you can have Colorado

and other misadventures on the way to Wyoming

you know the kind of trip 

starts out bad and goes downhill from there.....

the plan was to drive through Colorado

and visit my brother in Wyoming.....

we took the backroads north from New Mexico

the scenery was beautiful

but there was so much traffic it was hard to see any of it

cars lined the small 2 lane we were on

fancy new cars with bikes, kayaks, trailers, motorcycles

and everyone was in a big hurry

why weren't they out recreating

instead of on the road.....

first night we stayed in a small cabin

that was on an intersection in the middle of nowhere

that cars came and went from all night

the mountains were very powerful

 but it is the wildflowers that I loved best

the wild lupine, and yellow daisys

the roadsides of northern New Mexico and

southern Colorado were thick with sunflowers this year

fields of them

we stopped at this beautiful lake

 with the mountains in the background

and here I am smoking pot legally

outside at the lake - in Colorado!!

 we rented a cabin in the Medicine Bow Mountains of southern Wyoming

with my brother

(spent one night and then headed into town for a warm and dry motel)

 this is called the Snowy Range - it was a few miles up the road from the cabin

most places you have to hike quite a ways to get to the alpine lakes

above the tree line

but here you are starting in the high desert at 7,000'

and climbing to the top on the road at about 11,000'

the mountains were full of wildflowers too

and still some snow

these are wild columbines - very special and growing all over

not sure what this rock is made of but it was 

such a lovely color

my baby brother and Willi

notice the clouds and coats?  

this was one of the nicer days...

the mushrooms were out in full force

these are amanita muscaria - psychotropic and very poisonous....

and no, we didn't try any

back in Saratoga

 they have the Hobo Pool

a free and open 24 hrs hot pool 

it is a lovely pool and very hot

and right next to it in the river

were natural hot pools

it was perfect because it was cold and rainy

so the hot springs made our day! 

(this is not my photo - too rainy to get out my camera...)

on the way home from Wyoming

we crossed the Overland Trail just outside of Saratoga

wow - those were a hardy people

nine miles from here to cross the North Platte River!!

next stop - Fort Collins

besides seeing my brother this was the best stop

to visit some very special friends

and to buy some very special art!

this is the one!!

I am a big fan of her work!!

next stop was Greely, Colorado

we were planning on staying in one of these cool yurts

on the South Platte River

it was just too cold and rainy

the river was flooding 

and the road to the yurt had deep mud....

so

they let us stay in the Fort.....

this is a 250 acre property on the Platte

the front part was built as a private residence

they gave us the master bedroom

as no one was there

(a little western decor anyone....)

then it was sold 

and the new owner added 3 more sides

and created a "fort".....

it is used for weddings and things

as the weather was still cool and rainy - we headed straight home

through the ag and cow land of Colorado

a little lunch on the drive - almost home

 SO

crowds, strip mining, huge meat factories, huge agro business

did I say crowded?

you can have Colorado - legal pot and all!!

xxoo