Exploring the West...A Summer of Adventure and Insights...

[mph]

My wife, daughter, and I have about 10 weeks to play this summer. Yes, there is housework to be done and a honey-do list to complete. But, if the weather is nice and the urge is there; we pack up and hit the road. Our favorite spots happen to be our home state of Utah, the hidden-jewel of Idaho, and the mountainous state of Colorado. This will be ongoing report of our travels and highlights.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and details of our travels.

Traveling to Wyoming!

My wife used to live in JH for 9 years. I spent 4 summers up there. We hadn't been back as a family since our daughter was 6 months old. It was time to return...



Time for lunch...



We arrived during the evening light. The buffalo were on a the move...The thunderstorm clouds caught us with a little rain later that night.



A nice view in the AM.





Enjoyed the hike to Phelps Lake. We were such proud parents...our daughter became a Junior Ranger. Tears were shed...It was a glorious moment Especially with her hand down her pants



The morning was chilly. It got down to 28 during the night. Our water was partially frozen but at least we had enough for coffee!



Lilly exploring "where the deer and the antelope play..."



My wife used to be a fly fishing guide back in the day...It's fun to see the daughter throw the line in...The Snake was a little blown out so we just enjoyed the views, the cool water, and the grandeur of the Tetons.





We pulled over heading to south to Utah. A mountain stream, a blue-bird day; what to do? I decided to cannon ball in...If you get the chance this summer; enjoy a refreshing swim in a mountain stream. Let's you know you are alive!

Next stop...Headed to Colorado...

 

[taco2go]

What a nice bit of time for insights and family adventure. 10 weeks!
Beautiful country, and great pictorial.

 

[DesertFront]

Awesome!!! What a great way to enjoy the outdoors. Those are memories that the little one will probably enjoy over and over in her memories.

 

[zeke2.0]

Cool, looking forward to more posts.

 

[Salty Dawg]

It looks like you and your family are creating some great memories !
Thanks for sharing !

 

[Bobthebuilder]

What a cool family bonding experience! I'm looking forward to more pictures, maybe I can convince my wife to do something like this.

 

[SulVento]

Fantastic stuff!

 

[mph]

We headed east and found ourselves in dinosaur land...Vernal, Utah. Today, the town is booming because of natural gas development. The bust will come...but on this day my daughter and I enjoyed the big pink dinosaur. Simple joys in life!



Our route took us east across Hwy. 40. Not the most picturesque. But, we made good time to our destination of Steamboat Springs. Big meadows, flowing streams, and the northern part of the mountains of Colorado. We headed south...Gorgeous!



We spent 2 miles traveling on payment before we decided to find the Colorado River. Just big views everywhere.



I knew where I was going but started to question it a little...No people, a one-lane mountain road. What to do? Turn around? Nahhhh...let Lilly drive!



We found our spot on the banks of the Colorado River. It's low this year...Really Low...Scary Low...Lilly had time to throw the line in on this full moon night.



Time to rally the next morning. Had to meet my mom...



Our destination was Dillon, Colorado. .The GORE Range was nice!



I had time to get out on some single track. Nothing like blowing air at 10,000 feet on a single speed! Fun!



Sorry for the Iphone picture quality...Currently at Dillon. See which way the wind blows us tomorrow...More to come...
Not sure how to rotate pictures????

 

[mph]

Got out today to do a little exploring. What is great about Colorado in my opinion is that you can be on pavement, a major highway and make a turn to quiet, peaceful, and gorgeous backcountry. Today was that day!



A major mining area many years ago...Today, what is left are the structures of the tough life.



Big views...



Oh...And, Lilly got to ride. Loves her bike!



We will see what tomorrow brings...

 

[ab1985]

Great trip so far. Looking forward to following along.

 

[discotdi]

Lived in JH? How lucky. Must have been hard to leave. I love that whole area. Thanks for the great pics. Enjoy your trip.

 

[JLink]

Nice start to the summer! I took a 10 day road trip from NJ to Moab a month and a half ago.. I wish I could've taken more time to enjoy more of Colorado!

 

[mph]

Got to get some pics uploaded. However, I would say its fun to pull into a 5 star place with a dusty, dirty land cruiser. We decided to celebrate the 4th in style. The valet was speechless. Then, he said, "love your rig...will park it up front!"

Pics soon!

 

[mph]

Exploring by car or foot is a great way to see the many mountain towns Colorado has to offer. There are also many new, local breweries popping up! We strolled and sampled some of the local brews. A nice way to spend the day!



Made our way to the world's largest marble quarry in Marble. Go figure! More to come on this. A wild place!

 

[mastersryan]

looks like a very fun trip you have going. I myself am planning a trip to JH next summer so I look forward to seeing your future posts and following your journey.