Driving Through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado

On July 5, 2019July 4, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado2 Comments

We love to go hiking in the mountains of Colorado, but sometimes we just need to drive through them on our way to someplace else. There isn’t a single time that we do that we don’t marvel at the beauty of our state. We have a sort of love-hate relationship with driving through the mountains, though, especially if we have to take I-70 west from Denver as we did in order to get to Moab, Utah. It doesn’t take long before a scenic mountain drive turns into a gridlock of vehicles all trying to head west at the same time. Fortunately, we usually account for the extra hour or so of traffic, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t stressful at times.

Once we get through the Eisenhower Tunnel, which takes you under Loveland Pass, things start to improve. After Frisco and Dillon Lake, things get remarkably better and the rest of our drive west was pretty much easy going. As you drive west through all of our favorite resort towns filled with tourists for the holiday weekend, beautiful golf courses, and people on bicycles everywhere, you get a true appreciation of why people travel to Colorado from around the world. Sometimes we take the magnificence of the state for granted and it is drives like these that remind us not to.

It isn’t just a scenic drive, but it is also a feet of engineering that creates a road that makes its way through the rugged wilderness. Between Denver and the border of Utah, you will pass through about five different tunnels, many bridges, and winding roads that take you through steep canyons. The mountains themselves also change as you make your way through the heart of the Rockies, from steep mountain peaks, green valleys, to intense cliffs with the river flowing below. It is certainly an impressive drive if you ever get the opportunity to take it. All of these photographs were taken from within our car as we drove west through the Rocky Mountains.

Our Hiking Season Has Officially Begun

On June 10, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Hiking15 Comments

Although some people hike year-round, regardless of the season, we prefer to wait until most of the snow has melted before going hiking in the mountains. It has been a cool and rainy spring in Colorado and the mountains have continued to get snow even as summer starts around most of the country. We decided to hike a trail that we’ve done before, but this time we chose to go a different direction, which completely changed the hike. It was a relatively easy hike and there was almost no one else on the trail, making it very relaxing and peaceful.

We decided to hike the Falcon Trail on the grounds of the United States Air Force Academy here in Colorado Springs. We originally hiked it back in August of 2017, so it was nice seeing it during a different time of year. Thanks to all of the moisture that we’ve had, the wildflowers are in full bloom making the trail even more beautiful. The entire trail is a 12 1/2 mile loop, but we only went 5 miles on this hike as we get back into hiking condition.

Now that the weather is getting better, we expect to go hiking quite regularly between any trips that we have planned. We find that hiking on the weekends is a great way to relax as well as truly enjoy the beautiful scenery that Colorado has to offer. Although we didn’t see any wildlife on the trail itself, we did come across some wild turkeys crossing the road as we approached the parking area at the head of the trail. The Air Force Academy is also a protected area for wildlife, so it is quite common to find elk, deer, and other wild animals on the grounds of academy. It was certainly a wonderful way to kick off our hiking season and we look forward to getting even farther up into the mountains on our next hike.

Do You Love Where You Live?

On February 8, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Photo Challenge30 Comments

A lot of people think that where they live is one of the best places in the world. We have certainly seen some beautiful places, fascinating cities, and gorgeous landscapes, but we find it hard not to think of Colorado as a very special place to live. We recently have had the opportunity to pretty much move wherever we would like within the continental United States, but even after consideration of other locations, we have decided to continue to make Colorado our home. Although flying from Denver isn’t always as convenient as someplace like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, etc., but we can get to every place we want to go, it might just take us a little longer.

What we might sacrifice for convenience we more than make up for in the natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor adventure. Regardless of the time of year, heading into the mountains always results in a memorable experience. Like many other travelers, we are often absorbed with going some place new, some place we have never been before, and don’t take enough time to truly explore the treasures in our own backyard. We actually keep a list of places that are within a few hours drive so that we can use a weekend to go and discover some of these unique locations.

Paint Mines Interpretive Park near Colorado Springs

With that in mind, we thought that we would provide some visual evidence as to why we think Colorado is such a wonderful place to live. This week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Tour Guide and we will do our best to take you on a journey across different parts of Colorado and some of the historic towns of the old west. Starting with Colorado Springs and then heading into the high country, there is seemingly something to see around every corner. Do you love where you live and take time to explore it?