EPIC Colorado Vacation

We flew for the 1st time as a family on July 25th to Denver. Then drove to Grand Junction. The adventure began at Colorado National Monument FREE with Benny's America the Beautiful 4th Grade Pass!

This was Aaron and Benny's 1st time out west and seeing red rock.

Ms Addy with her kitty shades. I need to take more pictures with her.

We bought new hats to protect against the lack of shade. The boys looked like real explorers. Ha!

The 2nd hike was called Devil's Kitchen with really cool rock formations. Our favorite picture!

I like this one even more because of the smiles.

See Aaron as a scale for the size of these rocks. Love!

On the side of the road on our way to Montrose where we stayed for most of the trip. Wow!!

Day 2: Curecant Creek Trail near Gunnison.

Yellow daisies along the way. So pretty!

Made it down to the gorgeous creek.

I loved taking pictures of the bridges. Easy hike 3.7 miles!

On the way back to our airbnb, we stopped by Black Canyon of the Gunnision National Park and got to use Benny's 4th grade pass again!

We checked out some overlooks but there was no parking for the hike we were planning to do. Same creek down below we had hiked to earlier.

Day 3: Hooray for Ouray!

We hiked the Perimeter Trail around the town of Ouray and it was spectacular!

This was our favorite town due to it's beauty, ease of getting around, and overall feel.

What a view!

Around every turn there was something new to see. I was proud the kids made it 6 miles, no complaints.

A well earned picnic lunch at the park.

And soak in the hot springs! Only 50 people allowed at a time. Yay, no crowds! We just barely made it as the group behind us got separated.

What a fun day! Vacation success.

Day 4: Crested Butte. The wildflower capitol of Colorado!

We started the day with a mountain bike ride on the Lower Loop. A beginner 7 mile trail but tough for us. Stopping to skip rocks and eat a snack.

The wildflowers were so pretty but little did we know the best were yet to come.

Stopping because Josh saw a fox! He also spotted a bear earlier in the day. Too far away for a pic.

Hiking the 401 Trail. We were only going to hike a mile or 2 then turn around but the flowers and views were just too incredible.

I loved this trail, my very favorite, even though I felt really sick afterwards. I'm thinking because we were at 11K elevation. Eek!

See the kids in the distance for perspective?

Epic! We saw these flowers from far away and used them as a turn around point. Worth it!

Day 5: Yankee Boy Basin via UTV

The view of our UTV. I was excited there was one that fit 6 people!

Up, up, up we climbed as the road got rockier. The tree line is high enough for me. The boys hiked to this waterfall. The highlight was seeing marmots.

Endless views and amazing landscapes.

Day 6: Telluride Bridal Veil Falls hike with the Neville's.

I absolutely LOVE this picture of Addy with the falls in the background.

Our family with my Dad.

We were treated to our favorite, pizza for lunch, in cute little downtown Telluride. The streets were closed for outdoor seating.

Then we rode the gondola up to the mountain resort where the Neville's were staying.

And swam in the hotel pool which was gorgeous. Then had a quick ice cream before heading back. Thanks Neville's! So fun to see you guys.

Day 7: Silverton via The Million Dollar Highway. But 1st a quick stop in Ouray to see the Box Canyon we missed. Too commercialized for us.

Then a quick hike near Silverton on the Colorado Trail with a view of Molar Lake.

Next we visited the Old 100 Gold Mine. Josh was not having it. It was no fun without him.

We drove way to far up a bumpy road to Animas Fork Historic Site, a famous ghost town. Several buildings were still standing and could be explored.

We LOVED our truck rental, even more than our own. I can't believe it made it up such a rough road. We were unimpressed by Silverton but they did have some yummy funnel cakes.

Day 8: Moab, Utah hike to Fishers Towers 4.7 miles.

It's so hard for me to pick just a few pictures. I LOVE Utah scenery so much!

The kids actually requested a red rock hike, they were bored of trees and mountains I guess.

Wow! This spire is so cool. The walls were so high above us!

This hike was not in our original plans but I'm so glad we did it.

Hiking to the sky. We were tempted to go to Arches National Park just around the corner but daytime highs were supposed to hit 100.

Stopping for snacks at the end of the trail.

The boys relaxing back at the airbnb. See, we relaxed too!

Our last full day. Vail Pass Bike Path in Breckenridge, CO.

The ride was all down hill for a quick 14 miles. It was way too tame for Josh.

We ended up in Frisco, a cute little town with shops and food places.

And had lunch before the shuttle picked us up.

Our last hike to St Mary's Glacier in Idaho Springs, CO.

The kids wanted to see snow so we found some!

Now what are you going to do with that snowball!?

The view just took my breath away.

The boys had a blast making snowballs.

And sliding down the hill. Luckily no one got hurt.

Just so much beauty in one place.

Thank you Lord for this amazing vacation, so many memories made enjoying your creation.

The kids 1st day of school was Aug 20th, as was Jackson's 14th Birthday!! Thankful the school was brave enough to open. Grades 4, 6, 8 and 10th.