday morning, it snowed again, and by the end of the day we had quite a lot of snow. But it also continued to snow all night, and when I looked out the window this morning, I realized that we had a really bad storm. The oak tree, which is usually towering and almost as tall as the building, was now dwarfed to half its usual size. The heavy snow bent the branches and it didn't look good.