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.

 

First snow...

Yep, it happened again! The first snow fell unexpectedly ;) The forecast promised some snow on Monday, but it didn't happen... So we relaxed and weren’t too worried until Wednesday morning, when we found two inches of white and fluffy snow covering the ground all over the neighborhood.

 

Before the storm...

Fall is still here and the leaves are still colorful... But there are fewer and fewer of them still left on the branches. And the forecast promises some wind, rain, and, maybe, snow... so I guess today was our last chance to see some color in Denver before it finally disappears. So let's go outside and enjoy another day that is still warm and sunny (actually, it's unbelievable to see all of this in November, but I don't complain).

 

Yellow walk

Believe it or not, but the forecast promises some snow tomorrow... But today we still had a chance to walk along the trail and enjoy the rich and vibrant fall colors. Don't believe me? Let's walk along the Highline Canal together then...

 

Golden... golden... Golden...

When it's fall and the leaves are bright and yellow, we all want to spend some time walking and enjoying these vibrant colors and the feeling of fall... Especially when the days are still warm and the sky is blue :)

 

Marble sky

The Castlewood Canyon is a stunning place to spend a few hours. And fall is definitely the best time to do it ;) All the trails in the park are easy (except the longest one, but who takes it, right?) and the weather is... um... the weather is actually challenging. On the flatlands it is often windy, which makes you think about more clothes to wear, but in the inner canyon it's windless and hot, and you immediately start peeling all the clothes you just put on... But... this is a small inconvenience, other than that this park is absolutely beautiful and popular... Especially in fall time... click here to see what you can find there, if you start from the less crowded side - Castlewood Canyon park again, but from another angle.

Today we started from the main parking lot and quickly figured out that today was special... special because of the sky that was looking absolutely amazing...

 

Beautiful day...

This morning we headed to the Botanic Garden, where we planned to spend a couple of hours enjoying the quiet morning and vibrant fall colors... And we weren't disappointed a bit...

 

Fall gems...

The days are shorter and the nights are cooler... I guess that's what they call Fall... And everything is slowly changing... the leaves are changing their colors... the trees are losing the leaves... the birds are flying somewhere south... It's a time when you feel sad... but also a time when you can find some gems everywhere. Small gems for sure... but they are beautiful nonetheless...

 

Bright colors of Fall

This fall is unusually warm. And it's late too. But... slowly the colors are changing, and we see more and more of them every day... And the nights are getting cooler and cooler... I guess we have just a few weeks left to enjoy the mild weather and nice bright colors before everything changes for good.

 

First signs...

Actually not the first. Fall is coming and we've known it for a while now. The leaves have started turning yellow (or red), the nights have gotten colder... And it's been happening for a couple of weeks. But... this is the first time I've tried to capture these beautiful colors so... I guess you can say these are the first signs of fall...

 

Sparks of color...

Another Saturday morning in the Denver Botanic Garden. Just bright sparks of color... Just some flowers and damselflies... Just some morning dew and natural beauty...

 

It is coming...

I don't know how to explain it... but... fall is coming and I can feel it. Even though there are still plenty of flowers still in bloom, but... they are not the same as before, and somehow they tell you that this is their last chance before fall fades them away...

 

Mountains or flowers?

What do you think is the best way to spend a weekend? Heading to the mountains for some wide vistas and fresh air or stopping by the Botanic Garden for some colorful beauties? And... please don't ask me, cuz I can't give you a simple answer... I like both options and often can't decide between them... And sometimes, like last weekend, I go to the mountains... Where I can stop at my favorite openings and enjoy a wide view of the valley down below...

 

Big mountains and small flowers

It's nothing as good as spending time in the mountains... Especially when the temperatures in Denver are really high and you want to be in a cooler place. Central City is one of the closest options to enjoy some fresh air. Especially if you get there early...

 

All the bright colors...

