A Day in the Mountains

We left Trinidad this morning and turned off the Interstate to drive up into the mountains!

Light rain only added to the ambiance. We loved watching the shadows on the mountains. The fragrance of the rain freshened air in San Isabel National Forest was amazing.

We found a lovely place for a picnic lunch.

It was so much fun watching Louis Dean enjoy himself.

He had a rough night and woke up at 6:00 from a terrible dream.

He was so discombobulated I wasn't sure what to do.

A hot bath calmed him down and we went over to the lobby and had a good breakfast - they had everything from waffles to scrambled eggs to oatmeal - and of course, COFFEE!!

He then played his guitar and by the time we checked out he was back to normal.

I think the highlight of our day was seeing this red fox right by the place we had lunch.

We were so entranced that at first we forgot to take pictures!!

He wandered around for several minutes and seemed totally at ease with us admiring him!

Our picnic table - chicken salad sandwiches and homemade cookies from Nita!

I enjoyed our time here - savoring the moments. If I LIVED near here - I would make a thermos of coffee or a container of tea, bring my book and that small white folding chair of mine and just SIT!!!

I did some of that today!

This photo is from Louis Dean's camera.

He was THE only bird we saw and he was NOT happy we were there!!!

SO beautiful here!!!

This is my favorite picture of me!

Louis Dean said, "Stand in the sun!"

On our way....

beauty everywhere we look!

Louis Dean insisted we buy fuel at this Sinclair station so I could take a picture in Mike's honor!

Mike is Nita's husband and loves all things 'Sinclair!'

We drove on into Manitou Springs coming up Hwy 115.

Our motel is one I stayed in so very long ago when Summer and Jesse were small children!

Jesse, the swimming pool is still here and brought back memories of when you were such a little boy and would jump off the diving board and just SIT on the bottom until your dad would pick you up!

Tomorrow we will be moving just up the street and there we will stay until we leave for home.

As wonderful as vacations are - they are also a bit tiring - loading and unloading every day.

I think we will do well to use Manitou as our base.

Tomorrow is Tuesday and in keeping with my tradition, we will shop the Goodwill that started my Goodwill adventures!!

It was 1969 when we first came to Colorado for vacation.

Summer, Jesse, Jr and my then husband, Jesse.

When we checked into the motel we discovered that we had left both Summer's and Jr.'s suitcases in the living room at HOME!!! No worries!!! We found this Goodwill and outfitted them and have been Goodwilling ever since! Summer, you will be glad to know it is as it was when we were all last here!

Some things never change!

We are spending the evening RESTING!!! Even good highway mountain driving can take the starch out of you and I have slathered my neck in Ben Gay and am ready to prop up in bed on the fluffy pillows an watch TV. I'm sure after watching The Black List we will sleep like babies!!

(I am being facetious!)

Tomorrow - after changing motels - and shopping Goodwill - we will head up Hwy 24 to the town of Cascade, to The Wines of Colorado!

There is creek side dining and Louis Dean LOVES the Buffalo Wine Burger!

I 'Liked' them on Facebook.

THIS was what I found on their page!!

Louis Dean has the red - I usually drink white so I'm guessing that's the COLD water and red is the HOT faucet!