Monday, July 29, 2019

Colorado Part 1

We're back from a week in Colorado and we had SO MUCH FUN!!!




We started going to Colorado 4 years ago and pretty much fell in LOVE!   The cool breezes, crisp mountain air, beautiful views and TONS of activities won us over and our kids look forward to heading to the mountains every year!  This year we headed back to Vail (we were there 4 years ago and then 2 years ago... last summer we went to Colorado but it was for family camp) and it was our best trip yet.

We left last Saturday night around dinnertime and drove about 5.5 hours to Amarillo.  We made a pitstop for Braum's and got to the hotel a little after midnight.


Look how tired everyone was :) hahaha
  

Saturday we hit the road and drove about 5 hours to Pueblo, CO and made a quick lunch stop and then got back on the road for another 4 hours to Vail with a quick stop at the Colorado sign in there as well...


And can we just talk about this for a second?!?!  2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019


This was our first trip without our minivan and we were so pleased with how comfortable we all were!  


And this girl had no motion sickness!!!  PRAISE HANDS!


We opted to not go through Denver this time and took more of a scenic route and got to stop and watch bison... it was awesome.


There is literally nothing better than driving up into the mountains.  I feel like we all "ooh" and "aah" as around every corner the views just keep getting better and better.  Windows down forever!


We got to the condo (I'll share details of where we stayed in a later post) and the breath off the deck was even better than we had anticipated.  I mean... 


We brought our things inside and headed down to the creek...



This is one of our very favorite places and we spent a couple of hours down there skipping stones, dipping our toes in the water and just exploring.









I grabbed these pics of the kids and couldn't help but think of the pics I took four years ago...




After exploring we made a grocery store run, ate dinner and played a few hands of cards.  Griffin's face below pretty sums up all of our moods :)


The next morning we were up bright and early for breakfast on the deck... these are the best mornings of the year for me.  They remind me SO MUCH of mornings at my grandparent's cottage growing up where you throw a fleece on over your pjs and sip hot tea while you eat and chat.  Slow and perfect.  It was in the low fifties - just like we like it!



Friends of ours were in Vail at the same time we were (so fun!) and we made plans to meet at  Piney Lake.  It's only about 12 miles from where we were staying but took us close to an hour due to the crazy dirt road up the mountain....


The drive was GORGEOUS but REALLY bumpy.  We had to stop a couple of times to let Griffin get some air and have a bit of a break but other than that it was completely fine.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful and we saw deer and marmots on the way up.




When we got there we were the only people on the lake and it literally took my breath away.



I mean - what's better than a day on what could arguably be one of the most beautiful lakes ever?!?!  A day on the most beautiful lake with your besties!


We rented a few canoes, kayaks and paddle boards and headed out on the lake.


The water was COLD (the people working there told us it was about 40 degrees) and beautiful and we paddled around just soaking in the scenery and looking for wildlife.  They had apparently had a moose in the lake a few days before which was equal parts nerve-wracking and exciting :)












That's Mason and his best friend out there on paddle boards - isn't that the cutest?!?!

We rented some fishing equipment and Luke caught a brook trout!




Griffin wanted to ride horses SO BAD but wasn't old enough this year.  We promised her that next time we're at Piney Lake we'll do a ride :)


We ate lunch at the restaurant on site (you can rent tents/cabins up there as well) and hung out for a bit more and when it started raining we decided to call it a day and head back down to Vail.


We did a lot of really fun things on this trip but Piney Lake was hands down my favorite.  It was beautiful, pristine and awe-inspiring.  We got there before 10 a.m. (it opens at 9) and when we left around 2:30 it was much busier.  Canoe, kayak and paddle board rentals are on a first come first serve basis and so if you're going I'd definitely recommend going early.

We got back to the house and played a few games then scootered over to the pool, swam for a couple of hours and then dinner and more games.  





And because I had to...


If you made it this far BRAVO!  I know it was a lot of pictures and I tried my hardest to edit but that's just not my strong suit :) And just in case you haven't had enough...


If you have any questions let me know in the comments!

Happy Monday, friends!!!

36 comments :

  1. Our family went to Colorado for the first time in June and loved it too! I can't wait to go back as our daughter gets older and can actually do more of the fun outdoorsy activities (she had just turned 2). Your trip looks amazing!

    Lauren
    www.allaboutthatmommylife.com

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  2. BEAUTIFUL!!!! And what wonderful memories made!!!!

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  3. What GORGEOUS views you had!! Can't wait to follow along with Part TWO!

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  4. Andrea, these pictures are STUNNING!! Next time, please bring ME!!

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    1. Girls trip! Can you EVEN imagine all of us on a raft?!?! :)

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  5. This post is pure perfection. PLEASE don't edit. I want to see it all!!! That lake day...yes, please! Also, you make that drive sound not quite so bad; maybe I can do it!

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  6. I love Colorado during the summer! We have been to Vail several times and continue to go back because there is just so much to do and it is so nice to beat the Texas heat in the summer.

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    Replies
    1. YES!!! The cool mornings/evenings make the drive worth it!

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  7. Your pictures have inspired me to add Vail to my bucket list of vacations!!

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  8. We live In PA, so Colorado seems like a far off world. Dream of going there someday! Please keep sharing :)

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  9. This! This is the vacation i want to take next year. I can't wait to read the next post where you share where you stayed. It has pool access, correct?

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  10. Looks like a great trip already! Looking forward to more pictures and adventures.

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  11. Some of the pics are absolutely breathtaking! What a wonderful trip!

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  12. Breathtaking!!!




    www.keldeniseblogs.com

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  13. I mean that scenery doesn't even look real!!! I was going to ask at the beginning or the post, if it was really worth 14 hours in the car, but now I know its a YES!

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  14. How fun to be able to watch your kids grow each time you visit! Quick question-- do you take most of your pics with your actual camera or your phone (especially in/near the water?)? I feel like my camera takes better pics but I never think to get it out and my phone is always with me!

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    1. Most of these were with my big camera - I make myself take it with me and am never disappointed. The rafting pics were with my phone though

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  15. I live in Colorado, it’s a beautiful state! Every weekend we pic somewhere new to hike lol glad you had a great family vacay!

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  16. Beautiful scenery. My cousin lives in Colorado. I'm always amazed with the beauty of Colorado in the pictures he posts during his trail runs.

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    1. YES! And the crazy thing is how it's pretty EVERYWHERE. The view from the grocery store... the drive to Walmart... running to grab dinner.... everywhere is gorgeous!

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  17. Colorado in the summer is the absolute best!!!

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  18. Wow! Such a beautiful place. Makes me want to go! I'm so impressed with GG on the paddle board.

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  19. We are currently planning a trip to Vail this summer, so I have been looking back through all your Vail posts and taking notes...haha! Where did y'all stay? It seems to be a pretty central location. Thanks!

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