Variations of a Colorado Sunset

We love the sunsets that we get to see over the mountains of Colorado, they are especially vibrant during winter. As we watch the sun make its way toward the horizon, the skyline changes almost second by second. Just when we think that it can’t get any more spectacular, a minute later we are even more amazed. One of the places that we visit quite often has wonderful views of the mountains and we watched a couple of different sunsets over a two week period. After the sun made its way below the horizon, the sky turned to such a deep red in different ways on both occasions. We didn’t have our camera with us, so these photographs were taken with our phone. We have provided each sunset here in chronological order, so you’ll have to imagine enjoying a nice glass of wine and watching these beautiful sunsets.

Day One When the Sunset Caught Our Attention
Focusing on the Mountain Peaks
Reflecting Off of the Clouds
Absolutely Stunning with the Snow in the Foreground
One of the Last Views of Day One
Day Two as the Sun Dipped Below the Horizon
Starting to Reflect Against the Clouds
Changing from Yellow to Red
It was Like the Sky was on Fire
Final Views from Day Two

The Frozen Scenery of Iceland

We have visited many places where the scenery was just absolutely amazing and Iceland was certainly one of those places. We will often take hundreds of photographs, using multiple cameras, and even though we find the photographs stunning, they don’t always capture the moment. Whether it was driving around the Golden Circle or heading along the coast to places like the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the views are just spectacular. It is such a rugged environment and the fact that we visited in winter made it even more stunning. We stayed in the capital city of Reykjavik and rented a car so that we could drive ourselves around the beautiful island.

Rugged Scenery
Geysir Starting to Erupt
Lava Contrasting with the Snow
Very Serene

Although we have shared many of the photographs during our time in Iceland such as those of the black beaches, the Gullfoss Waterfalls, and Geysir, there are literally hundreds of images that we haven’t had the chance to share. The contrasts of the scenery from volcanos, the ocean, ice and snow, lava fields, mountains, and glaciers make every image unique. We decided to take this opportunity to share some of the photographs that we took during our trip that we have never previously shared.

Small Town by the Bay
Lava Cliff
Haunting Landscape
Rocky Scenery

We spent several days driving around Iceland, so the conditions were different as it was sometimes sunny and sometimes snowy. Also, because it was winter, the days were very short with the sun not rising until around 10:00 a.m. in the morning and setting in late afternoon. That allowed us to have different views of the places that we visited with many changes in lighting. At times the scenery was almost hauntingly beautiful and other times it was simply awe inspiring. Although we didn’t get a chance to make our way around to some of the more distant destinations in Iceland, like those driving around the Ring Road, the places that we did visit have made for some of our favorite memories.

Steam Rising from the Volcano
Gullfoss Waterfalls
Coastline
In the Middle of Nowhere

Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps

There is something so comforting about having a nice warm drink on a cold winter day. The combination of peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate is often called a “Snuggler” because of the warm hug that it gives to your inner body. We first had this in Aspen, many years ago and it is definitely one of our favorite winter drinks. Schnapps is not a particularly strong alcohol, so it is definitely a drink that you don’t need to feel guilty about having. The pairing of hot chocolate and peppermint is obviously a delicious one and this will definitely put a smile on your face. We added some peppermint bark (dark chocolate, white chocolate, and peppermint… yum). We originally shared this recipe four years ago, but we decided it was time to share it once again. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Make Your Own Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Whole Milk (2% or skim, your preference)
  • 6 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 4 to 6 tbsp Peppermint Schnapps
  • 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Confectioner Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Hot Chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat (do not bring to a boil). Whisk in the cocoa powder until it is thoroughly mixed. In a cold bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugars, and vanilla extract. Whip until soft peaks form. Pour the hot chocolate and schnapps into a mug and top with whipped cream. Serves 2.

Snuggler with Whipped Cream

Whipped Cream Topping

Snuggler with Peppermint Bark