Views From the Jeep

Vacation Day 2

The thing I used to love about hiking was getting to and seeing places I couldn't get to or see unless I hiked there.  I say "used to" because due to a previous stress fracture and surgery, I don't hike anymore.  
There are so many beautiful places to see in CO and I didn't want to miss out, so we rented a jeep in Ouray  and drove up into the San Juan Mountains.

  Looking from one end of Ouray to other. 

Ouray considers itself both the "Switzerland of America" and the "Jeeping Capitol of America". The San Juan Mountains are crisscrossed with 4 wheel drive trails left over from the all the mining activity in the area.  Come join us on our incredible journey.

This bag of chips was about to explode because of the altitude (my hair was about to explode from the wind!). 

 Beware of the Dog!  She was the sweetest puppy ever.  She ran under the jeep to take advantage of the shade since we were above the tree line.  She would have jumped right in and come home with us.  

What's left of the mine and buildings in Animas Forks.

The road ahead...

Not much room to give him room! 

Can't move over too far.

The wildflowers were amazing.

  One of the best experiences on our vacation.  Come experience Tablescape Thursday, Bunny Jean's Bunny Hop Party and Seasonal Sundays

Ahhh, Vacation.....

Most people can't wait to take their vacation as soon as the weather turns warm, but I love waiting and planning our vacation toward the end of summer which gives me something to look forward to all summer long, especially when the temperature in TN is in the high 90s and we are headed to the mountains.  After the wedding ( see Colorado wedding post HERE) we spent five more days in beautiful Colorado.  
Day 1
We drove over the mountain from Carbondale to Hotchkiss, with a detour through Marble, CO to check out the MarbleFest Bluegrass Festival.  

Amazing to see pieces of white marble the size of boxcars laying all over the ground. 

We took the walking tour of the old plant site.  

On the road side next to the plant site, there were large marble columns that were used to hoist the carved pieces up onto the rail cars.   

 Only a few of the plant walls were left standing.  Can you imagine working in a plant with marble walls?

The marble from this area was used for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, parts of the Lincoln Memorial, and other notable buildings across the US.  Sharing in Tablescape Sunday

Colorado Mountain Wedding

I attended the most wonderful wedding this past weekend.  My friend's daughter married on a mountain top in Colorado. All weddings are beautiful in their own way, but this one was beautiful in a very unique way.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves. (you can click on any photo to make it larger)

The wedding venue was in the backyard of a private home.

The Mother of the Bride and me working on the flowers.

The bride and groom's dogs were the ring bearers.  

While the guests congregated for cocktails around the fire pit on the side of the house, the area was transformed for dinner.

Burlap runners with the couples stenciled initials. 

Lemon and Red Velvet cupcakes.

Linking up to Seasonal Sundays, Amaze Me Monday, Open House Party, Feathered Nest Friday and Susan's Tablescape Thursday