Taos, blue sky and bright sun... what else could you wish?

I always enjoy visiting Taos. It's a nice place to pass by or to spend a weekend. And not that far away - just a few hours from Denver. So... let's do it... let's jump in the car and find ourselves there... less than 300 miles away ;)

 

Castlewood Canyon - textures and shapes...

Castlewood Canyon is one of my favorite places to hike in Colorado. We hiked there in Summer and Spring, and enjoyed the Fall time too. I guess we never tried it in Winter, but... located just outside of the town of Franktown this park is easily accessible and always fun to explore. There are several hikes to choose from and... this place is just perfect! The surroundings look so colorful when the trees are changing colors (click here to check it out - Castlewood Canyon park again, but from another angle) and I believe the Fall time is the best. But Spring also has its own beauty. Even everything looks bare and faded... there is still a lot to see and enjoy (click here to look - Castlewood Canyon park. Still bare and colorless). But last Sunday we didn't really hike (thanks to the strong and gusty wind), but strolled leisurely and... looked around...

 

Christian Dior - OMG or rampage of fantasy... (part 5)

What a show it was... We started by looking at something simple and elegant (both in style and colors) and continued with more elaborate designs... We then walked into a room full of colorful and stunning dresses (click here to see - Christian Dior - a bit more color... and some craziness too :))... But the last room was something. Something that made me dizzy...

 

Purple, white and yellow... oh... prickly too ;)

In the enchanting realm of flowers, every moment is an opportune time to immerse oneself in nature's splendor. However, let's narrow our focus today to the captivating hues of purple, white, and yellow blooms. Adding a touch of complexity, let's look at those adorned with a formidable array of thorns. And believe it or not, here in Colorado, such floral treasures are not rare ;)

 

Breckenridge Budweiser Snow Sculptures Festival 2013 - one of the very best!

Breckenridge Budweiser Snow Sculptures Festival is an absolutely amazing event. No matter how many times we visit it, each time we are amazed by the huge and beautiful sculptures carved from monstrous cubes of snow... But the visit always begins with a walk through the streets and admiring the mountain peaks just above the town...

 

Christian Dior - a bit more color... and some craziness too :) (part 4)

The last time we looked at such a colorful collection (click here to refresh your memory - Christian Dior - between gray and red)... It was actually quite fun to travel from one room to another to see that the dresses there were even crazier and definitely prettier. And more colorful too!

 

Mount Evans hike

On a gorgeous July day, the charm of the mountains beckoned, urging us to go on an adventure. We wanted to hike to the top of Mount Evans. Sure we could have just driven all the way up there, but... we decided to have a more exciting experience.  After parking our car at the Summit Lake lot, we embraced the decision to tread the final leg by foot. Our journey began with a leisurely stroll around the lake, giving us spectacular views of Chicago Lakes below (for a closer look at this hike, click here - Where the hell are you going?).

 

Christian Dior - between gray and red (part 3)

Christian was a genius, there is no doubt about it... His black, white and yellow dresses look amazing (click here - Christian Dior - Black and White or here - Christian Dior - Yellow and Red to find it out)... But what about such a dull and boring color like gray?

 

Colorfull or colorless?

A couple of days ago I posted some black and white images because I truly believe they are more interesting to look at than the originals. But what if I'm wrong? Do color photos look better? Let's find out...

 

White... white... white...

One cool Saturday morning, I woke up and looked out the window... Surroundings looked so ordinary just yesterday, but that morning everything changed... The colors faded and disappeared almost completely and the world around me became dull and boring...

 

Colorless

What is it about flowers that captivates us most? The vivid burst of colors, undoubtedly. Those vibrant hues that beckon us closer, urging us to take a moment and marvel at nature's palette. But let me share a moment from my photographic journey - one day, amidst the petals and leaves, something peculiar happened. As I peered through the viewfinder, what greeted me wasn't the expected riot of colors but a world cast in black and white. Intrigued, I decided to strip the flowers of their vibrant hues, stepping back in time to an era where black and white film was the norm.

 

Christian Dior - Yellow and Red (part 2)

I hope you don't think that Dior only used either black or white fabric for his creations... But I understand why they placed all black dresses in one room and white ones in another (click here to look - Christian Dior - Black and White)... In fact it was really impressive to see all dresses of the same color grouped together. But the next room was different (in a good way)...