...and the shapes that vary... Last Saturday my plans had changed and I ended up wandering around the Botanic Garden instead of the mountains... But... I had no regrets ;) Yeah, even in the morning it was a bit toasty, but the flowers made this walk worth it. I found such intricate shapes of colorful beauties... Like this one, for example...

 

Sunrise from Mount Sniktau

I didn't sleep well last night. Well, I slept well, but I was wide awake around half past three and decided to go out instead of trying to fall back asleep. So I gobbled a sandwich and left the house just before 4am. I headed towards Loveland Pass and hoped to make it in time for sunrise. When an hour later I started on my way up to the mountain ridge, it was still pitch dark with the sky just beginning to lighten up... Half an hour later, as I walked along the ridge, I enjoyed the first signs that the sun was about to rise above the mountains...

 

Golden leaves and old mines...

One day in late September I found myself hiking near the old ghost town of Nevadaville (Old town... ghost town...). Aspens had turned yellow and lit the surrounding area with bright colors...

 

Two hours in Staunton Park

It was Saturday again, and it was hard to stay home. But I didn't want to drive for hours. Staunton Park came to mind as a nice place to hike and not too far from Denver. Less than an hour later, I parked the car and started walking along the trail. We'd been to Staunton Park a few times before, but always took the easier Davis Ponds trail (Short hike in Staunton Park... Fall colors!). This time I drove to the Lazy V Trailhead parking lot and chose the Old Mill trail to start.

 

Angry birds ;)

Not exactly angry, maybe just crazy. Let's go back in time and look at some birds I met this Spring in City park. The most impressive (at least for me) were the cormorants. Big black birds flying like cruise missiles low over the water.

 

Lotus and some other flowers...

There wasn't much sunshine last Saturday and the temperatures remained relatively cool, so it was a good time to go look for more flowers. And the flowers in the Botanical Garden looked simply amazing (in fact, as usual).

 

Chief Mountain hike

What can be better than staying downhill when the temperature climbs up and hits 90 degrees? Going to the mountains and having a hike somewhere above 10,000 feet is definitely a better thing to do. That's what I did last Saturday ;) I chose a trail I've never hiked before - Chief Mountain. Relatively close to Denver, relatively short and at a high altitude, it ticks all the boxes :). The trail is quite steep at the beginning and climbs between the trees.

 

Close look

Another Saturday and another visit to the Denver Botanic Garden. Just to walk around before the heat becomes unbearable and to look around and see the beauty of flowers.

 

Square Top Lakes - surprisingly round ;)

Another Saturday and I couldn't stay put. I decided to take an easy hike and went to Guanella Pass to hike up to Square Top Lakes. I didn't expect them to be square (and I was right), but I did expect to have a good time far from the hot air of the city downhills. I dropped my car and started along the trail that weaves through the beautiful valley...

 

Colorful gems

Another Sunday and another morning at the Denver Botanic Garden. The flowers there are like little precious gems scattered on the ground...

 

Wandering in the fog...

I missed hiking in the high country, especially around Loveland Pass. Hiking there is unusual and amazing, and I've done it a few times (for example - Loveland Pass - snow in June). So last week I drove up there and... found myself completely lost in the fog. Honestly, I don't have any photos because there was nothing to take photos of...just a thick gray fog covering everything (I mean it). But I was there and I hoped that the sun would warm up the sky and the gray mantle of fog would disappear. So I climbed up to the top of the trail, seeing nothing but the ground just beneath my feet (yeah, it's a 1,000-foot climb and it took a while) and discovered that not only was the fog thicker there, but also the wind was stronger and temperature was below freezing point. So I turned around... and started walking down to my car. When I was almost back to the summit, the surroundings cleared up a bit and I had a glimpse of the mountains around me. The wind cleared away the clouds and fog, and I had a few minutes to enjoy the view.

