shave ice & gelato

We have had a lot of vog here in Hawaii since I have returned from Colorado. The one bright side of vog is beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Last Friday when I was driving home, I could not keep my eyes off of the sky. I was mesmerized and so grateful to have witnessed such beauty. I knew it would be too late to capture the sun setting by the beach, so I pulled off and took these photos of the sky as the sun was beginning to set.

I mentioned in my snowshoeing post that I took a bunch of photos outside while waiting for my uncle to arrive.

I took these around the corner and towards the back of the store...

This sign hangs out on the deck of the store. I don't think ice cream is served this time of year.

While my uncle was loading his bike into the car, I took a bunch of photos trying to capture the ice melting. Here are a few of my favorites.

...and here is a close up of that last drip

Almost every day while I was in Steamboat, the weather was sunny with beautiful blue skies. There even were a few warm days (or at least warm for wintertime in the mountains - 40's rather than in the teens and below). Of course, the one day my aunt & I decided to walk around downtown, the skies were gray. Even so, I think these photos capture winter and the Christmas spirit in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Looking towards the ski area...

I took this one quickly while in the middle of the road, crossing the street...

Howelsen Hill behind a group of shops...

Close up of Howelsen Hill, a famous spot for ski jumping...

Looking towards Sleeping Giant (west end of town)...

Continue reading "downtown Steamboat" »

She hid from me during most of my stay with my aunt & uncle. She finally came out to visit me the last morning in I was in Steamboat. Isn't she sweet??

Her face got a little distorted as she came towards me in this photo...

Continuing with my Steamboat trip....

Since there was little snow to be found in town on Friday, we went in search of winter to go snowshoeing, something else I have not done in a really long time.

My uncle got a head start, riding his bike.

We met him in Clark at the Clark Store. While we were waiting, I took a bunch of photos that I will share in another post. After my uncle arrived and loaded his bike in the car, we headed on, climbing altitude a bit towards Hahns Peak to find more snow and a place to go snowshoeing.

First, we went to Steamboat Lake, but all the places to park charged a daily $7 fee park pass. We decided to try another area nearby instead. Our fun began though before leaving the Steamboat Lake area when we got stuck in a ditch. Fortunately, I was with experienced snow people and we eventually were able to get the car out of the ditch (of course with no help by me, who sat in the car wondering if we would be there all night freezing in the cold car). Here's the evidence of the ditch we were stuck in.

After a short drive, we arrived at the Pearl Lake parking area. There we found the same sign, charging a $7 daily park pass fee. We parked outside the little parking lot, hoping that way, we would not have to pay that fee since we were only going to be there for a few hours at most.

I have only snowshoed a couple of times before. It is a lot like hiking. This time I was in much better shape and was excited for the outdoor adventure. My uncle & I snowshoed while my aunt went on cross country skis.

It was a little chilly when we first got our gear on, but with the activity level, it warmed right up as long as we were in the sun. I took my DSLR camera with me, which meant I could not fall. That along with trying to figure out how to pee without getting any on my snowshoes in the snow were my two big challenges. I took lots of photos along the way (none of me peeing of course!).

My aunt...

My uncle...

My snowshoes...

My tracks...

Continue reading "snowshoeing" »

The other night after our wagon ride and dinner, we went outside to fly two sky lanterns.

They are like miniature hot air balloons. It was pretty dark outside, so my photos are not the greatest.

Tonight is my last night in Steamboat. We will drive down to Denver tomorrow, stay overnight, and then my aunt and uncle are dumping me at the airport for my flight home. I have had a great time this week. I have done a lot of things I have not done for a very long time. This will be a vacation I will not forget.

Buon Anno! ~ Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! ~ Happy New Year everyone!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!!

Late Tuesday afternoon, we went out to Carpenter Ranch for a wagon ride and dinner. The original plan was to go on a sleigh ride but there was not enough snow on the ground for a sleigh ride. It was pretty chilly outside when we arrived. Everyone bundled up, putting on extra layers, ski pants, jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, etc. There were about 40 people invited so we ended up going in two shifts. I was nice and warm sitting in a hay bale under a warm blanket. Beautiful horses, fun ride, nice scenery, and great company.

Continue reading "wagon ride" »