Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part Four}

It’s the last installment of my Corado Diaries! If you missed it, you can read Part One, Two, and Three of our travels. Today I am sharing our hiking in Frisco, CO + some awesome off-roading adventures!

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Frisco

Today was a rainy, cold day so we opted to get a later start to the day and then we headed to Officer’s Gulch to fish. The views were amazing here! The still, clear water to the snow-capped mountains and the falling yellow leaves…it was just so serene.

We stayed for about an hour before the rain started down on us again. By that time, we were all getting hungry for lunch, so we headed to downtown Frisco and grabbed a bit from 5^th Avenue Grill. Of course I had to get a coffee at Rocky Mountain Coffee Roasters but was SO disappointed with their coffee! It tasted burnt and was just undrinkable…I gave mine to Stephen and he couldn’t drink it! So, we headed to a cute little bookshop called Next Page to read some books and peruse and I got a chai tea there instead. The lady who worked there was so helpful and even tried to make it a latte with oat milk and a little bit of honey – it was perfect! This bookshop reminded me so much of You’ve Got Mail. If we ever come back to Frisco, CO, I am stopping here for a little book therapy again!

As we drove back home, we stopped and hiked half of the Meadow Loop and Ridge Trail on the Dillion Reservoir. We saw the beautiful snow-capped mountains and the water. It was a perfect little hike to end our day – and we even got a little sleet as we were walking back to the car! Winter is coming!

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Montezuma

Boy was today crazy! We rented a Jeep and went off-roading! All that was available was a two-door Jeep Wrangler with no back windows (sorry, boys!) but they really didn’t seem to mind! We bundled the boys up and they just had so much fun riding in the Jeep.

We drove to Montezuma and did two off-road courses: Peru Creek and St. John’s Trail that hooks to Deer Creek and Glacier Mountain. ‘All Trails’ lists part of this drive as moderate and the other as difficult. Let’s just say it was intense. Peru Creek was bumpy, but Deer Creek trail was VERY intense and got a little sketchy a few times. We stopped at a small clearing and walked around a bit, then turned the rig around and went back down – it was a bit more than we bargained for. All in all, the off-roading adventure was just that: an adventure that we won’t forget!

We dropped the Jeep back off at the rental place and loaded back into the comforts of the minivan and drove to Breck to meet up with our cousins that were in town for a bachelorette party! We grabbed coffee at The Crown (yes, again…I think this was my favorite coffee shop), chatted for a bit, then headed home to get the boys in bed and pack up.

Colorado was so much fun! From all the hiking, off-roading, fishing, spotting wildlife (bear, fox, snake, moose, chipmunk, woodpecker and so much more!), to Clark falling in the river, getting a hook out of a boy’s face, trying new coffee places … it was just a wonderful vacation that was so needed! The yellow trees will forever be embedded in my brain and heart <3

In case you missed it . . . read about Part One, Two and Three of our Colorado adventures!

Have a glorious weekend, friends! I’ll be celebrating my birthday with my boys tomorrow (woohoo!).

See you back here Tuesday for a very special podcast episode with Liz Bornstein, owner of Fridgefull Thinking.

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Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part Three}

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Monday, September 27, 2021

Breckenridge

The sunrise was beautiful again today! Clear skies and the sun just peeking over the mountains while I sipped my coffee in silence. Always makes for a great start to the day!

Originally, we didn’t want to hike today but the weather is forecasting rain tomorrow and Wednesday, so we opted for a much shorter and easier hike on the B&B Mile Trail in Breckenridge. It was stunning! I don’t think I will ever get enough of the fall colors – the yellow was just so bright and breathtaking. I’m certain I have over a thousand pictures of yellow trees on my phone 😉

After our hike we went back to town and grabbed lunch from Kenosha Breck then walked around town a bit. We stopped at The Crown to grab a coffee and I got the chai latte with oat milk – y’all – this was the best chai I have ever had!! We will be back before we leave! We took the kids to Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory and they each got to pick a few candies. After perusing stores for a bit, we headed back to our VRBO for dinner. While we waited for Stephen to go to the grocery store, we played in the falling leaves in the yard <3

As Stephen headed to the grocery store, he noticed there was a fire on the mountain and sure enough – the Ptarmigan Fire burned over 80 acres and many of the homeowners had to evacuate. We could see the smoke from our house, and it just broke my heart to think about all the trees and wildlife that were affected by the fire – not to mention all the homeowners who were probably very nervous that the fire was going to get to their homes, but thankfully it didn’t. We all watched as a helicopter loaded up with water from the Dillion Reservoir and dumped it on the mountainside. Sadly, the fire did not extinguish and kept burning for many days after.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Vail

Back to Vail today!

