After what seemed like a very long week, we were finally on our way. We had been planning this trip for a few months and could not have been more excited to get on the road. The mountains had been calling our names – our wandering, adventurous hearts were ready…♥
Colorado – We Missed You
On Saturday, July 21st, we embarked on a road trip. We left Texas a little after 3:00 p.m. and drove for almost 13 hours to get to our destination – the Colorful Colorado. This time, we had decided to visit Oklahoma and Kansas, while on our road trip. We made a quick stop in Kansas to check out some local sites, but primarily to pick up some Starbucks (lol). My handsome has been adamant about visiting all of our states, as well as visiting numerous other countries, thus we have a lot of traveling adventures still ahead of us. As we finally arrived to our destination, after what seemed like countless hours on the road, we could not have been more thankful to have finally made it to the magical mountains…♥
July 22nd – Garden of the Gods
It was a little before 8:00 a.m. when we arrived at Garden of the Gods. We slept in the car for about three hours, before heading to our first hiking adventure. I will admit, we were extremely exhausted from the car ride, but that did not prevent us from having the best of time. We hiked a great chunk of Garden of the Gods, and let me tell you, it was absolutely breathtaking. While we were on our hike, my handsome decided to climb some rocks and that is where it happened – our love for climbing began! I never knew that climbing could be so enjoyable! I may have been a little scared at first (lol), but that did not stop me from climbing and enjoying the view. As we continued our hike, my handsome decided it was time for us to eat. We had gone a few hours without food, so we were definitely feeling it. After some research, my handsome decided we visit this cute little Italian restaurant in Colorado Springs – Paravicini’s Italian Bistro. The food was definitely good, but my exhaustion and the need for a nap was starting to take over me. Thankfully, it was almost check in time and we were on our way to our cozy little cabin. We were in great need of a nap and the cabin was nothing but perfect. The cabin was located right in the middle of the mountains, that we even got to see a bear running wild on the morning we were headed to our bikes tour on Pikes Peak! As the day came to an end, we decided to take it easy for the rest of our first day…♥
July 23rd & July 24th – Hiking, Disc Golf & Hello Denver!
On Monday morning, we decided to do a little driving deep into the mountains. My handsome is a huge disc golf lover, so naturally, we had to go disc golfing while on our Colorado adventure. I love being his personal photographer, so I definitely never mind ♥ We played a little disc golf, before the clouds started to creep in. As it began to rain, we drove back to Colorado Springs to check out some local shops and buy some groceries for dinner that night. To our surprise, it ended up hailing that afternoon (while we were at the market) – that it almost made it seem like we had gone through a snowstorm in July! This thunderstorm was so crazy that we had to pull over while on our way back to our cabin, because of the insane hail. The hail was nothing like we had ever seen, or witnessed, back here in Texas. We will never forgot our crazy hail storm in Colorado, as long as we live! Despite the weather, we ended up having a nice home cooked dinner and ended our day all snuggled up in our blankets, movie watching, and drinking warm coffee by the fireplace…♥
On Tuesday morning, we woke up early and decided to head to Denver for the day. We drove for a little over an hour and made it to our destination. We visited the local shops on 16th street and Larimer street, as well as took the time to visit a local coffee shop (because it’s a must lol). After our downtown adventure in Denver, we then headed over to Great Divide Brewing Co. for some yummy beers. Those of you that personally know us know that we are HUGE beer lovers, therefore we have made it a tradition to visit a local brewery everywhere we go. There is something about craft beer that just makes life a little bit more enjoyable, no matter where we may be. As our day came to end, we headed back to our cabin in Colorado Springs for some pizza, more beer, and another movie night – because there is nothing like ending your day with those three awesome things…♥
July 25th & July 26th – Pikes Peak, Manitou Cliff Dwellings & Seven Falls
The remainder of the week were definitely some of my favorite memories with my handsome, On Wednesday, July 25th, we woke up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready and headed over for our biking adventure at Pikes Peak. It was one of the most incredible adventures we have ever embarked on. We ate breakfast around 6:45 a.m. and took a dreamy Jeep up to the very top of Pikes Peak shortly after. As we rode down the mountain on our bikes, I will absolutely admit, I was petrified. I was so scared I was going to fly out of a curve on my bike, due to the very limited guard rails, or somehow get hit by the cars passing us by on both sides. Don’t get me wrong, our group was very well guarded by two vans, one in front and the other in the back, as well as we had some of the most excellent tour guides that lead us through the mountain, yet I was still pretty terrified. After some much debated talk with the voices inside my head, I was able to conquer my fears and enjoyed one hell of a ride! I will never forget that amazing feeling and we will most definitely do it over, and over again. ♥
The day after our Pikes Peak adventure, we decided we needed to do a little bit more hiking. Manitou Springs and the Seven Falls had been calling our names and we were on our way. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings were beyond cute, but the Seven Falls really captured my attention. We hiked all the way to the top, but let me be honest, it really made me think of how much out of shape I actually am (thanks good old desk job) lol! Going up those 224 steps was a leg killer! My handsome did so well, thanks to all of the running he does, but I was struggling just a slight bit near the very top. Thankfully, this hike really helped me prepare and achieve the hike at Hanging Lake, because that was one of the most amazing hikes we have ever embarked on. Given the opportunity, we will most definitely be coming back for another round of these awesome adventures…♥
July 27th through July 29th – Hanging Lake & Time To Say Goodbye
Hanging Lake – oh Hanging Lake. My handsome had been raving about Hanging Lake months before we left. As the day had finally arrived, he was beyond excited! After waking up at 3:00 a.m., driving for a little over 3 1/2 hours, and hiking for 3 1/2 miles and a very steep trail later, we had finally made it to the very top. I cannot describe how immensely beautiful it was. Photographs honestly do not do justice to this magical place. It was as though I was in a scene from a movie, it was absolutely breathtaking in every way. I will admit, I am usually not a morning person, but for those kinds of views, I will wake up and take the hike any day! Colorado, you have my heart, I love you…♥
As we headed back home Saturday afternoon, my heart was broken but had never felt so full. I always have trouble saying goodbye, because my heart is always yearning for adventure. I cannot say how grateful I am to my handsome for having embarked on this journey with me. We explored and fell deeply in love with Colorado in just a few days, that we will one day call it our home. It is always bittersweet leaving a place you love, especially when the reality of coming back to the real world hits, but our wandering, adventurous souls will never stop seeking those adventurous journeys. As September approaches, we will be embarking on a new adventure. Again, we are torn between two places, but Glacier National Park has been calling our name. I cannot guarantee that it will be the place we will be going to, because another very special place has been calling my name, but I can guarantee that either Montana or Alaska will be seeing us very, very soon. Regardless of our future destinations, there is no doubt that the mountains in Colorado and the oceans in Hawaii will forever have our hearts. Thank you very much, my wandering souls, for taking the time to read a little bit of our adventurous journey in Colorado. I wanted to highlight the most significant parts in our journey, so I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The countless photographs and written material are beautiful tangible items that we keep, but the memories that live in our hearts will forever be the biggest blessings. We will see you again very soon, my beloved mountains…♥
With Love,
The Wandering Soul
Sincerely, The Wandering Soul 