Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 5

 In our last week, we did a lot of hiking, enjoying being outside in the perfect weather.

Both of our baby carriers got a lot of use on our hikes. When G got tired, he hopped on one of our backs and rode in the Ergo.And Miles loved the baby backpack we bought.

 Kent rented a bike one day and did some mountain biking. Some day this guy will go along with his dad.

The boys enjoyed splashing in this very cold mountain stream.

Bye-bye Telluride! We couldn't have had a better trip.

Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 4

During our second week, we ventured out on another road trip--this time to Mesa Verde National Park about 2.5 hours away. Mesa Verde is the site of a number ancient, well-preserved cliff dwellings.

The drive there--through the San Juan Mountains--was picturesque.

After lunch we hiked to Spruce Tree House, an easily accessible site. Others required lengthy tours, tight spaces and climbing, which wasn't an option with the boys on this trip. G was happy to run around the ruins and look for lizards.

Cliff Palace (below) was one of the more spectacular sites.

 Driving around the park, we saw miles and miles of dead trees like this left over from a forest fire in 2000.

Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 3

After the rain showers on the 4th of July, we had cool, rainy days for several more days. The sun typically came out in the morning, and the clouds rolled in by early afternoon. We still spent a lot of time outside, going for walks and hikes and, of course, riding the gondola.

One of our (Kent's) best ideas was buying a baby backpack for Miles. M loved being able to stand up and see things from our vantage point. And we got to venture out on longer hikes. 

This was a park on the edge of Telluride where Grant enjoyed watching ducks and throwing rocks.

We saw a herd of wild elk along the road one day.

We discovered via Facebook that a good friend of Kent's from law school was also in Telluride with his family, so we met up for dinner one night. Grant enjoyed playing with their 2.5-year-old daughter, Ava. The guys also golfed on another day. Grant thought hitting golf balls and riding in the golf cart was the best thing ever.

 Here is Miles learning to walk at 10,500 feet.

Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 2

After a few days of resting and recovering from our travels, we decided to take a short road trip to the town of Ouray, about an hour away. Ouray is nicknamed "Little Switzerland" because of the towering mountains that surround the town. It was stunning.

We spent most of the morning hiking around Box Canyon Falls, where we saw the amazing waterfall from several vantage points, including a bridge above the falls

It must be said that Kent was the hero of the day, carrying Miles in his arms most of the way on the steep trail that led to the bridge above the falls--while holding Grant's hand. The Ergo carrier, a lifesaver when Miles was a baby, is just not popular with this squirmy, active guy these days. 

After our hike, we had lunch in the courtyard of the lovely, historic Beaumont Hotel.G thought this fountain was as cool as the waterfall.

The next day was the 4th of July, so we ventured into Telluride to get a good spot for the town parade. It was hard not to get into the spirit of the day, as the whole town packed the streets for the celebration. It was a beautiful setting.

 By the time the parade got under way, poor Miles was exhausted and fussy, so we left early. It turned out to be a good thing, because moments after we got onto the gondola to head back to Mountain Village, it started to rain, which continued most of the afternoon. This was a good thing for Colorado, which has been fighting several terrible forest fires this summer.And because of the fires, there was an open fire ban (even smoking outside was banned), so there were no fireworks that night.