Get ready for a lot of photos!
And you can find a link to a back log blog post at the bottom!
September 22, 2019
My visit to Colorado is coming to a close, and I’ve been so grateful to visit friends, colleagues, and the mountains.
Biking through town I would often stop to say hello to the Poudre River.
On a tour of the bike trails Eric and I stopped at the Environmental Learning Center’s property, where I once led nature hikes for kids.
And no Fort Collins visit is complete without enjoying the local brews.
At home we enjoyed brisk evenings with a fire and roasted marshmallows.
On Saturday a group of friends joined us on a hike in Red Feather Lakes, which greeted us with wide open vistas, cows, and the beginning of fall colors. I do love the Aspen gold.
A grass fire burned nearby while we were visiting Colorado, a subtle reminder that fire is always present in this ecosystem.
Our roommates’ puppy is much bigger than when I last saw her, however she’s still as snuggly as ever. You can compare to her photo from February.
It’s amazing to visit this prairie for many reasons. For starters, there is only 0.1% of original tallgrass prairie that has never been plowed. The Nature Conservancy preserved two remnant prairie sites, and has steadily collected more property and restored over 4,000 acres of tallgrass prairie. An amazing success story, I highly recommend a visit as the prairie is open to the public (except for the bisons’ field).
September 25, 2019
On Elizabeth’s suggestion, we stopped at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois, and I’m glad we did. Jumping from the tallgrass prairie to the woods, we visited a whole other world with forests, canyons, and waterfalls.
Absolutely gorgeous, and for an early morning mid-week, it felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. Definitely worth the trip.
September 26, 2019
We’ve almost finished our road trip!
We stopped at my aunt’s house in Indiana after the hike. It’s always great to catch up with family, especially when we’re always on the move. A meal of spaghetti and venison sauce, a plethora of critters, puppy love, and chatting late into the night made us feel like home.
September 27, 2019
We made it to Virginia! And I’ve technically posted this before the week is over – 2 for 2! I will try to post earlier in the next week. Cheers!
Ripples and Leaves 