Tag: Vacation

Elk Crossing

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Day 4 of the Colorado adventure: we have gotten up early and are among a line of cars waiting to get into the Rocky Mountain National Park.

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Heading into the park, ready for adventure.

Not five minutes into the park we have our first Elk spotting. We really weren’t expecting to see any as they are usually not out during the day.

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Ohh look, Elk!

Nobody bothered to tell the elk that they weren’t supposed to be out. We ended up stuck as dozens of elk made their way across the road.

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A lot of Elk…

We got to the trail head and had a little warm up hike around Bear lake. A Rocky Mountain trail that is wheel chair accessible.

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Bear lake, not to be confused with Beer lake.

The next stop on our tour of lakes is Nymph lake. I’m pretty sure this is where the Lady of the Lake present Excalibur to Arthur King of the Britons.

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Nymph lake. This would have been a nice photo if I hadn’t fat-fingered it.

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The only place to get signal.

Next is Dream lake. If you pay close attention to the mountain in the distance it will be in more photos and keep getting bigger.

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Dream lake

The trail terminated at Emerald Lake. A good place to take a rest before turning around and going past all those lovely lakes again.

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Emerald lake

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If you look closely you can see some snow.

After getting back to the trail head it was time to hike down the mountain to our next objective.

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Trees; they don’t have those back home.

Alberta falls. This time of year a tiny stream, probably a lot more violent when the snows are in full melt.

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Someone should help Alberta up.

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Time for a Selfie! Still haven’t shaved.

After a long day of hiking we headed back in Estes to check out the town and grab some grub.

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Better pizza than Seattle, vacation is already worth it.

A Day in Denver

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As I’m sure most trips to Colorado start I landed in the mile high city of Denver late on Friday. After finding my traveling companions at the airport, waving a quick hello to Bluecifer, we were on our way to start the adventure. The first place we stopped was Great Scott a diner that may have been a play on the retro diner that Marty McFly visits while in the future in Back to The Future II as it was in a 1950’s style but had flat screen everywhere playing clips from music videos and celebrity interviews from the ’50s to the ’80s.

The next morning we we up for our first and only full day in the city of Denver. The day started with a visit to the Denver Botanical Gardens, where we saw all many of flora.

The gardens were hosting an art exhibit of horses made out drift wood.

The gardens were hosting an art exhibit of horses made out drift wood.

The workers of the gardens were out making sure that all the flowers stay BEEautiful.

The workers of the gardens were out making sure that all the flowers stay BEEautiful.

The Botanical Gardens had an amazing bonsai collection.

The Botanical Gardens had an amazing bonsai collection.

The next stop was the downtown area, starting the the capital building. Oddly enough there was a Wicken pride festival in progress on the lawn, though it was mostly people wearing witch hats and selling holistic medicine.wpid-wp-1444359624129.jpg

After a massive lunch at a nearby Gyro restaurant we stopped by the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

I am not an architect, but it seem like it needs more buttresses.

I am not an architect, but it seem like it needs more buttresses.

We had to walk all the way around the building and through some questionable side streets until we found an open door.

We had to walk all the way around the building and through some questionable side streets until we found an open door.

Next we walked down the 16th street mall, the happening promenade of downtown Denver. Finally ending at the train station, which still served trans but also had a fully stocked bar and cafe.

I could have stayed here all day.

I could have stayed here all day.

After resting a weary feet at the terminal we headed towards Coors Light Stadium. On our way there we found that this weekend Denver was celebrating Oktoberfest.

Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest!

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It would be rude to not have a bier, and Spaten in hard to find in Seattle.

After sampling Oktoberfest we haggled with some scalpers outside of the stadium for some cheap tickets to the Rockies’ game.

Always root for the home team.

Always root for the home team.

View of Denver from the Stadium.

View of Denver from the Stadium.

After seeing a grand slam within a minute of walking in the game soon grew tiresome. We headed back to the hotel and called it a night and were in bed promptly before 9pm….

….Well…

We might have sampled some of the Denver night life first.

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WAY TOO LOUD!!!