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 ;)

 

Fall day in Boulder

Fall in Colorado is nice and pleasant. Mostly sunny and warm. But sometimes it rains and everything becomes gloomy and we all are feel blue...

 

Breckenridge Budweiser Snow Sculpture Festival 2017

I hope you don't miss the snow just yet... But if you do - I have something to show you ;)

 

Long weekend...

South Valley is a great place to spend a couple of hours. Close to the city (probably the closest location you can find), beautiful and easy to hike. So we went there on Saturday morning and... it was absolutely amazing!

 

Birds... angry birds...

Okay, okay... not all of them were angry, but some were! But, let's start from the beginning... In the beginning it was a sunny, but hazy morning and the sky wasn't blue at all... But the bird's silhouettes looked very beautiful against slightly pink-ish background ;)

 

Another Barr Lake hike...

Barr Lake is the place where you might spot a Bald Eagle or two... BTW - click here if you want to see them - Barr Lake in March. Luck is not always on your side but don't be disappointed if you miss this bird. You still have a good time walking around the lake and looking around...

Paint Mines - colorful and stunning badlands in the middle of nowhere...

The Paint Mines Park in Calhan is one of the most beautiful and unique places to visit. It's off the beaten path but well worth seeing.

 

Staunton Park or Lazy Chipmunk Saga ;)

Staunton Park is a great place to spend a few hours hiking and looking for wildlife. Going there, we hoped to see some Abert's Squirrels but... we were not lucky and didn't even catch a glance of them... But I shouldn't complain, because other squirrels were not only there, but were also ready to pose ;)

 

Scottsdale - the West's most Western town

Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and is part of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Named Scottsdale in 1894 after its founder Winfield Scott, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, the city was incorporated in 1951 with a population of 2,000. At the 2020 census, the population was 241,361.

 

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

It was a long day - we hiked in Sedona (click here to see - Sedona - Cathedral Rock hike) and stopped to explore Jerome on our way back to Phoenix (click here to explore - Jerome AZ, the town with a story...). So the next day we decided to take it easy and enjoy something within the city. We chose the Desert Botanical Garden as it promised a lot to see. As the spring season begins to bloom, the Desert Botanical Garden is transformed into a wonderland of vibrant colors and unique desert flora. The garden's 140 acres of stunning landscapes and winding paths provide the perfect backdrop for a day of exploring and appreciating the beauty of the desert. In late April, the garden is in full swing, with a variety of plants in bloom and wildlife making their presence known.

 

Jerome AZ, the town with a story...

The hike to Cathedral Rock in Sedona (click here to see it - Sedona - Cathedral Rock hike) was great. Amazing scenery and nice weather... what else can you ask for? On our way back, we decided to take a longer route and see a small town of Jerome, which is about an hour from Sedona and occupies the slopes of the mountain and climbs up to the sky...

 

Sedona - Cathedral Rock hike

Saguaros looked absolutely amazing (click here to see - Saguaro National Park - King Canyon and Gould Mine hike) but we got toasted while hiking there. We also had other plans and wanted to explore somewhere cooler, so the next day we drove north to explore the Sedona area. Located at 4350 feet (shut up those who live in a mile high city, I know how you feel about such silly elevation ;) ) Sedona offers a pleasant coolness (compared to Phoenix). Known for its red sandstone formations and vibrant colors...

 

Saguaro National Park - King Canyon and Gould Mine hike

Saguaro National Park is home to an impressive number of saguaro cacti... By the way, while talking to a ranger, I found out that they pronounce it as sa-WAH-ro ;) But... regardless of how you pronounce it, you will find a lot of them there... and they are truly magnificent...