Road Trip 2014 - Colorado

After Branson Don and I headed west to spend a week at Grand Timber Lodge in Breckenridge.  On the way we thought we would drive through Rocky Mountain Natl Park on Trail Ridge Dr.--not realizing that it isn't even open yet!  The Visitor's Center is still completely covered with snow--roof and all!  Our week in Breck started very cold!  It got down to 12 degrees one night and it snowed off and on for the first few days.  Later in the week it warmed up and was perfect weather.  One day we drove to Leadville.  We made 3 trips to Dillon to the Dam Brewery because Don loved the stout and they had great food, too.  We enjoyed relaxing, playing dominoes, and watching movies in the room.  Our last day we rented bicycles and rode from Breckenridge to Frisco on the Hike and Bike Trail.  It was an 18 mile trip. 

Here's a few pics....

South of Leadville, CO

A lot of snow!

Bike ride from Breckenridge to Frisco and back!

Mr. Fox visited our room at least 3 times.  On the third visit I took a few pictures. 

Interesting "snow roll"

We saw so much beautiful scenery in Colorado!  The Rockies are just breathtaking.  We usually take our road trip in the Fall, so it was great to see the snow, flowing creeks and rivers and waterfalls.

Our campsite at Ridgway State Park north of the Ouray/Telluride area.  We had a beautiful site and there were very few campers there so it was quiet.

It was so exciting to get these photos of a bear!  He was eating on a very old and dried up carcass just across the road from our campground.  We drove over and parked on the side of the road only about 40 yards from him.

 

Interesting fact!

 We loved exploring Ouray.  We ate at Brown Dog Pizza and had just about the best pizza ever called Pizza 313...in fact it won #1 Best Pan Pizza in the International Pizza Competition!

This is Telluride!  We were told that Oprah just bought about 40 acres on a mountain there.

 

We visited the newest national park--The Black Canyon of the Gunnison.  It was beautiful.  It has the greatest combination of depth, steepness and narrowness of any canyon in North America.  You just look from the edge because it is practically impossible to climb down.  We are so glad we stopped there....and we can check off another national park!