We are less than two weeks away from our next trip, which will take us to Hanoi, Vietnam and Vientiane, Laos. Obviously we are very excited to visit these two fascinating countries and perhaps a little nervous as well. We’ve mentioned before that we really enjoy pushing our boundaries and seeing places that are truly foreign to our daily lives and this trip should definitely live up to those expectations. We have several tours booked for our time there and can’t wait to emerse ourselves into the local culture as much as possible.
We Can’t Wait to See the Landscapes and Compare it to Other Places We’ve Visited, Like the Amazon JungleExpecting Busy Streets in Hanoi that Might Remind Us of Chennai
In addition to seeing parts of Vietnam and Laos, we also have two long layovers in Hong Kong and have a tour set up for there as well. Just like our trip to India, the travel time is long and we will be making every effort to reduce the consequences of jetlag on our arrival to Asia. The flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong is the longest leg of the flight at a little over 15 hours in the air, so we’ll be doing our best to get some rest and be prepared to hit the ground running in Hong Kong.
Located near the town of Calhan, about a half hour outside of Colorado Springs, is very interesting park, called the Paint Mines Interpretive Park, with trails that wrap through colorful rock formations. We visited the park while there was still snow on the ground, which made for some difficult hiking at times. Generally speaking, eastern Colorado is pretty much just open prairie land with farms and ranches, however, the Paint Mines Interpretive Park is a geological site that is very interesting and worth the visit.
Colorful FormationsUnique Geology in Colorado Up CloseAn Array of ColorsTruly SpectacularPaint Mines Interpretive Park near Colorado Springs
The formations in the park were created by geological forces over millions of years. Oxidized iron deposits created fascinating clay formations with dramatic colors. Over 9,000 years ago, the first inhabitants of Northern America, the Paleoindians, were thought to have made pottery out of the colorful clay. The hoodoos (also called tent rocks or chimney rocks) that raise out of the ground are truly spectacular. The 4 miles of trails that loop through the park allow you to get close to these unique formations and see how spectacular the geology of the earth can be.
Trail Through the FormationsNatural BeautyAmazing ColorsRock FormationsSo Much to See
We will definitely go back to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park during the spring or summer when the ground isn’t covered in snow. The trails were actually streams at certain points due to all of the melting snow making it hard to get to certain formations. Where there wasn’t running water or snow, the clay ground was a muddy mess and we ended up with our shoes layered in colorful mud. Even though we couldn’t get to all areas of the park due to the condition of the trails, we had a wonderful time hiking through the formations. It is amazing to find such a wonderful geological and archeological site located in a place where you would never expect it.
Enjoying Our HikeClimbing in the Paint Mines Interpretive Park in ColoradoThat is the Trail Not a Stream 🙂Climbing to the TopIn the Middle of Nowhere
One of our favorite things to do during autumn when the leaves turn vibrantly colorful is to go hiking in the mountains. At these elevations, around 8,000 feet (2,400 meters), the leaves change sooner than they do in other places and they also don’t last long as winter arrives swiftly. We went to Mueller State Park, located about an hour outside of Colorado Springs, and spent a day hiking among the pine trees and aspen trees. The temperatures were cool and the skies were clear, so it was a perfect day to spend time in the mountains on some trails that we haven’t previously hiked.
Leaves on the TrailLooking Up at the Blue SkiesColorful SceneryAspen GroveLooking Towards Pikes PeakLooking Across MountainsRugged Hut Along the Trail
The great thing about hiking in the high country is that you get a mix of seeing the changing colors up close as well as the tapestry of colors across the skyline. The park is located on the backside of Pikes Peak and the scenery was simply amazing as it almost always is at this time of year. The colors are mostly the golds and yellows of the aspen groves surrounded by the deep greens of the pine trees, which is different than the reds and oranges that you find in most places. If you get a chance to visit Colorado in autumn, we’d highly recommend that you get into the mountains, even if just by car.
Stand Alone TreeHiking the TrailMore Views from the TrailBeautiful SceneryThe Colorado MountainsShadows on the TrailSome Leaves Starting to Change