 

Just beautiful

The summer is time for flowers. Flowers of all colors and shapes. And right now it's time for lilies... that's why they dominate the photos today ;)

 

Flamenco in Albuquerque

A few years ago we went to Albuquerque for the famous Balloon Fiesta (click here to see the event - Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta). But we planned to spend some time exploiting the city too. First we enjoyed the farmers market downtown (click here to check it out - Downtown Albuquerque). Next we moved to see the old town. The oldest part of Albuquerque and we discovered something unexpected there. Something we didn't even think we could find in New Mexico - flamenco dancers.

 

Colorful and beautiful

Flowers, flowers, flowers... aren't they the best subject to photograph? And in June there are so many of them that I couldn’t resist taking a couple of photos every time I go out with my camera.

 

An hour in the mountains

Last Sunday was hot. It was hard to breathe in Denver even in the morning, so I decided to  go somewhere... somewhere where the air would be cooler and not so stuffy. Mount Falcon was the first place that came to my mind and I didn't think long about it. This park is only 40 minutes away, and the high altitude helps keep temperature down too. So soon I started on the trail, which at first was wide and flat...

 

Small bird flies fast

I woke up in the morning and decided I needed to do something different. Not that different, but still. Probably go and check out some small birds ;) So I went to Central City to see if I could find some. And it didn't take long to spot one, resting on the fence and waiting for the sun to warm everything up...

 

Loveland Pass - snow in June

The snow in the mountains stays longer than downhills... So if you miss it and want to refresh your memory... just go up to the mountains and you will definitely find some ;) Loveland Pass is one of the best destinations for such an escape from the heat of a big city. Can you imagine this tall wall of snow along the highway at the end of June? And yeah... I was unable to park closer to the summit and needed to walk uphill to the trailhead.

 

In the kingdom of sand...

We crossed the bridge (click here to refresh the memory - Crossing the bridge...), returned to the trailhead and soon found ourselves on Highway 163, heading towards Monument Valley. Everything around us looked quite unusual. The colors faded and the sky took on a grayish hue. The haze had hidden many details and we couldn't see very far.

 

A sad day for merganser family

Last Friday I stopped by the small pond in City Park to check on the merganser family. If you remember, just a week ago (six days to be exact :) ) I discovered that the merganser momma had returned and had 10 (!) ducklings (click here to read this story - They are back!). So I wanted to see if the small ones had grown and how the whole family was doing. But the family was still sleeping at the far end of the pond... so I watched them for a couple of minutes before heading towards the big lake in hopes of finding some more waterfowls...

 

Crossing the bridge...

The Dead Horse Lookout was our first stop on this trip (click here to see - Late evening in Canyonland...) but not the only one on our plans. The next morning we continued towards Natural Bridges National Park. We've been to Utah before, but this park escaped our attention, so we decided to fix this and take a look. We started on the trail that runs along the edge of the canyon and just look at this view!

 

Late evening in Canyonland...

We were going to check out some places and made our first stop at Dead Horse Lookout (not technically part of Canyonlands National Park, but the two are very close and I've always considered this lookout to be the entry point into Canyonlands).

 

They are back!

This morning I stopped by the City Park and they were back! The merganser family is back! Merganser mama and her 10 ducklings (last year there were 8)...

 

Creatures... or aliens?

I went to the Botanic Garden to take some photos of the flowers and when I downloaded the images to my computer I was surprised by what I found. There were some unexpected pictures... Something that I cannot identify... some creatures... or aliens? Anyway... some plants look quite not as obvious if you take a closer look...

 

Just days before colors changed...

Staunton Park is one of my favorite Colorado state parks. It is also becoming increasingly popular, so get there as early as possible if you want to hike there. And the easiest hike is just over 2 miles to Davis Ponds.

 

Orange and purple

Yeap, we did it again... I mean, we spent a couple of hours in the Denver Botanic Garden ;) And, honestly, there aren't many better ways to spend a Sunday morning ;)

 

Gold in Golden, again :)

Hmm...actually I'm not talking about real gold. I just refer to leaves in the color of gold. Just go there in September and walk along Clear Creek and... you won't regret it!