Beaver Creek, Colorado

On August 23, 2018 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Colorado4 Comments

Beaver Creek is a resort town located in the Colorado high country that is a perfect place to visit regardless of the time of year. During the winter, it has wonderful skiing and snow boarding as well as an ice-skating rink in the center of the village. In summer, you can find golf, biking, and hiking for those who enjoy outdoor activities. We have been to Beaver Creek several times and have never had a bad experience. It can be a little bit more expensive than some other resort towns in Colorado, but for the extra cost you get the benefit of reduced crowds.

IMGP2584 — Hiking in the High Country of Colorado

The village of Beaver Creek has an old-world charm that is very welcoming and creates a relaxing atmosphere. Our favorite time of year to visit Beaver Creek is actually in autumn when the leaves are changing and the town is quiet. There is a lull in the mountains of Colorado during the fall as people recoup from a busy summer season and prepare for the crucial winter ski season that usually kicks off in late November. The weather in the mountains is also wonderful as it usually cool, but there is also the possibility of an early snow storm.

IMGP4420 — Gondola to Take You and Your Bicycle to the Top of the Mountain

There are certainly plenty of restaurants in town and if you want something different, you can get out of the resort village and head into Avon, which sits below the resort village. One of our favorite restaurants is the Dusty Boot Roadhouse, which is a steakhouse and saloon that is in the heart of the village. One of the things that we like about it is that visitors can purchase beers for local resort workers and have them added to a tab that is tracked on a blackboard (at least the last time we were there). That way they can come in whenever they want and redeem a few beers from their tab without it costing them any cash.

IMGP4419 — Looking Down at the Village in Late Spring

We have hiked and biked all around Beaver Creek and it is certainly beautiful. We have also been fortunate to see deer and other wildlife on many occasions while we were there. We have also seen hummingbird feeders in the village with many of the fascinating birds flitting around for your entertainment while stopping for a glass of wine and sitting at one of the outdoor tables. There are also several places with firepits where you can sit outside, even on a cold night, and enjoy a beautiful sunset. And if you are in the mood for shopping, there are plenty of locally owned shops to buy Colorado specialties.

IMGP2670 — One of the Lodges Where We’ve Stayed

IMGP2508 — Hotel Balconies and Colorful Mountains

Regardless of the time of year, we love Beaver Creek. There are many choices for lodging in the village area as well as a couple of mainstream hotels, but these aren’t going to be massive buildings as the resort tries to keep a small village feel. We definitely look forward to our next visit to this beautiful town nestled at the base of the mountain.

IMGP2596 — View of the Village in Autumn

Mueller State Park in Colorado

On August 17, 2018 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Colorado3 Comments

We certainly love hiking in Colorado and one of our favorite destinations is Mueller State Park, which is in Divide. We always plan a trip for this time of year as the Aspen leaves turn to a vibrant golden-yellow. We are a few weeks away from our annual pilgrimage, but we have gone hiking in the park at least a dozen times over the years. Any time of year when the ground isn’t covered with snow is a great time to visit the park and there are trails to suit any level of hiker. There are also camping sites, but we would highly recommend making reservations in advance as they often book up during the busy seasons.

One of the reasons that we like hiking in Mueller State Park is that it has beautiful views of what we in Colorado Springs consider to be the backside of Pikes Peak. We have seen many different animals during our visits including deer and elk, but seeing wild turkeys was definitely one of our favorite memories. It is always a good idea to stop at the visitor center and talk to the rangers there about what trails to hike and which ones to avoid. Bears usually get active as winter approaches and they start foraging to store fat for their hibernation.

IMGP5130 — The Elk Rub Their Antlers Against the Trees

We certainly enjoy the beautiful autumn colors from many different places around the world and we will always remember how beautiful it was traveling down the Rhine River in Germany with all of the colorful trees. There is, however, something special about the vibrant colors of the Aspen trees against the backdrop of the pine trees and dark boulders. We would certainly recommend that anyone visiting Colorado Springs, if you have the time to make the 50 minute drive, go to Mueller State Park. Even if you don’t get out and hike, just driving through the park and seeing the incredible scenery is well worth it.

Sunsets Over Water

On August 10, 2018 By Living The Q Life Travel AdventuresIn Photo Challenge2 Comments

We really enjoy watching a pretty sunset regardless of where we are traveling. We have seen many beautiful sunsets with the sun slowly descending below the horizon. Although we enjoy the sunsets that turn the mountains into gorgeous silhouettes, there is just something special about a sunset over a body of water. Whether it is an ocean, lake, or river, these sunsets have an almost therapeutic effect.

IMGP4066 — Sunset in the Costa Del Sol in Spain

IMGP1859 — Sunset over the Pacific Ocean

Perhaps it has something to do with the humidity in the air that transforms these sunsets. It also helps when there are clouds in the sky as they also reflect the rays from the sun. The only problem with looking back at photos from previous sunsets is that it makes us wish that we were on the beach right now.