 

Christian Dior - Black and White (part 1)

Do you think it is possible to find anyone who has never heard of Christian Dior? I don't think so. And when you hear this name, the image of a woman in a beautiful dress immediately appears in your mind, right? But... how beautiful is the dress? We've all heard about his works, but honestly, how many of you have Dior dresses in your wardrobe and are familiar with them?

 

It's nearby and a nice place to hike...

Mount Falcon Park is an amazing place. It is so close to Denver and also such a nice location to spend a couple of hours... I've done it many times, summer and spring, winter and fall... And I honestly think this is one of the best places to go, especially in the hot summer, because it's a good 10-15 degrees cooler up there ;)

 

Hot days, bright flowers

The snow is coming... the weather is changing... and I think now is the time to look at something different. At some bright flowers, for example. Like this California Poppy - isn't it beautiful in its simplicity?

 

Granby

Staying in A Frame Club was nice and cozy. The cabin was warm and quiet, we had a good breakfast and really didn't want to leave. But... we needed to... so at some point we checked out (contactless again) and were back on the road. But before heading back, we decided to look around and went to see the town of Granby...

 

A night in an A Frame Club ;)

As I already said (Winter day, winter travel, Winter Park), we chose Winter park because of the hotel. Hmm... can I call this a hotel? Maybe... A Frame Club is a bit more than a simple hotel or motel on the side of the road. This is more about style than an overnight stay... It was built less than a year ago and can surprise you not only with its buildings ;)

 

Winter day, winter travel, Winter Park

As usual, the thought of a quick escape flashed through our minds, and the next moment we were already booking a hotel somewhere close, but far away... And a couple of days later we loaded the car, drove out of warm and snowless Denver and crossed the Continental Divide. The highway wasn't busy (even though it was Sunday) and the weather was beautiful, so it didn't take long to cross the Berthold Pass and to see the snow... A lot of it ;)

 

A Symphony of Blossoms

As the grip of colder days tightens, my thoughts invariably drift toward the enchanting realm of spring — a time when warmth and radiant sunlight stir the slumbering cherry and apple trees from their wintry repose.

 

Gold in Golden...

In the quiet embrace of this morning, I found myself reluctant to leave the warmth of my bed. Winter's chill lingered in the air, and the world outside seemed unwelcoming, adorned in faded hues. Even the reluctant sun, making a subtle appearance, couldn't quite lift the somber atmosphere. In that moment, a yearning stirred within me for a return to a truly golden fall — a season of warmth and joy.

 

Even more wild flowers. Rustler Gulch trail, Crested Butte

The next morning after hiking Beckwith Pass (click here to see it - In search of wild beauty...) we returned, circled around Crested Butte and drove towards Gothic, a truly beautiful ghost town where we again didn't stop :) We headed to the Rustler Gulch trailhead. 

 

In search of wild beauty. Beckwith Pass trail, Crested Butte

We traveled to Crested Butte for Independence Day and explored the area and it was stunning....  We started our trip with a hike to Lake Irwin (click here to see - Lake Irwin and continued here - Peanuts and Meridian lakes). Crested Butte is Wildflower Capital of Colorado and we expected to see the flowers in full bloom. But, despite the abundance of rain and warm days that year, the peak of blooming still was a couple of weeks away, so we decided to return there again. And three weeks later we were back there and started with Beckwith Pass trail.

 

Yellow, red, green and blue - it's autumn!

As the demands of a bustling week gradually fade, there emerges an undeniable need for respite, a moment to distance oneself from the urban clamor. And what better time than October, where the transition from summer's verdant green to autumn's gilded embrace beckons us into nature's soothing arms.

 

The night in Breckenridge. Budweiser Snow Sculpture Festival 2019

Breckenridge is a great place to relax... It's especially beautiful in the fall (don't believe me? click here to check it out - Fall colors). Summer is good too... but winter is truly the best time... Especially two weekends in late January when the Budweiser Snow Sculpture Festival attracts teams from all over the world to carve blocks of snow and create some beauty (click here - Snowflake plus snowflake... finally we can make a snow sculpture, can't we? or here - Breckenridge Snow Sculptures Festival 2015 to see some of them).

 

June flowers

What do you like most about June? The weather, I think... It is still not as hot as next month and the sun hasn't had enough time to burn down all the greenery... And... the flowers are already in full bloom!