Colorado Adventures

States Visited: Colorado
Distance Traveled: 290 miles
Time: 11.5 hours, with 6 hour rest at the ranch

Stephanie here! So, this morning we got up bright and early at Brian's Uncle Larry's place (very sweet man) and set out to conquer the Rockies. What a sight. I started off driving so I had a hard time seeing everything... because the locals think it's abnormal to drive any slower than 85 mph around the bends and down the steep hills... so I had all my senses working overtime.

We stopped in Idaho Springs for a quick breakfast and cinnabon melts, then hopped on I-70 and stopped in Vail for a light lunch and some strolling around. It was a beautiful ski resort, kind of deserted right now because it's out of season, but all the better because there weren't any crowds. Think Crocker Park or any other upscale shopping center...but with more of a Swiss/German influence.

After lunch we headed towards the highlight of the day... horseback riding! Yep, don't fall over you Ford family you... I didn't get hurt (the last and only other time I went horse back riding was when I was like 12 on vacation with my family... and my Dad's horse got spooked and my Dad fell down and went boom, shattering his wrist into tiny bits - yea that cut the trip short). I was a bit apprehensive but I've always wanted to get back on a horse and give it another go, so this was my big chance. I can't say horseback riding could ever be any better than around Glenwood Springs. Bair Ranch was absolutely beautiful. They owned thousands of acres of land covered with pines and aspens and a variety of evergreen shrubs, as well as a variety of sheep and well over 50 mustang horses. There were also several dogs running around and one of the breeds (Brian and I can't remember the name of it... even though the woman said it like 3+ times) looked like a mix between a lab and an American White Shepherd. We crept up to the female to pet her and discovered she had a tiny treasure - the cutest little pup I've seen in a while. So we took some pics and giggled at the adorable noises it was making.

Unfortunately, while our appointment was at 1:00, we found out that the guides were up herding sheep or something... and something went wrong or something... and wouldn't be back until like 3:30 (you can see I know a lot of the details). All I kept thinking about was Brokeback Mountain. We killed the extra waiting time by driving over to Glenwood Springs for a while and exploring the town. Plus, it worked out for the better because by the time we did actually saddle up back at the ranch, it ended up being a bit cooler outside!


All in all the ride was so worth the sore thighs, knees, and butts. We started off at the ranch and worked our way up into some sheep pastures, then up the hill and out of sight of all the main roads, all the while being followed by one of those white herding dogs...it was kind of cool that he was looking out for us. It took me a little longer to get up there than Brian and our guide Jeff because my horse Copper just wouldn't stop munching on the surrounding foliage, but it ended up being worth the wait. The views were breathtaking and we were lucky enough to get in some shots while we were up there. After two more hours of winding our way back down to the ranch, we said our goodbyes to Bair Ranch and headed back on the road, west towards Grand Junction.

An hour and a half later, here we are, settled into a Super 8 motel in Grand Junction, full from a meal at Applebees and ready for bed. More updates to come tomorrow as we head into Zion National Park. We're hoping to get an early start so we can spend as much time there as we can.