the turquoise trail

{colorado} I crossed the state line into Colorado and continued a short drive into the state to Pagosa Springs for the night.  I was amazed by how quickly the landscape changed from adobe homes in the sandy desert to log cabins in the lush mountains!  The change in landscape and change in elevation brought with it a rather drastic change in temperature; the night was rather brisk and my first time experiencing single digits in quite a while.   Welcome to Colorado! Pagosa Springs is a hot springs and skiing resort-style town.  It has a very nice little downtown, a few hot springs and all the typical tourist amenities.  I spent my night at the local Walmart, then went into town the next morning for church.  I joined Mark and Sara & their three kids for a Mexican mothers day lunch afterwards, then they took me for a scenic Sunday drive.  We wound our way through the mountains to the east of Pagosa Springs, finding a waterfall and a few scenic ...

I have to admit that I am definitely buying into the call of the mountains.. they are pretty tough to resist. I recently spent a few days exploring Banff, Lake Louise & Fernie with a friend, and it was absolutely incredible.  Seeing as there isn't too much snow this year, it was more of a sightseeing trip than anything. Here are some of the highlights..  {Lake Minnewanka} So gorgeous.  This view actually makes me speechless.  Something I found really interesting about this lake is that it develops bubbles in the ice which you can see as you are walking!  Nature is awesome. Lake Minnewanka {Wildlife} On our way to Lake Minnewanka, we were lucky enough to see a massive herd of elk!  It was my first time seeing elk outside of a zoo, so I was pretty excited.   Not very much further down the road, we also saw some mountain goats!  They were quite drawn to the salt on my cars tires, so we got really up close and personal with ...

Since all Canadians know that summer isn't complete without a cottage getaway, I decided I would write a quick post about my favourite cottage destination ever.. Just north of Muskoka, Pointe au Baril is located amongst the 30000 islands on Georgian Bay, Ontario.  If you're unaccustomed to this Canadian summer tradition, I have compiled a checklist for you.. .. a boat ride out to the bay to watch the sunset: .. sleeping in, and waking up with a view like this: ..starting the day off with a hot cup of tea/coffee & reading on a deck like this: ..in general, taking in views like this: .. Muskoka chairs are a must; no experience is complete without them.  Also, a running jump off of a dock like this: .. those Georgian Bay sunsets, though.. just take it all in, possibly in the company of a good campfire, or dockside yoga: Other items of notable attraction.. .. Hole in the Wall - a short boat ride from Pointe au Baril, this is a narrow channel t...