The smoke from the fire + all the dust just caused some serious allergies so instead of hiking today – much to our kid’s dismay – we headed back to Vail to shop and eat. The boys played on the pirate ship, then we got lunch at Big Bear Bistro, grabbed coffee at Two Arrows Coffee & Bar (I got their maple cinnamon latte with honey instead of maple syrup and oat milk and it was divine!) and then headed back to the pirate ship for a little bit more playtime for the boys.

We left and headed to the gardens where we were able to walk around for a short while until the rain started down on us. As we were driving back, we noticed a bit of “dust” being washed on the highway – but it was white and us Texans didn’t know what it was. It didn’t seem like it could be snow…but as we drove a bit further, we saw snow accumulating on the side of the road – it was snowing! The mountaintops had already gathered a bit of snow and it was so magical! To see the change before our eyes in just one day was so surreal and beautiful! From dry and dusty to snowcapped – it was just so pretty!

Only one part left to share! Tune in next week for Part Four and the finale of our Colorado vacation!

If you missed if, here is Part One and Part Two:

Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part One}

We just got back from a fall-licious vacation in Colorado and of course I had to document our time so I can look back – this is more of a “diary” with photos so I can…

Keep reading

October 4, 2021October 1, 2021

Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part Two}

Saturday, September 25, 2021 Frisco and Dillion Today was a beautiful day in Colorado! I woke at 5:30 (still adjusting from TX time), looked out the window and saw a bear in the clearing! He was…

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October 8, 2021

Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

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Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part Two}

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Saturday, September 25, 2021

Frisco and Dillion

Today was a beautiful day in Colorado! I woke at 5:30 (still adjusting from TX time), looked out the window and saw a bear in the clearing! He was a big guy and our VRBO owners sent us a video of him walking past the house on their motion detector cameras. He is bulking up for winter!

We left our VRBO just after 8am and got to our hiking spot at just the right time to grab the last parking spot at the North Tenmile Creek Trailhead. It was a stunning hike, full of beautiful aspens and pines. We hiked two miles in and two miles out, with frequent breaks and stopped for a bit for lunch on our way back.

After our hike we went back to the VRBO to grab fishing poles and rest for a moment then we headed to Frisco Bay Marina on the Dillion Reservoir. We attempted fishing off the dock but that was a bust, so we loaded up and went to another spot on the other side of the lake. But before that, we stopped and did the quick, but dusty, Sapphire Point Overlook and had a snack, then went to Dillion Bay and tried fishing there – but again, no luck – so we went back home and had dinner and went to bed!

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Vail

We got a slightly later start to the day but still got out on the trail at a decent time. At 9:30 we started our long and strenuous uphill hike on Bighorn Creek Trail. We hiked for about 2.5 hours before we turned around at a nice clearing and view of the mountain tops.

It took us 2.5 hours to go just over 2 miles – we had to take frequent breaks to let the little one’s rest and recharge. In fact, one woman who snapped this picture (below) for us left an hour after we did and got to the same spot we were at – so if you go sans kids, you will make better time than we did! 😉

We recharged and hiked back down much faster and got back to our car at 1pm.

There we changed shoes and clothes and headed to downtown Vail for lunch and coffee! The boys got a huge pizza at Blue Moose Pizza and I had a salad then I grabbed a coffee from Yeti’s Grind. The kind barista helped craft a drink for me – a oat milk latte with a shot of espresso and a little turmeric. It was delicious! I just wished I had communicated that I wanted it hot, and she just assumed I wanted it over ice – I like my coffee hot vs iced – but either way it was still delicious and a nice boost for the afternoon.

Our drive back to our VRBO in Silverthorne was beautiful – passing all the gorgeous yellow aspens along the mountains. Today was tiring in the most wonderful way!

Read Part One of our Colorado adventures here and don’t forget to subscribe below!

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Colorado Diaries – 2021 {Part One}

Featuredby Lauren1 Comment

We just got back from a fall-licious vacation in Colorado and of course I had to document our time so I can look back – this is more of a “diary” with photos so I can remember where we went and what we did.

If you are planning a vacation to Colorado, I hope this series helps you as well! We drove ALL day Thursday, September 23rd – left our home in Texas around 4:45am and got to Silverthorne, Colorado (with the time change) around 5:30/6pm. We did stop at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo to stretch our legs for a bit, then got back in and drove it out! 😉

Friday, September 24, 2021

Breckenridge

Today we went to Breckenridge after a nice leisurely morning of coffee and breakfast in our VRBO in Silverthorne. Once in town, we luckily found an available parking spot (there were only three spots available, and we got the last one) and started on our hike on Sawmill Trail at the Snowflake trailhead. The hike was a nice, easy hike that helped us to get acclimated to the elevation. We then took the reservoir turn off and had a snack at the water’s edge.

