Pine Creek Trail. Independence Day 2019 trip, part 3

 Click here to take a look at the previous stop - Buena Vista. Independence Day 2019 trip, part 2.

You know, always following the paved roads is boring and that's not exactly what we do. Taking the side roads and making unexpected turns is more our style and we planned to cross the Rockies using Cottonwood Pass, a nice and cool alternative to Monarch Pass, but to our surprise the pass was closed for some reasons. We were disappointed, of course, but we had a backup option, so we turned back, drove through Buena Vista in the opposite direction and took the Monarch Pass instead. This is the more common route but it is also a pleasant and nice way to cross the mountains so we had no complaints.

 

Buena Vista. Independence Day 2019 trip, part 2

Back on the road and soon we had another stop. We've been to Buena Vista a few times before (look here if you don't believe me - Independence Pass and Buena Vista) and love to stop by. Just stretch our legs and walk back and forth...

 

Fairplay. Independence Day 2019 trip, part 1

Even though we never recovered from our Memorial Day trip (click here if you are interested - Craig. A town 4 hours from Denver. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 1), it was impossible not to be adventurous over the next long weekend. So, we took a day off on Friday and had another long weekend ahead of us. Still not ready for a loooong drive we wanted to explore something nearby. Just to see something close to Denver, but something nice and exciting. So we chose the best road to the mountains (Highway 285) and enjoyed the ride.

 

Birds, Mountains, and Nature's Delights

Embarking on an adventurous Saturday morning, I made a spontaneous decision to visit City Park, curious to catch a glimpse of the endearing Common Merganser family. My intention was simple: to ensure their well-being, to affirm their safety in this bustling world.

 

Close look

As I promised you a couple days ago, there are some more macro shots of the flowers... Honestly they are so beautiful that I cannot pass without trying to have a close look...

 

Rifle. The ghost of a town. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 10

We thoroughly enjoyed strolling through the tranquil streets of Meeker (click here to see them too - Meeker). However, it was time for us to make our way back home. This time, we opted for the shortest route (yes, I know it might disappoint you, but we were exhausted). We took Highway 13, which led us to I-70, and before long, we found ourselves passing through Rifle. Every Coloradian is familiar with Rifle, aren't they? The peculiar thing about Rifle is that it is kind of a ghost town... Well, not exactly a ghost town, but allow me to explain... Many of us who drive on I-70 pass through Rifle numerous times, yet only a handful of people pause for more than refueling or grabbing a bite to eat. Some people visit Rifle Mountain Park (a popular spot for climbers) or Rifle Falls (click here to see the park - Rifle Falls), so they simply drive through town without slowing down or exploring further. Therefore, for many, it serves as a mere landmark along the road rather than a genuine town... That is why I call it a ghost town... But we were intrigued to take a closer look, so we decided to stop and take a stroll.

 

Meeker. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 9

Click here to see our last adventure on Sunday - McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 8 

 

Unveiling the Hidden Beauty

In a world bustling with breathtaking beauty, sometimes we need to take a closer look to truly appreciate its wonders. Perhaps that is not very accurate, how about this - beauty surrounds us, but a closer gaze reveals hidden treasures in the unexplored realms.

 

McConkie Ranch Petroglyphs. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 8

Yeah, it was a long day and we saw a lot (click here to see the last adventure we had - Flaming Gorge Dam. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 7) but we were still far from calling it a day and the future was a bit hazy for us.

 

Flaming Gorge Dam. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 7

We hated to leave the ancient Sheep Creek Geological Area (Sheep Creek Geological Area. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 6), but we had more wanders to see, more places to go. So we forced ourselves to get into the car and drove back. We passed Red Canyon road and continued forward. We wanted to see one of the "lakes" we saw while hiking Canyon Rim trail.

 

Sheep Creek Geological Area. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 6

It was difficult to leave the viewpoint overlooking the Flaming Gorge (Red Canyon and Flaming Gorge. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 5) but we managed, turned left and took a side road.

 

It's all about family... and some feathery drama!

Ah, it's that time of the year when the water birds start playing matchmaker. Take a leisurely stroll around a nearby lake or pond, and lo and behold, you'll witness some mallard lovebirds paddling around with their adorable ducklings...

 

Red Canyon and Flaming Gorge. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 5

Exploring the Dinosaur National Park and hiking to see the rivers meet at the end was the perfect end of the first day of the trip - Where the rivers meet each other. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 4.

 

Where the rivers meet each other. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 4.

We enjoyed being in Craig (including museum - Craig. Museum of Cowboy & Gunfighters. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 3) and our short stop in Maybell but we still have a few miles to cover and some places to discover.

 

Craig. Museum of Cowboy & Gunfighters. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 3.

We really enjoyed watching the exposition of the first floor (Craig. Museum of Northwest Colorado. Memorial Day trip, part 2) and finally moved up to the second half of the museum. This exposition has its own name - Cowboy and Gunfighter Museum. And it starts with some stories about famous outlaws and bad/good guys who were fooling around. 

 

Craig. Museum of Northwest Colorado. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 2.

Craig is such a nice place to be (click here to see it - Craig. A town 4 hours from Denver. Memorial Day trip, part 1). As I said before, we spent some time exploring Craig's museum which we found interesting too.

 

Craig. A town 4 hours from Denver. Memorial Day 2019 trip, part 1.

It was early on the Saturday morning before Memorial Day when we jumped in the car and started our short trip. We had a long weekend ahead of us. As well as endless roads that weaved like ribbons before disappearing somewhere over the horizon.

 

Yellow and green... mostly ;)

Flowers come in a variety of colors. But sometimes it's interesting to focus on only a few of them. What about yellow and green?

 

Downtown Albuquerque

Let's take a walk there. Starting from the street market where you can buy many different goods like pumpkins and corn ;)