steamboat

The girls had a 4 day weekend last month, so we decided to take the opportunity to go to the mountains.  It was the first trip since our epic move across the country that I swore would be a once-in-a-lifetime drive.  We are not a road-trip family.  Not at all.  This 3.5 hour road trip was no exception.  I think it felt like we were in the car 8 hours.  It was a little dramatic.  I'll spare you the details.

I still think it was worth it.  The scenery was gorgeous.  I mean drop dead gorgeous.  Taking in the beauty of the mountains is like food for my soul.  I love living in Colorado.

As we climbed up the mountains, we passed through Fall and Winter and then ended up back in Fall.  The top of the first pass was just breath taking.  Maybe anything at 10,000 feet above sea level is breathtaking.  I wanted David to pull over, but we had just hit an icy patch in the road, and he was more concerned with keeping us alive than capturing the awe-inspiring moment.  I still regret not stopping.  It was amazing.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  It had just snowed.  The clouds were sort of hanging off the mountain...you can imagine it.  

Anyway, here's a little glimpse into our trip.

Even though I took my huge, honkin' SLR, I still used my iPhone for most of the trip.  I think I really like it for scenery shots!

We did a little hike up Fish Creek Falls.  Didn't make it all the way.  I'm okay with the fact that we can't finish any hikes right now.  I figure as long as we keep it fun and enjoyable now, our kids will have good memories of hiking and someday we'll be able to finish them.

So, you see that white mist on the left part of the photo?  I swear it could be an optical illusion.  What do you think it is?

The way I was looking at the photo, I thought it was a little black cloud with some white mist.  Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh at me.  That's exactly what my husband did when I told him that a strange cloud had descended upon my photo.  It was misty, and I can still see it if I look just right.

But, it's actually my glove in front of the lens.  I can't tell you how long I laughed at myself when I realized he was right.  

He has stopped arguing with me about things like this.  He just gave me an incredulous, playful look when I told him I was sure it was mist.

Here's the pass on the way back home.  We pulled over this time.  Still pretty breath taking, I think!

Above shot: iPhone 4s.  Below shoot: Canon 40D.

I think I like the iPhone shot better.  

If you're on Instagram, you might have already seen a lot of these photos.  I've been enjoying posting there the past few months.  You can follow me here.

We hit winter on our way back home and pulled over so the kids could play.