On the drive out we stopped by Sprague Lake for a picnic lunch. Before we had finished eating, snowflakes began to fall. We just continued on and enjoyed it.
Sprague Lake
We then drove up Trail Ridge Road. We saw wildlife along the way.
Both boys soon fell asleep in the car. Life with teenagers!!
On the drive up Trail Ridge Road we could see snow in the distance.
The road was seasonally closed at Many Parks Curve. We stopped at the lookout to admire the views and the snow caught up with us.
a snowy lookout on Trail Ridge Road
snow on the drive back down
We spent time in this same area of Hidden Valley on our last trip so Ben requested to stop again for photos. It's a really beautiful area of the park.
Hidden Valley
me and Ben
He spent some time climbing rocks before we moved on.
We then drove to the Fall River/ Horseshoe Park area. We parked at the Endo Valley picnic area and began the 1.4 mile hike up Old Fall River Road to see Chasm Falls.
Shortly after starting the hike, the snowflakes began to fall. It just seemed to follow us that day. We were not complaining though! We loved it!
Old Fall River Road
It is a seasonal road and is closed to vehicles until July of each year.
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Ben and David at Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Ben at Chasm Falls
Cruz at Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
Chasm Falls
On the hike back down, the guys stopped to view wildlife.
We returned to the YMCA late that afternoon. We enjoyed a buffet supper, showered, and were in bed early. It had been another long but incredible day! We hiked 8.5 miles in all! Yes, we were tired!
Before falling asleep, I peeked outside and was giddy to see snowflakes falling. Colorado is an enchanting place!
We recently took a family trip to our favorite place, Rocky Mountain National Park, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. This is the first of several posts where I'll be sharing about our trip. It was incredible from start to finish! I cannot think of any place I would have rather celebrated than in Colorado. Give me outdoor mountain scenery, clean fresh air, hiking trails, and a little snow and I'm a happy girl.
On the plane and heading out.
We flew Guatemala to Atlanta to Denver.
We didn't land in Denver until shortly after midnight. Here's a video of Denver at night.
I love the look of the Denver airport. It was my first time to see it at night. Those tent-like peaks represent both the snow-capped Rocky Mountains and also native American teepees.
arriving at the Denver International Airport
We arrived at our hotel around 2:00 a.m. We were up around 8:00 the next morning for breakfast and to get on the road. I took this photo of the snow-capped mountains from the hotel parking lot as we loaded the car. It was our first glimpse of them on the trip.
We made two stops before making the 1.5 hour drive to Estes Park. The first one was to Wal-Mart for picnic lunch and snack supplies. We then stopped to grab coffee for the road.
arriving in Estes Park
We love this place!
views of Lake Estes on the drive into Estes Park
My favorite Estes Park view!
This was driving towards the Beaver Meadows park entrance.
We stopped at the Beaver Meadows Visitor's Center for a picnic lunch. Ben wasted no time climbing a tree while we made sandwiches.
Our first picnic lunch of the trip.
I love picnics! It's just another thing about national park travel that makes it special to me.
Next, we headed into the park for our first of many hikes. Overall, we hiked 41.3 miles during the trip. I loved every step!!!
On our first entrance into Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, we drove down to the bottom of the canyon. That was fun and offered amazing views of the canyon looking up. On our second visit we drove the South Rim and enjoyed the views looking down. The park has a North Rim and a South Rim. We only visited the South Rim and the canyon floor.
our morning view on the twenty minute drive out to the park
It was a warm, sunny day in Montrose. It was cool to still see snow covered mountains in the distance considering how hot it was that day.
Day two of visiting this beautiful national park.
The flag at the Welcome Center.
We stopped there to purchase a patch and a pin.
map of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The drive along the rim is seven miles long. There are twelve scenic overlooks along the way. We stopped at all twelve. Some had longer walks to get to than others, but all of them offered beautiful views of the canyon.
Our first stop was Tomichi Point.
Cruz in the distance
David in the distance
view of the Gunnison River down below
It was hard to imagine that we were down there the day before. We loved seeing the views from both angles.
my guys admiring the canyon
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
me and my boys
family photo on top of the canyon
Ben at Cross Fissures overlook
the trail to Rock Point Overlook
me and Ben at Rock Point Overlook
Rock Point Overlook
Chasm View Overlook
Chasm View Overlook
Chasm View Overlook
Painted Wall Overlook
Painted Wall Overlook
Painted Wall is the tallest vertical cliff in Colorado at 2,250 feet and is among the highest in the United States.
Painted Wall Overlook
The trail to Cedar Point Overlook
Cedar Point Overlook
me at Cedar Point Overlook
off to Dragon Point Overlook
Dragon Point Overlook
Dragon Point Overlook
The wildflowers were in bloom and a lovely sight to see. The colors just popped so vividly.
big horn sheep near the Dragon Point Overlook
High Point Overlook
Before visiting the last overlook we stopped for a picnic lunch. It was our first picnic lunch to have outside so far on the trip. All the others were in the car because it was too cold and windy to eat outside. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to sit out in the sunshine and eat our lunch!
picnic lunch at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
After eating we set out on the Warner Point Trail. It was the last overlook to see on the seven mile drive.
hiking the Warner Point Trail
view from the Warner Point Trail
view from the Warner Point Trail
Warner Point Trail
Warner Point Trail
taking a break on the Warner Point Trail
It was really hot that day!
Warner Point Trail
The lookout was just on top of that hill.
view from Warner Point Lookout
our family at Warner Point Lookout in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Warner Point Lookout
Warner Point Lookout
our return hike on the Warner Point Trail
a beautiful national park that we thoroughly enjoyed
a video of our time exploring the South Rim
That evening back in Montrose we had supper at Crash Burger. It is a hamburger restaurant that is inside an old gas station. It was really cute! They mostly do pick up and go orders, but they did have a small dining area where you could eat on site. The burgers were delicious and a favorite meal on our trip. We also loved the onion rings. A highlight was $1.00 ice cream cups they offered. We were expecting small servings but instead they were quite large. We could not believe how much ice cream you got for $1.00. We are still talking about our meal there and wishing we could go back and eat there again. The boys say they would return for the ice cream alone. If you are ever in Montrose, you must try this place. I hope you will love it as much as we did! You'll be surprised to know that I did not take a single photo of the restaurant or our meal. I used this photo I found online because I couldn't end this post without mentioning this great place.
The next day we left Montrose and drove about three hours to the city of Cortez. Along the way we drove the Million Dollar Highway between Ouray and Silverton. It was the most beautiful scenic drive of the whole trip. I'll share those photos next.
