There’s No Place Like Home

We recently returned from a splendid vacation to the cool mountains and arid deserts of Colorado and New Mexico.  Returning to temperatures stretching way over 100* was torturous but…there’s no place like home.  Below is a story in photos.

Enjoy!

Stack of plates @ Sophia’s – we heard about this joint on Diners Drive Ins & Dives. Fabulous – I recommend you go if you find yourself in Albuquerque.

Huevos rancheros @ Sophia’s with a side of green chili and carnitas. Delicious!

Go ahead drool now! French Toast with Strawberries and Bananas @ Sophia’s.

The view driving into Silver Jack campground – not bad!

Three Aspens

Let’s get this party started!

Man Camp – This huge tent is where the guys bunked for the night.

This is why we put the guys out in man camp – to scare away the bears before they found the girls in the trailer – where yes, the food was kept.

Monster breakfast one day one!

Monster breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, honey, jam and hot coffee. Hiking required after….

But first a little snooze…

Silver Jack Lake

Someone beat us to it….our initials carved into an Aspen.

Amazing views on our hike back to camp.

Pass the mustard please…..

Many horseshoe contests took place..always with tons of laughter.

Beautiful flowers were everywhere – this one bright and spiky.

This one delicate and tender.

One of the highlights was hiring a jeep, with driver to take us over Black Bear Pass at 12,800 feet into Telluride for lunch with a return trip over Imogene Pass . at over 13,000 feet.

84 year old Wild Bill was our driver. He’s done the drive over 2000 times…so they say!

The views are incredible and the wild flowers abundant.

Bridal Veil Falls – above Telluride

That’s Telluride down in the canyon – our lunch destination.

On the way back into Ouray you pass by Tom Boy Mine – it’s something to behold. If you like history I recommend reading Tom Boy Bride by Harriet Fish Backus for a look into mining history – especially how it affected women.

Discarded bed frames from the bunkhouse at Tom Boy

Next stop Imogene Pass 13,114 feet. The air is thin up here.

The views are phenomenal up here too!

Majestic mountains in every direction.

Red Mountain in the distance – sweet sub-alpine flowers in the foreground

Survival of the fittest.

The next day we hiked to Silver Jack Reservoir for a little fishing. Yes, there was a storm rollin’ in…but before it hit….

I caught a fish…so did my brother in law and my handsome nephew (who took my fish off of the hook). Fish for dinner!

Then the thunder became louder, booming all around so we high tailed it back to camp.

The hummers gave us a daily show…Miss T was patient and look what happens next…

This little guy found his new favorite perch.

This little one posed perfectly for a picture. Rufous hummer – flaunting my favorite color!

Santo Nino church in Cebillo, New Mexico – headed to Santa Fe

Beautiful country, breathtaking views, laughing with family, chowing down on delicious food, campfires nightly, s’mores, dashing under cover from the unexpected rain shower, waiting for your cork to bob, always on the look out for a bear, delighting in the tiniest creatures buzzing all about, gazing at stars, smelling the coffee and the flowers, coming home…….