Saturday, visiting Three Sisters ;)

You know I am always looking for some place nearby but nice to hike on Saturdays. Something just in the distance of the stretched hand and where one can walk and enjoy nice views (and... I like to find some Mariposa Lilies there, one of my weaknesses).

 

Evergreen Lake, hot August day

There are a lot of places where you can escape the summer heat. And one of them is Evergreen. Small town close to Denver located in the mouth of the narrow canyon at the elevation of 7200 feet. And Evergreen Lake is the most popular place to spend a few hours on weekends...

 

Farewell, San Francisco, still the second day ;)

To read the previous part click here -> San Francisco, day two, Chinatown and more

While we  continued to walk along Market St we were looking here and there to find interesting places to see. We were already tired, because that was the second day we were non-stop exploring Frisco and we walked a lot... I mean it, A LOT... Finally we came to Civic Center plaza and San Francisco City Hall. Nice place and we stopped for a few minutes to have some rest and look around.

 

San Francisco, day two, Chinatown and more

To read previous part click here -> San Francisco, day second, the morning...

We left Coit Tower and walked down the streets to return back to downtown. It took just a few minutes and we found ourselves in Chinatown.

 

San Francisco, day second, the morning...

To read previous part click here -> Streets of San Francisco, end of the first day

We are all tired when we are traveling. especially if we are walking a lot... But let's see the bright side of it - we all also sleep really well because of the tiredness ;) So we woke up next morning well rested and ready for some adventures. But first we needed breakfast. What is the best place for breakfast in San Francisco? We didn't know that, but we thought of the old piers, where you can find a small nice place where they serve you some hot coffee, maybe an omelet made from fresh eggs and a nice view to the bay and Alcatraz island is included :-) What can be better?

 

South Valley Park hike

Another Saturday and another new park to explore. Thanks to my friend who brought to my attention this amazing place to roam. It is not really easy to find a place like that and surprisingly this is a free park, located at foothills, literally at the outskirts of Denver.

 

Streets of San Francisco, end of the first day

To read previous part click here -> San Francisco, same day, hotel...

Have any desire to continue walking on San Francisco streets? We had! And so once we unpacked we left the San Remo hotel and almost ran towards downtown. The night was coming and we wanted to see some of the city while we still had time. And we decided we will walk and discover the city treasures until we drop dead ;)

 

San Francisco, same day, hotel...

To read the previous part click here -> Streets of San Francisco, day one, the beginning...

I wouldn't say that we weren't tired after a few hours walking the streets. So we decided to go and leave our stuff at the hotel and stay motionless for a while. Actually finding a hotel room in August in San Francisco is a quest you don't want to do. So many people are traveling for business or pleasure and not as many hotels there. The prices are high and the rooms are scarce. And also we were picky about location as we didn't plan on renting a car, so we needed something close to downtown that made our search for a hotel even more difficult. But... I was lucky and found one that we liked very much.

 

Streets of San Francisco, day one, the beginning...

Over a decade ago we made a quick trip to San Francisco. And it was really quick (actually just one day) so we didn't have a chance to see much... We landed in the airport in the morning and took a train downtown.

 

One day in April...

Yeah, I know, today is mid of July (and April at all). And the days are hot and sweaty... But you know what? It just means today is a good day to look at the snowy pictures, don't you agree? So, let's turn on our time machine and travel back to the 28th of April. And everything looks just right! Green grass and blooming irises... Nice sunny and warm April day!

 

The new old art

The history of rock art goes back like... dozens of thousand years. I guess it is the oldest art in the world (at least the surviving art that we can see today). Nobody knows when, where and why people started carving the petroglyphs on the rocks and in most cases the meaning also remains a mystery. Anyway, no one practiced it today (what's a pity, by the way). New forms replaced rock art and, probably, the closest is graffiti art (some might not agree with me). But one day we discovered another way to express ourselves... the one we had no idea existed at all :)

 

Maxwell Falls hike on Saturday

What would be the best option if one wants to escape from the city when forecasts promise 90+ degrees? This question has no easy answer, right? And we all ask this question every week (and sometimes even on weekdays). The simple answer would be - go to the mountains. But where exactly? Even going up the mountains (somewhere above 10,000-12,000 feet) is not really helping. The temperature there is much more comfortable, but... the sun is even hotter and shining brighter. If you think harder, you find another answer - go somewhere shady and close to the water. Sounds better and, probably, one can stay closer to the city too. And, believe it or not, I just found a hidden gem I missed before - Maxwell Falls trail.

