Colorado: Our Drive Up

Day One: Monday, September 1, 2014

We rolled out at 5:15am after packing the night before. We waited until the last minute to wake up the boys so we could transfer them directly to the car… thinking they might actually go back to sleep. But when I woke up each of them and the first thing both of them said was, “I am so excited!” 

The ride was very smooth and uneventful, which is perfect when traveling with small creatures. Mid-afternoon or so we decided to reward them for their low maintenance-ness with a movie.

Depending on your attention to detail, this could be a very amusing photo.

We decided to spend the night in Trinidad, Colorado, which is about twenty minutes north of the New Mexico-Colorado border. It's a pretty town with an eclectic main street and park area. We checked in to our hotel a little early, but found the park to let the boys run off their stored energy.

Next to the park was a real, grounded steam engine.

We had dinner at a place called Fabilis Wings on Main Street in Trinidad. It was a surprising place with a charismatic owner/waitress who's son was the cook. They made some amazing pizza and cheese bread sticks and her conversation and generosity was inspiring. We left with three small bags of cherry tomatoes from her father's garden. Great food, hit the spot after a long day in the car.

Day Two: Tuesday, September 2, 2014
The next day we ate breakfast and headed out early, not because we planned to but because we were all up and that seemed like the logical thing to do. Our drive from Trinidad to Lake City is a beautiful one. Real mountains start coming into view just as we turn northwest from Walsenburg.  

The view from Highway 69, not far from Walsenburg, Colorado.

In Salida we stopped in search of a bakery. What we found instead was a popular breakfast place with the green cross in the window (which unlike Eurpoean Pharmacies, in Colorado means "medicinal" marijuana - it's legal there...remember?), and a pretty park and river trail. We went with the park. The boys ran around for a bit and we walked along the river.

In the distance are gates for kayak challenge courses.

After settling for some hot chocolate, we moved on toward Gunnison, where we got lunch and a fishing licence for Alan. Then it was south to Lake City, our final destination.

The Gate. It is mirror image cliffs. On one side (where we are in the photo) it is a high mountain valley, but still a bit arid and flat. Once you follow the road through The Gate, it's like it says, "Welcome to Lake City Country," because the terrain changes, the trees and river start and the mountains get much more rugged.

Alan helped us unload the car, got his gear together and was off. He was itching to do some fishing. I had to get settled in anyway and all the boys really wanted to do was walk up to a playground. So that's what we did. I nested and we walked up to the schoolyard so they could play.

Walking into town from our cabin. Aaron carried a little backpack with our waters everywhere we went.

One of my views from my school playground perch.

The smaller of the two playgrounds on the school yard.

It's the closest to the cabin and probably their favorite playground. We would come back here a lot in the next ten days.

One of Alan's catches that evening.

First Lake City sunset. Take a deep breath, we are in the mountains now.