There were two brothers on the dock fishing, and I was watching them fish. Then I heard one of them yell, “what the?” and then saw the big brother looking at the younger brothers face and heard some crying. I had a sinking feeling and just knew that a hook got the boy in the face…I yelled out, “Are y’all ok?” and the oldest brother yelled back that he needed help. I could hear the panic in his voice, and I grabbed our stuff and we all rushed to them. Once there, I saw it – the younger boy had a treble fishing hook in his cheek. The oldest went to cast and hooked his brother instead.

If you are squeamish to things like these…scroll down…otherwise this is what happened:

Thankfully Stephen had some pliers in the car so he ran back to the car to get them. While he was gone, I helped the boy back to a bench and he laid down. I tried my best to keep them calm and prayed over them. Then I asked the oldest boy (they were 15 and 12 years) if he had called his mom yet, to which he said no. I grabbed my phone and called her, left a message, and then the oldest son called her office. She immediately came and was so grateful that we were there to help. Fortunately, Stephen came back just before she arrived and clipped the barb and slid the hook out and put some antibiotic cream on it. She was so sweet and so gracious, and the boys were just so shaken up. Thankfully both boys are ok! I am just so glad that God placed us there at that time so we could help them out because I don’t know what they would’ve done.

After that adventure, we headed back to the car and drove to check out the Trollstigen Trail – a very short trail that takes you to a big wooden troll sitting in the forest.

We snapped a few pictures then decided to walk the Illinois Creek Trail.

We checked out the little train playground that was close by and then headed to Cool River Coffee House for lunch and coffee. Since we had a bit of time left on our parking spot, we decided to walk around downtown Breck for a bit and stopped at Mountain Top Ice Cream where the boys got a sweet treat.

We noticed a few people in lederhosen’s so we followed them to the Blue River Lawn for the annual Breckenridge Oktoberfest. We walked around for a bit and then headed back to the car.

Our next stop was also eventful! I mean, the hook wasn’t enough…

After sitting in the car for a bit trying to decide what to do next, we decided to drive to the local gold mining attraction and see if we could just walk up and be able to pan…and thankfully no one was there and we were able to pan all by ourselves! After learning a bit from the guide, we all had our chance at panning for gold. And I can happily report that ALL boys, including Stephen, found some gold! We walked over to a little creek where we could pan some more, and after about 10 minutes, Clark was standing on the small little bridge, took a step back and fell right in the freezing cold water! Thank goodness he was ok and didn’t hit his head on a rock and was just scared and cold. We pulled off his shirt and I gave him my sweater then we took him to the car and used a blanket that we had to dry him off and wrap him up in the car seat and I had packed an additional shirt that he put on.

Well, all that adventure in just one day!

After the dip at the Lomax Gulch, we headed back to our VRBO, showered, grilled burgers and relaxed. All in all, it was an adventurous day in Breck…one that we won’t soon forget!

Our VRBO was in the best location and the owners were so sweet! They gave our boys a stuffed animal to remember their stay and the house was clean and nice!

The aspens around our house were just stunning!! By the time we left, this front right yellow tree was almost completely orange!

See you back here tomorrow for my conversation with Jenn Smith! This is a podcast episode you don’t want to miss! And Part Two of our Colorado adventures will post later this week so make sure you are subscribed to the blog so you don’t miss it!

Have a blessed and beautiful Monday friends!

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Smoky Mountain Tennessee: Part 4 (Days 7 & 8)

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Day 7: Middle Prong Trail; The Sinks

Just two months behind in posting…that’s totally normal, right?!

Haha! Sorry that I have completely fallen off the blogging wagon BUT I am slowly getting back into it again…but I have to start where I left off and post our FINAL full day in Tennessee. Looking back at these pictures, I miss Tennessee so, so much! It was by far my favorite place.

On this last full day, we hit up the Middle Prong Trail, which wasn’t too far from our cabin. This was our longest hike that we did and spent all day on the trail. We even almost made it to the Appalachian Trail! 😉 We debated continuing but we also didn’t want to completely wear out the kids because we had to turn around and hike back 😉 We hiked three miles in and three miles out. And the kids made it without much complaining! They were excellent sports and enjoyed the hike as much as we did.

I mean, how could you NOT love this place?!?

After our long hike, we stopped at Wild Bear Tavern for and early dinner and then walked briefly around The Sinks and checked it out. The kids got in for a chilly minute and then we dried off and headed back to the cabin to pack.

Staring contests with sunglasses is not fair! 😉

We will miss our cabin in the mountains!

