Road Trip: New Mexico-Arizona-California

July 12, 2018July 21, 2018Leave a comment

Well ladies and gentlemen, we’ve covered quite some ground in the last 24 hours. We’ve seen the white sands in New Mexico, the organ pipe cacti in Arizona and we will arrive on the pacific coast of California this evening. We have been pleasantly overwhelmed by the beauty of nature on this trip and we’ve used every opportunity to stop and explore. An hour detour here, 30 minutes there, every extra minutes and mile was well worth it.

White Sands National Monument

We knew a little ahead of time we wanted to see the white sands in New Mexico and we couldn’t have picked a better day. When we arrived it was about 68 degrees and the views were stunning. While we explore all these places we always take the time to learn a little about the history. The white sands aren’t technically sand, they are white gypsum and they’ve been around for over 8,000 years. There are over 275 square miles of white gypsum dunes and a large portion of them are enjoyed by visitors from all over. I visited here as a child but I really didn’t remember much of it. As an adult, it’s completely mesmerizing and I’m still impressed by the park overall.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Our next stop was Tucson Arizona. We didn’t really do much in Tucson, except eat some bomb-ass pizza at a little place called Dry River Pizza and Beer. After that we spent the evening researching things to do in AZ. The Bearded One found Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and was determined to see these cacti. It was slightly out of the way but well worth it. The desert terrain is nothing like we’d imagined it would be. It’s full of unique vegetation, most of which we’ve never really seen before.

We’ve already seen quite a lot and can’t wait to explore California next. We will be in San Diego for the next few days and then up the coast from there!

Road Trip: Las Cruces

July 11, 2018July 11, 2018Leave a comment

Well folks, it happened, my biggest travel dilemma. I, who plans, researches, checks and double checks everything booked a RANDOM hotel and it’s a little sketchy….well maybe sketchy isn’t the correct adjective but it is definitely out of my comfort zone. I told he Bearded One “let’s try something different” and I got exactly what I asked for. So let me explain. It’s a name brand hotel, nothing too off the wall, it’s just designed whacky. The lobby is dead center in the middle of the building and all be rooms are interior doors that look down into the lobby, restaurant, pools and shops. But check this out, the doors to the rooms are all glass French doors (super odd). Pretty awkward hotel room to say the least.

Our door on the left our view on he right

Enough about the hotel, day two on the road was eventful. We pretty much stopped at random scenic lookouts the whole way. We also visited the Fort Lancaster museum, in the middle of nowhere. After our rainy driving adventures we stopped in Las Cruces for the night. We gorged on some New Mexican food (I’ll stick with Tex-Mex) and then took a drive around the Organ Mountain Range to try to catch the sunset. We took lots of beautiful pictures and spend the night looking up the history of the surround areas in New Mexico.

Fort Lancaster Pictures

Las Cruces Pictures

Rio Grande in the Mesilla Valley

Organ Mountain Range

Once again, another successful day on the road.

Road Trip: 1st Stop

July 10, 2018July 10, 2018Leave a comment

Fredericksburg

Our first overnight stop was yesterday in Fredericksburg and we had a pretty great time. If you’ve never been, Fredericksburg is a smaller hill country town known for its wineries, distilleries and German heritage. There are lots of historical sites and museums spread throughout the town, especially on Main Street.

We’ve only been to Fredericksburg one other time so we thought this would be be perfect little overnighter to kick off our trip. Once again I used Air B&B and actually found the perfect little inn (Fredericksburg Inn & Suites). The inn is located just a few blocks from Main Street and had ample amenities. We really enjoyed the pool and of course my Texas shaped waffle this morning.

Main Street is where all the ‘action’ takes place in Fredericksburg. It’s filled with little shops, wine tasting rooms, restaurants and historical sites. We kicked off our trip with a couple tastings from Texas wineries such as Becker Vineyards, Fiesta Winery, and Fat Ass Ranch and Winery. The Bearded One was not impressed with our fruity selections (coconut lime wine, watermelon, peaches) but it was an in good fun. One downside To Fredericksburg is that every thing pretty much closes early, like 5:00-5:30. We didn’t get to explore too many shops due the early closures but we were able to enjoy a couple of drinks, appetizers and live music at Silver Creek Beer Garden and Grill.

The Texas hill country is also known for Enchanted Rock (we’ve hiked it) and other outdoor activities that are just too hot to explore during July. We will have to come back during cooler weather to take full advantage of this beautiful area

Overall, we had a pretty successful first day on our road trip. Today we are headed out to…El Paso? Las Cruces? …..we will see!

See You Next Year Colorado

June 26, 2018July 21, 2018Leave a comment

Once again Colorado exceeded our expectations. Between the five of us on this trip we probably took a thousand photos (I’ll upload more in this post ). Honestly, pictures alone can’t capture the natural beauty Colorado has to offer. If you’ve never experienced the Rocky Mountains, put them on your list, there is something for everyone in the mountains.

From hiking, to shopping, to enjoying the small town festivities, we pretty much did it all this trip.

This time Hoosier Pass was my favorite hike, but you can’t beat the views of Kite Lake and Quandary Peak. I’m sure we will visit all three places again (maybe eventually I’ll join the 14ers club!)

Kite Lake

Kite Lake Trailhead

Hoosier Pass

My Favorite Views

Quandary Peak

Fairplay

Fairplay and Alma are still my favorite tiny towns. We went to the “TGIFairplay” free concert event and were impressed by not only the town, but the welcoming people and friendly atmosphere. If you’re in Fairplay you have to take an stroll down their streets to stop by all the little shops and admire the historical sites.

For all my adult beverage connoisseurs check out South Park Brewery in Fairplay. Grab a Cherry Blonde craft beer at 9,953 ft, you won’t be disappointed. And if you do decide to stroll down the streets of Fairplay, swing by the South Park Distilling Tasting Room and let Megan hook you up with a fabulous cocktail! Not only did she make Amanda and I great drinks, she remembered our names and made us feel welcome.

Cherry Blonde South Park Brewery

Go Visit Megan at South Park Distilling Tasting Room

Breckenridge

We also visited Breckenridge for their Sunday Market which included lots of artisan hand made goods. It was a fun event, and we were able to walk around the town, shop, and swing by the Gold Pan (a bar established in 1879 with a rich history). I know Breckenridge is famous for skiing in the winter months but it’s just as beautiful and lively during the summer.

This has once again been an amazing trip. Not once did I feel like there was nothing to do. Our trip was packed full of activities and relaxation. As long as I’m still impressed by Colorado we will continue to enjoy our Colorado Adventures! See you next year Rocky Mountains.