 

Not time travel ;(

I know, I know... time machine does not really exist. But, are you sure? Cuz I guess I know where to find if not a time machine but at least a time traveling trip. And it's not as far away as you might think. If you drive up on highway 70 soon you pass by two small towns close to each other - Georgetown and Silver Plum. They are both old... more than 150 years old and have a rich history. And this history is related to silver mines, many of them that can be found between these two towns. The towns are just two miles apart and this is not a problem. The problem is Silver Plum is 600 feet higher. And many miners were living there but working at the mines in between and they needed to get there and also the rocks from the mines needed to be delivered to the enrichment factories... And the only way to do it was to build a railway. A looong one. So they did it! And it is working now and even has one station...

 

Time travel

I know, I know... time machine does not really exist. But, are you sure? Cuz I guess I know where to find if not a time machine but at least a time traveling trip. And it's not as far away as you might think. If you drive up on highway 70 soon you pass by two small towns close to each other - Georgetown and Silver Plum. They are both old... more than 150 years old and have a rich history. And this history is related to silver mines, many of them that can be found between these two towns. The towns are just two miles apart and this is not a problem. The problem is Silver Plum is 600 feet higher. And many miners were living there but working at the mines in between and they needed to get there and also the rocks from the mines needed to be delivered to the enrichment factories... And the only way to do it was to build a railway. A looong one. So they did it! And it is working now and even has one station...

 

Where the hell are you going?

It was a nice and sunny Sunday in August and I wanted to go for a nice hike someplace cooler than downhills. And as usual I was torn between two opposites - didn't want to drive for a long hours but also wanted something gorgeous. And I found an ideal place - Echo Lake (surprise-surprise). Fits the requirements just perfectly - just over an hour to get there and at an altitude of 10,500 feet it is cool enough to bring some relief... And... also everything around there is just beautiful - water, woods and mountains... everything you can dream of in one place!

But when I got there I had a better idea (there is what I thought) about hike to be. I decided to walk a bit further and see the Chicago Lakes... The trail was starting just at the parking lot and was beckoning to me ;) "Good idea" I thought at the moment without realizing that it is not a good idea to start the hike without knowing what to expect from it ;(

 

Corwina Park hike

Another hot Saturday in Denver and itch to escape somewhere where the air is cooler... And no decision to drive for hours ;) Actually there are some places nearby where you can escape the heat and instead of being toasted, enjoy cold mountain air (disclaimer - it works as long as you go early in the morning ;) ).

 

Very prickly... and very beautiful...

This Cholla cacti is one of my favorites plants. Yeah... I have a weakness for cacti... Probably because we never saw them in real life and definitely not blooming...

 

Bright and colorful

There are so many flowers blooming in Denver now. And they are all so bright... and the colors are just incredible. But I won't bother you and leave you to see it yourself...

 

Squaw Pass Road and Echo Lake hike

4th of July is a great day for a picnic or easy hike. Probably hike to gain some appetite and picnic or barbecue later ;) And I know the place! So I just jumped in the car and half an hour later turned from Evergreen to Squaw Pass Road climbing toward Echo Lake...

 

Black Hawk Hidden Treasure Maryland Mountain hike

Sometimes one quick hike feels not enough... That's how I feel this day - it was too short and the area is not really new - Flowers of the mountain or back to Central City. So it is good to have a backup plan which I execute this July day. I drove just another 30 minutes and started on a wide, well maintained path...

 

Flowers of the mountain or back to Central City

I like this place. It is close to Denver, almost 9,000 feet above sea level and lets you dive into the mountain forest and enjoy some fresh (and relatively cool) air.