Colorado in the Fall
I can't keep away from Colorado, so I went back in the fall of 2024 as my last trip of the year. It's hard to imagine how the same place can re-impress even after multiple visits, but such is the magic of the mountains.
Vedauwoo Campground - Laramie, WY¶
Vedauwoo is a campground between Laramie and Cheyenne, WY. It's a great pitstop before continuing on to the Rocky Mountains. I've been here multiple times and it never fails to delight.
Pikes Peak - Woodland Park, CO¶
We ended the day with a trip to the Wines of Colorado, which is probably my favorite restaraunt in the area. We got a table by the creek and had delightful wine flights!
Morning Views¶
On my trip a few months ago, I found our secret campsite that has stunning views of Pikes Peak. We were fortunate to have found ourselves in the midst of a near nation-wide Aurora Borealis. While our eyes could barely see more than a faint glow in the sky, our cameras peeled back the veil of the sky to reveal one of nature's most spectacular sites.
The magic continued the next morning as we were visited by a group of 4 bucks right outside our window. Judging by their unafraid disposition, they clearly couldn't see us inside the trailer peering back at them. What a better way to get close with nature; and furthermore, the views were free!
Shelf Road¶
The fastest route to Cañon City from Woodland Park is through this through Shelf Road. It's a 4WD trail that winds through BLM land dotted with numerous old mining claims, most of which have been repurposed into grazing ground and private single-family houses.
Royal Gorges¶
At the end of Shelf Road is Cañon City which isn't exactly impressive as far as mountain towns go, but it does have a lot of interesting history. More notably, it has one of the best Indian restaraunts I've ever been to called Nirvana Culinary Paradise. We stopped there for a late lunch and then continued onto the Royal Gorges.