[Image] Last post of our Colorado trip! It's been fun to think back to it as since we've been back we've been sick and have had more routine work. It sure is nice to get away and have some fun memorable times.

On our last day we went up to the Maroon Bells, a really scenic area managed by the Forest Service. We took a rare family photo.

[Image] Then we managed to get a photo of our whole group. We sort of look like marmots, don't we, sunning ourselves on the rocks!

[Image] My brother Ed and I hiked the scenic loop and found the source for the lake water--a huge spring that started out of nowhere.

Afterwards we decided to check out Aspen and then head up to Independence Pass, the second highest pass in Colorado with a paved highway, at 12, 095 feet.
[Image] The wildflowers were at their peak, and I sure wanted to go hiking up to some of those mountains! Hopefully I will be back.

[Image] Desert Girl did a little hiking with her uncle.

[Image] Some random dude next to the sign. Note the bicycle--there were tons of cyclists on both this road and the Maroon Bells road. It sure would be fun to get in good enough shape to ride those roads!
I have a nearby road I should start practicing on.

[Image] Then it was time to see off the grandparents, who were traveling back to the Midwest via Amtrak.

[Image] I recognized the conductor from our train trip the previous year. The grandparents got to have some interesting train adventures on the way back, becoming misconnects. My brother got a ride from an old friend to Denver, and then we were headed west.

[Image] Our first stop was Rifle Falls State Park, which had a super waterfall. It also had another really fun attraction in its 100 acres: caves.

[Image] They were all small caves, and Desert Boy delighted in exploring. Okay, Mom did, too.

[Image] I found the water line in this cave fascinating. (and I tried to ignore yet more dirty clothes!)

[Image] We could see the falls from the entrance of one of the caves.

[Image] We took the trail and enjoyed the hike that goes up and around the falls.

Then it was back into the van and driving time.

[Image] I couldn't resist a photo of the Utah dinosaur sign. Desert Boy was very excited about seeing dinosaurs, as we had decided to take a roundabout way back so we could visit Dinosaur National Monument. As it turned out, the last shuttle to the quarry left at 1:15 p.m., so we couldn't see it. The main visitor center that is being built to replace the condemned one won't open until October, so we went into the small temporary one and saw a couple dinosaur bones on display.

[Image]Desert Boy also earned a junior ranger badge, his first one. We'll have to go back to see the quarry and explore the beautiful canyons and take a rafting trip in the national monument.

We had lots more driving to get home, with nothing noteworthy on the way. It was good to be back home, but we sure enjoyed our trip a lot!