Flashback: Venice Beach and SoCal Skateshop

Halloween Week, 2012

Ending the day at a beautiful outdoor restaurant. 

For herbivores like us, California is a food paradise!

Day 13: Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Cruz

Always wanted to drive this road.

Arriving in Santa Cruz

Derby Skatepark in Santa  Cruz

We spent the evening biking around Santa Cruz, checking out the town and shops, and eating some amazing veggie food at Dharma's Restaurant.

Day 8: Mountains to Canyons to Mesa

We are loving Colorado.  Our friend took us on a great 2 mile climbing hike up to Lion's Head rock in Minturn, CO.  We learned about mountain sage and native trees, saw evidence of and effects of pine borer beetles that are killing off lots of trees throughout the state, picked and tasted thimble berries, saw bear claw marks on aspen tree trunks, and learned more about our friends' jobs with the forestry department.

Matt and the kids had been makin fun of me the last couple of days for reading so much about altitude sickness, but I think all of us except Seth really were feeling a little of the effects of the high altitude & dry air during our hike:  we were short of breath more easily than we would have expected and a bit headachy.

Lion's Head Rock

 View from first lookout  point

 Aspens

 Taking a break at the second lookout point

Nature Love

 Arriving at the top:  Lion's Head Rock

 Maya, Robert, Seth, and Matt

 Maya does the sprinkler everywhere she goes

 I Spy our RV

The return hike down the mountain

Next we went to  nearby Edwards, CO to a skatepark.  

We took a short bike ride to get some lunch.  My favorite thing about Colorado besides the natural beauty there is the system of bike trails to get around everywhere -- within towns, between towns, for transportation, recreation, and wellness.  Definitely made us want to be on our bikes more!  

Sore and exhausted, we started the drive toward Grand Junction, CO which would be our stop for the night on our way to Moab, Utah.  As we left the mountains, we were in for more beautiful views along I 70 through Glennwood Canyon.

 Colorado River!!!

Glennwood Canyon

We stopped off at the Grizzly exit where there's a walkout to the Colorado River.  

 Cold water!

As we approached Grand Junction, CO at sunset, the scenery changed again to mesas.  Colorado completely blew us away with its beauty and diverse landscapes.  Not sure my eyes could have taken in any more amazing sites today!

Sunset lighting up the mesa.

Grand Junction, CO