Day 8: Travel Day

Not much exciting today! We woke up at 5:30am, packed the last few things and ate breakfast, and was on the road home at 6:45am (Tennessee time). We didn’t stop anywhere “fun” on the way home but did stretch our legs and made the boys do a few “races” at our stop at ‘Interstate 40 Solar Farm Information and Welcome Center.’

Thank you, Tennessee, for a wonderful time! We WILL be back!

Smoky Mountain Tennessee: Part 3 (Days 5 & 6)

Day 5: Tail of the Dragon; Fontana Dam; Tom Branch Falls Wednesday, September 30, 2020 This, by far, was one of my favorite days! We spent over four hours in the car but it was so much fun! It was one of those drive, stop and see, drive, stop and see kind of days. We…

by Lauren October 28, 2020January 25, 2021

Smoky Mountain Tennessee: Part 2 (Days 3 & 4)

Day 3: Grotto Falls; Place of a Thousand Drips; Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster Monday, September 28, 2020 Another gorgeous morning in the mountains! Seriously the BEST VRBO we have stayed in! We decided to hike Grotto Falls and it was a much easier hike than the previous day (to see Part 1 of my recap,…

by Lauren October 7, 2020January 25, 2021

Smoky Mountain Tennessee: Part 1 (Days 1 & 2)

I should forward this with a note that this was a trip…not a vacation…because let’s be real…if the kids are going, it’s a trip! 😉 Haha! We were told that from a friend a few years ago and it always stuck with us because it is so true!! You can’t fully relax with kids in…

by Lauren October 5, 2020January 25, 2021

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Smoky Mountain Tennessee: Part 3 (Days 5 & 6)

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Day 5: Tail of the Dragon; Fontana Dam; Tom Branch Falls

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

This, by far, was one of my favorite days! We spent over four hours in the car but it was so much fun! It was one of those drive, stop and see, drive, stop and see kind of days. We drove all the way to the North Carolina side of the Smoky Mountains, starting with a drive on the Tail of the Dragon! Y’all. It is no joke! There are 318 curves in 11 miles and it is known as America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road.

After the suspenseful Tail of the Dragon ride, we stumbled upon this gorgeous lake!

We are lake people so finding this beautiful lake was so perfect! The water was insanely clear (nothing like our muddy Lewisville Lake!) and my husband was so tempted to get in! Just needed our boat! 😉

After staring at the lake for way too long, we headed to the Fontana Dam in North Carolina.

We even saw a bald eagle flying over us! It was so cool!

After visiting the dam, it was time for lunch so we stopped in Bryson City at a little sandwich shop and we had a picnic lunch on the hay bails!

Of course we had to do some hiking! And it was quite the adventure to get to the hiking spot!! Somehow our phone map took us on the most random, out-of-the-way rode to get to Tom Branch Falls. We had to back up on one road and turn around, and then it lead us alllllll around the side and to the back of the park entrance. It was nuts! When we drove out, it was so easy and we were right back where we started when we grabbed lunch…in like 5 minutes (when it took us 30 to get there!). It was humorous to say the least! 😉

But Tom Branch Falls was worth the crazy drive! We LOVED the trail and there were so many falls. It was so pretty and the perfect ending of our long road-trip day!

As we were driving back to our VRBO, we found a bunch of ELK! It was so cool to see and hear them!

Not the best picture…I zoomed in while we were driving 😉

Our North Carolina drive was perfect! We love drives like this…where you drive a bit, stop and see things, drive some more, stop and see…so much fun!

And somehow we managed to get back to our VRBO just in time to see the sunset!

Day 6: Hillbilly Golf; Adventure Raceway; Metcalf Bottoms

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Another day, another gorgeous sunrise in Tennessee!

Today we wanted to stay close and not drive too far since we did a LOT of driving the previous day. We wanted to go to Anakeesta Mountaintop Park…but it was PACKED. The line was so long and we just didn’t want to pay to wait in line and go through the park SO we just walked around Gatlinburg, ate lunch and then headed to Hillbilly Golf!

The course was so much fun and we had such a good time! And of course, I started off AH-mazingly but somehow still lost to my husband! I think he fudged his scores 😉

After golf, we headed back to the main road and grabbed ice cream!

After our day in Gatlinburg, we headed back towards the cabin but stopped at Adventure Raceway in Pigeon Forge and drove some go-karts! This was the exact same place my husband drove go-karts as a kid!! And I think it probably looks the same 😉 Our boys still say that the go-karts was one of their favorites activities that we did in Tennessee. Boys for ya!

I had enough city stuff for the day and needed to get back in the trees! So we stopped at Metcaff Bottoms, which wasn’t that far from our cabin and required no long hikes, and the boys wadded in the freezing water. However we did hike a trail for about a 1/2 mile there and back. We wanted to hike all the way to the school but it was getting late so we turned back and drove there instead 😉