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

Seeing the Same Places in the Past and Present

Although we really enjoy exploring places that we’ve never seen before, there are times when we do go back to the same location. A few of the places that we’ve visited, there has actually been quite a bit of time that has elapsed between our visits. In some cases, there can be striking differences and in other cases the locations seem identical. The time of year can also change the appearance of the location.

The Reflecting Pool and the Washington Monument in 2001
Sidewalks Along the Reflecting Pool and the WWII Memorial in 2019

The National Mall in Washington D. C. – The first time that we traveled to Washington to go to all of the tourist locations, including the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument was in the summer of 2001. We then visited it once again in the summer of 2019 and as much as it was the same, some things had clearly changed. In 2019, there were sidewalks along the reflecting pool and the WWII Memorial had been added between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in 2000
Completely Different View of the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in 2015

Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces in Yellowstone National Park – Although we have visited Yellowstone many times in all of the different seasons, but we actually went to the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces during our first trip in 2000 and then returned to see it in 2015. During our second visit, we actually hiked a trail that took us to the other side of the terraces, which gave us a completely different perspective.

Eiffel Tower and Autumn Leaves
The Same View of Eiffel Tower in the Winter of 2017

The Eiffel Tower in Paris – We love the city of Paris and it was actually the first place that we visited outside of the United States back in 2007. We visited Paris in Autumn and the trees had changed colors making the trail leading to the Eiffel Tower that much more dramatic. When we returned 10 years later in the winter of 2017, we purposely tried to retake the same photograph. During our second visit, there were gates limiting access to the Eiffel Tower and on the day of our visit it was actually closed to visitors due to security concerns.

The Arch at Cabo San Lucas in 2008 During the Day
Sunset at the Arch in 2017

The Arch in Cabo San Lucas – Our first trip to Cabo was in 2008 and we ended up buying a timeshare during that particular trip. Because of that, we have returned to Cabo many times with our last trip being in 2017. We tend to go in the fall as the weather is quite comfortable and there aren’t any bugs. We don’t always take a boat out to the arch, but we actually did on our first and last visits. It is certainly beautiful and is the landmark that most people associate to Cabo.

Do you ever go back to the same locations many years apart and compare and contrast the differences in the experiences? Not only does the place change, but you change as well, making how you view a place as different as the changes that have occurred to the location itself.

The Unique Scenery of Hiking in Colorado

Besides the physical benefits of hiking, the main reason to go hiking is to enjoy the beauty of nature. Without a doubt, the scenery in the mountains of Colorado is absolutely stunning. It is fascinating to see the way that the geological forces have joined with the forces of rain, wind, and time to create such unique features in the landscape. People will often see patterns in everything that they look at as it is a natural way for our minds to make sense of the world. When you look at a trail map, it is not uncommon to see names given to natural landmarks as a way to identify them based upon what people feel it looks like. This is obviously true around the world as well and we enjoy looking at some of them and asking ourselves does it really look like the name that it has been given.

Kissing Camels in Garden of the Gods Park
Up Close, the Kissing Camels Are Not as Obvious
Hiking Towards Monument Rock
Monument Rock in Colorado
These Rocks May or May Not Have a Name
Paint Mines Interpretive Park near Colorado Springs