A 1000 miles is not a detour for the mad dog...

Now no one can remember who was the first to see the pictures of Bryce Canyon hoodos covered with white snow. But once you see this beauty all you can think about is to go there and see it yourself... So we planned the trip for the end of February (2010) and were waiting for the day to come. We were really nervous the week before because of the forecast. Weather in February is unpredictable all the time but this time Mother Nature has outdone itself - the light snow every day and heavy snowfall over the weekend. But we decided to go just weren't sure about our destination. The car was booked and Friday around 8PM we started on I-70...

We expected the hardest part would be driving to Gleenwood Springs, going up and down on the mountain highway. And we were right. During five and a half hours (compare to regular four!) we saw a lot of snow, ice and wind. And it was dark... Finally we got there, filled the tank with gas and changed the driver. While waiting at the gas station we looked around and were mesmerized by an amazing picture of the night and snow covering everything...

 

Mexico, vacation... Sandos Caracol Eco resort, the last part (16)

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Sandos Caracol Eco resort, part 15 

 

Mexico, vacation... Sandos Caracol Eco resort, part 15

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Maroma Beach - the best beach on the coast! part 14

I guess you have an impression we just went places and moved around instead of having some time on the beach (at least I hope you have this impression ;) ). In fact we spent most of the time in the resort. We went to the beach or swam in the pools... We enjoyed lazy sunbathing and we found a great drink we had all the time (no alcohol but some greens and fruits that made it perfect for any time of day).

 

Cheesman Lake, Saturday hike

"With easy access from the front range, Cheesman Lake, also known as Cheesman Reservoir is a popular manmade body of water near Deckers, Colorado. It is found along the South Platte River in southwestern Jefferson County and is approximately a 1 hour and 30 minute drive southwest from Denver." When read this passage I knew, there is my destination for my Saturday hike.

 

Mexico, vacation... Maroma Beach - the best beach on the coast! part 14

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... out of beaten path in Playa del Carmen, part 13 

White sand and turquoise sea... bright sun and light breeze... what else one can dream of when enjoying the beach time? Nothing, I guess... And if the beach at the resort you are staying at is not good enough, you can always go and enjoy another one, can't you?

 

Mexico, vacation... out of beaten path in Playa del Carmen, part 13

To read the previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Playa del Carmen, town for tourists, part 12

The main street in Playa del Carmen is always busy - you can find some tourists, a bunch of noisy gift shops, plenty of restaurants, a couple of cigar shops and many small jewelry kiosks... Everything is bright and full of life... 

 

Mexico, vacation... Playa del Carmen, town for tourists, part 12

To read the previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Sandos Playacar resort, part 11

We already looked at resorts, ruins, small towns and beaches... Let's take a look at the big town of Playa del Carmen, the nearest city to our resort and kinda center of resort life in the area.

 

Staunton Park hike... yes, again ;)

I know you might ask why we were hiking there just 5 days after we spent half a day walking along the trails... The answer would be simple and easy - because we liked it there. Just like that ;) So we returned back in less than a week and found a completely different place... Click here to see the first hike pictures.

 

Mexico, vacation... Sandos Playacar resort, part 11

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Tulum, part 10

We enjoyed walking around Tulum ruins. That was nice and pleasant. But... just one small "but" spoiled that day... it was a bit toasty. And I guess now I understand the feeling of the piece of steak being grilled on the iron pan. No, that wasn't that bad, actually, when we were walking along the coast line where a light breeze made it really pleasant... but once we turned around and strolled along the "second" line of ruins we weren't pleased anymore. We were slowly roasted under the burning sun... So we walked there quickly and... escaped. I mean literally jumped into the car and drove back to Playa del Carmen.

 

Mexico, vacation... Tulum, part 10

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Mangrove forest, part 9 

That was our second day traveling and after viziting Ek Balam we were really tired walking through the hot and humid jungle, so once in the car we turned on AC full blast. That was a huge relief and soon we felt much better. Our next stop was at Tulum. Another ruin place but on the coast.

Once there we boarded the tractor powered wagon and traveled a few minutes to the entry point...

 

Eagles View hike in Reynolds park

It was a chilly Saturday morning when I pulled to the parking lot and started walking. The Eagle View trail is steep the first mile and doesn't offer much of a view.

 

Mexico, vacation... Mangrove forest, part 9

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Coba pyramid, part 8

As I mentioned before, there is a huge mangrove forest on the resort grounds and you can walk there any time. So, let's do it but before stepping off the asphalt, let's just glance around. Nice way to dispose of old tires, don't you think? ;)

 

Golden Gate Canyon - Golden Fall Colors

The Fall this year is long and bright. No complaints... We like going outside and checking for yellow and red leaves. This time we chose Golden Gate Canyon Park and started from Panorama Point.

 

Mexico, vacation... Coba pyramid, part 8

To see the previous part click here - Mexico, Vacation... Jungle, part 7 

We spent a couple of days lying on the beach and enjoying nice sunny weather. But one day we considered it a bit cooler than the day before and we decided to see some new ruins. It sounds strange, doesn't it? New ruins… the ruins are old, how can they be new? But that was a new adventure, so we called them new. In fact, the day wasn’t much colder but definitely windier, so it was good to go deep into the jungle to see something interesting.

Short hike in Staunton Park... Fall colors!

Monday is a good day to go for a hike. The trails are not crowded and you can have them all for yourself. I know Monday is also the day when most of the people are working and have no time to go hiking. That is the biggest reason why I am usually not going out on Mondays too ;( But sometimes I just have to go somewhere and not to be surrounded by too many people... just cannot resist and those are the best Mondays ever! ;)

 

Morning... fog in the mountains...

Colorado is a state of the sun... I mean we have more sunny days than gloomy days and the fog is always an unexpected guest. At least in the city of Denver... I guess people living in the mountains won't agree with me and can tell they have fog or clouds on the ground often... But for us, who live in the middle of the big city in the foothills, the fog is a rare and pleasant surprise...

 

Mexico, Vacation... Jungle, part 7

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Valladolid and Chemax, part 6

Next morning we woke up early and decided we wanted to go to the jungle. Just to see how it feels being inside, because we have never seen jungles before.

 

Mexico, vacation... Valladolid and Chemax, part 6

To read a previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, part 5

Last time we took a look at the resort, but now let's jump back to our long day out and see what else could be found on the road from Chichen Itza and Ek Balam back to our temporary home...

 

Mexico, vacation... Sandos Caracol Eco Resort, part 5

To read previous part click here - Mexico, vacation... Ek Balam, part 4 

As you can see our second day in Mexico was really busy. We were traveling and seeing some landmarks and it took most of our day. Chichen Itza and El Bakam weren't the only places we stopped by on our way. But before we look at the rest of the sights, let's return back to the resort and look at it. Because it is worse looking at.

 

Yellow color of Guanella Pass Road

This is a bit unbelievable - October is here but most of the leaves down in Denver are green and summery. Yeah, the wind is playing with some dry leaves here and there but it doesn't feel like a Fall is here, does it?

 

Silver Dollar Lake hike

Sometimes it is hard to decide on a destination for a hike. Sometimes it is easy. The hike last Saturday was one with a clear explanation even the explanation was... mmm... not that easy to explain ;)