Great reading and fishing spot at Castle Lakes Lodge.
We just returned from a 10 day family trip to Colorado. We visited Lake City and Creed with lots of stops here and there and in between.
(Photo by Gunnar Staalsen)
Castle Lakes
I often get asked what inspires me. Being out in nature is at the top of my list. There is something about "cool" air and mountains that clears your mind and makes you evaluate the simple things in life.
We loaded our families and our RV's and took a break from cell phones, Internet, Facebook, TV, chores, and all the other distractions that life brings. We just enjoyed being together and took in all our beautiful surroundings.
Our first stop was The Sand Dunes - Photo taken from our campsite.
Your eyes can't take in the immense beauty!
Those dots you see are our crew climbing to the top!
It goes on and on for miles and miles!
The kids of all ages had a blast running and rolling down the sand.
We rented jeeps one day and the three families climbed up Cinnamon Pass.
Crazy fun!
The kids LOVED it.
The views were breathtaking.
Just look at those colors!
Almost at the top!
The colors changed around every corner! Drastic differences in landscape everywhere we looked.
The last of the snow! We carved our names in the snow.
Kids can't resist snow on a mountain top.
The wildflowers were my favorite and we got out and explored.
Such vibrant colors.
The love of my life!
Perfectly imperfect.
Colorado State Flower - Rocky Mountain Columbine
The sound of this river I'll never forget!
It was pretty intense!
We finally got to the top and I almost lost my stomach a few times!
We enjoyed a picnic lunch once we arrived! Elevation 12,640 ft.
Totally worth the 5 hour trip!
My family
We were surrounded by beautiful colors and fresh cool air! So refreshing after being in 105 degree weather in Texas.
Animals were grazing in the fields.
Even saw the black sheep of the family!
Read about these Guard dogs that live with the livestock in the mountains and protect them from predators (including humans). The kids didn't realize it was a guard dog until they came up to it and tried to hug it, like all kids do! The dog was very protective and growled at them. Someone informed us that these dogs live with the sheep and guard them night and day.
Loved this house tucked away in the woods.
Look at this one with it's own bridge over the river.
More to come on this house on next blog post.
Beautiful but I'd feel awfully lonely way up there.
My youngest daughter had fun with my camera on these next few photos.
Lots of Aspen trees.
Fresh raindrops.
Our last stop on our vacation was Creed. We stayed at 30 mile Campground in the National Forest and it was the most relaxing place ever! We will definitely be going back there!
You can see our RV in the distance.
This river ran along all the campsites and we loved sitting by it at night while making smores by the campfire.
We cooked huge breakfasts in the morning.
Nothing better than bacon and pancakes cooking out in the wilderness.
We also enjoyed our wine and cheese at night. Tablecloth and real glasses included.
We decorator's camp with style!
The men kicked their boots off and sat with the ladies! We had amazing conversations, solved the worlds problems, laughed with the kids.....
and even fed a few chipmunks!
In the end, I've once again been reminded why we love to camp. It makes you get away from the buziness of life and STOPS everything that makes you crazy busy and rushed every single day. Sometimes we get so caught up in what has to be done or what needs to be done that we forget about the best gems in life and that is the people and relationships that we have in our lives. Taking time away from it all is what I call a vacation.
It was good to get away and come back refreshed and feeling blessed.
Remember.......LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Here is a link to a video my daughter made of our trip.
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