mountain top R&R

Colorado offers such gorgeous scenery and exciting activities, so we have decided that we will spend as much time as we can exploring our beautiful state, instead of traveling to other destinations. Why not save some money and see what fun there is to have in our backyard?
This time we didn’t plan the trip. My parents were offered the use of a log home in Steamboat Springs. I have lived in Colorado for a total of eighteen years and I’ve never been there. The home wasn’t in Steamboat, but more than 20 miles farther, outside a town named Clark.
After driving a few miles up a rough dirt road we came to the house, which the owners called a “cabin”. I wouldn’t really define it as a cabin, they were being modest.

The "cabin". Photography by: Ryan Johnstone

The view was breathtaking, especially on the mornings when the fog rolled in and settled in the valley.

View from the porch. Photography by: Ryan Johnstone

View from the porch (Mt. Hahn). Photography by: Ryan Johnstone

During the kids’ naps, I wrote and read on the deck overlooking a valley and mountains in the distance. The kids loved the

The BEST seats in the house (or outside the house). Photography by: Ryan Johnstone

free space to RUN, and the adults (as well as the kids) enjoyed the free space to ride four wheelers! Pearl Lake State Park was a short ride away, and the brave drivers tested me on the trails in Route National Forest. I barely passed.
It was a great weekend with family, surrounded by beauty and silence.

When is getting away really getting away? Do you seek solace in an adventurous city? Is getting away with your family relaxing? So many people spend their only vacation every year with family that stresses them out. Is that you? Is there a balance between being kind and getting your own relaxation time in?
What about finding adventures in your own state? Have you explored what it has to offer?

a vacation to Ouray, Colorado (post #3)

Ouray, Colorado
(you-ray)

Every day while in Ouray, me, my chocoholic self, and my husband trekked through the door of Mouse’s Chocolates & Coffee – one of my favorite shops in town. They have a large selection of decadent chocolates, delicious coffee, and tasty shakes to choose from. Mouse’s Chocolates has been selling to chocoholics in Ouray (and via outside orders) for many years, and recently expanded their building. You can watch them creating their signature chocolates in one window, while in the next purchase the goodness, and sit to enjoy them.

Buckskin Booksellers

I couldn’t leave town without checking out the local Ouray bookstore, Buckskin Booksellers. Tall shelves make of mahogany packed with books make the little store so inviting. Choosing from historical books on famous Coloradans, the newest best sellers, and books by the author Sandra Dallas  proved difficult. Sandra Dallas won out since I’d been wanting one of her recent novels, and I wasn’t sure if she was selling them in ebook format.

This trip was for pure relaxation purposes. Neither one of us was up for adventure (our day to day life contains enough). On other trips we have taken off on four-wheel drive trails and hiking trails. The four-wheel drive trail I prefer is Yankee Boy Basin. It’s fairly easy, and there’s a small chance of death. Those are both positives in my tourist book. Although, passing vehicles along steep, harrowing cliffs does rack my nerves. It’s still nothing like the famous Black Bear trail – you will never find me on that one.

At the beginning of July a gorgeous landscape of mountain wild flowers can be seen on the Yankee Boy Basin trail. The valley also offers the most spectacular views of the mountains. This is a spot where I dream of building a little cabin. The following pictures were taken during a trip we took to the Ouray area in 2009.

mountain wildflowers in Yankee Boy Basin

Yankee Boy Basin

Yankee Boy Basin

Well, that concludes our trip to Ouray, Colorado. It seems it’s a well kept a secret among those living in our state. Some know about it, but don’t visit, and others love to travel there. Yet, we continually run into visitors from other countries. Diverse languages abound in Ouray, and for me, the non-world traveler, that makes it all the more intriguing.

a hope for a view

Building an addition (which includes a second story) to our home brings with it many benefits. A lot more room being one of my favorites. But the one positive that usurps the dream of having more room for our family of both two legged, and four legged members, is the idea of having a peaceful place to write. In our second story master bedroom I was going to place my dream desk in the corner, facing the beautiful mountains. I have pondered and anticipated the renovations and building for a few months, so excited to have a place where my imagination could run free. Imagine: no toys on the floor, ready to trip me if I budge. No paperwork teetering on the side of the family desk, waiting for someone’s attention (probably mine). No staring at a wall devoid of inspiration. Nope, it would be magnificent.
That is until yesterday, when I stared up at the void of space where the second story would one day exist. To my utter dismay I noticed that the neighbors towering evergreen tree would no doubt block my view of the mountain from my new window. I had hoped the tree would be in just the right spot, so it wouldn’t disrupt my desired outcome, but it seems I misjudged its existence within the space.

Knowing now is better than finding out later. I will have to look for my creative motivation either in the pine tree or a photograph strategically placed upon my desk. I believe I will opt for the latter.

photo courtesy of Ryan Johnstone