Colorado: Good for the Soul

The drive in to Colorado was breath taking. From the plains of Texas, to the rocky hills of New Mexico, then the mountains of Colorado. It’s hard not to marvel at the mountains God created and appreciate the beauty of nature. This destination truly makes my heart happy and makes all the stressors in life seem so minuscule in comparison. There’s no one in the world I’d rather share this experience with than then the Bearded One and our best friends. I don’t even think there are word to describe the joy I feel when I travel. The pure, simple bliss of not only the adventure itself but the final destination.

Home away from home

Our first few days in Colorado have been pretty serene. No chaos, no drama, no stress. Our Air B&B is perfect, plenty of room, and a huge deck that overlooks the mountains. If you’ve never tried Air B&B for traveling, you are missing out. This property is perfect. Not only is it nestled in the trees but there are nearby hiking trails which we took full advantage of already.

Porch Views of Mount Silverheel

So far we’ve spent most of our time on the deck, hiking the neighborhood, cooking fabulous meals and catching up on our favorite novels.

We did venture out and explore the town of Fairplay. There are lots of little shops and ample photo ops in the quaint little town. We stopped by South Park Brewery which has my absolute favorite beer, a cherry blonde. We also walked around Alma, which is even smaller than Fairplay. Both are beautiful little picturesque mountain towns. Tonight, Friday night, Fairplay is having a free community concert we plan on attending, which I’m really looking forward to. We also plan on doing some mountian yoga today and hiking Mosquito Gulch, a 6 mike hike.

Beautiful flowers throughout Fairplay

So far this trip has not only been successful, it’s been rejuvenating for my body, mind, and soul.

***UPDATE: Amanda and I completed a yoga class and it was AMAZING. It was my first official yoga class and it was wonderful. My entire body was workout and I did things I didn’t know know my body was even capable of. If you’re in Fairplay stop by Open Sky Yoga for a drop in class with Jamie. She changed my whole perspective on yoga and I am bound and determined to give it a try at home ❤️

Colorado Adventures: Short but Sweet

966 miles

14 hours and 48 minutes

2 days in the car

Our Colorado Adventure has begun.

The gloomy summer storms didn’t stop us this AM as we began our the first day of our trek to Colorado.

After several rest stops, a picnic lunch in the middle of nowhere, we made it to our first destination, Amarillo.

I’m sure we could do this trip in a solid day, we did last year on the way back, but there’s just something about a good old fashioned road trip that really makes my heart happy.

I love being able to stop when we need to, flip through the radio stations, enjoy the tiny towns we drive through and just converse with my vacation buddies and the Bearded One. ❤️

Vacation makes my soul rejoice and I can’t wait to explore Colorado!

Day 1= Success

St. Louis Day Two: Soulard Market & Forest Park

Our second day in St. Louis was just as eventful as our first evening here. The overall atmosphere of the Soulard neighborhood is relaxing and tranquil. No one here seems in a hurry, everyone just seems content traveling and enjoying life at their own pace. We started our morning at the famous Soulard Farmers Market.

Soulard Farmers Market

Now Chris and I attempted to visit the farmers market when we were here in January but let me tell you, it was nothing in comparison to the summer market. Let me give you a little history about the market before I describe our memorable day:

-one of the oldest markets in the US, founded in 1779

– open year round

– over 125+ venders with all kinds of products

-fresh veggies and fruit, organic products, fresh meats and cheeses, food booths, homemade soaps and crafts, live music, and so much more

-my grandma use to sell here with her aunt and uncle when she was a kid ❤️

I absolutely love farmers markets and this is by far my favorite. I enjoy seeing people sell products they’ve worked so hard to produce and are so proud to display. Today we had a mission in the market; we needed to find food for a homemade dinner and breakfast the following morning. We had no real plan of what we wanted, we simply explored the booths and came up with a menu on the fly. I have to say, we did a pretty fantastic job.

Forest Park

Fun fact, right before we left the market it decided to POUR rain for the next few hours. We decided to find something inside to do so we headed back to Forest Park.

Forest Park is full of activities such as:

  • The St. Louis Zoo
  • Muny Theater
  • The Jewel Box (a huge greenhouse)
  • The Museum of Art
  • The Science Center
  • The Missouri Museum of History

There are quite a few other places in Forest Park, some of which the bearded one and I explored during Christmas break. Today we visited the history museum and I was overwhelmed with fun facts about my home state. I was especially impressed with the history of Forest Park and the background information I learned about the 1904 World Fair that took place in St. Louis.

I’d say we had another successful day in the great city of St. Louis. Tomorrow’s plans include, The Arch, Ted Drewes, the Graffiti Wall and my old neighborhood.