Day 98!

 Jim Thorpe, PA!

I've been here once before and I find it to be one of the cutest places. There's not much to it, just a few streets of shops and cafes, a train and a visitor center.

However just a little outside the town there is the Lehigh Valley river with whitewater rafting and the Lehigh Gorge with hiking trails. Obviously considered a difficult hiking trail, not much of a path here.

As in Colorado, I was hoping to see some animals in the wilderness. Sadly I only caught a glimpse of a Dan in the bushes.

While there were no wild animals there was an awesome water fall.

This is the bottom of the huge waterfall at the top of the trail. It's supposed to be beautiful and about 75 feet high. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to it. It would take a few hours to reach the waterfall and not as if I wasn't up for the challenge or didn't want to be outside that long, but really I wasn't prepared for the hike, lacking snacks, water and the proper shoes. Maybe next time.

The small one was pretty awesome itself.

























Randomly growing on a fallen tree was this cute little red mushroom.

After taking a 100 photos of the waterfall we walked back down the trail and I swear we found a treasure chest! It was pretty deep in the ground though so there wasn't a chance of us pulling it out. 

Scenic train ride!

How cute is this?

I'll say it again, there's something about old trains that freak me out at the same time I find them intriguing. 

For most of the train ride you couldn't see much because there were trees in the way of the river.  I still attempted to take photos either way,  Dan instead decided to take a nap. Psh lol.

If you are ever to visit Jim Thorpe, you should definitly do so in the fall. They have so much more going on in the autumn months, and being in the mountains with all those trees with their leaves changing, the scene is stunning.

"I know I've seen this day before, and I'm sure, I'll probably see it again."

The little bit of random...

I'm not sure why but I love this commercial. Like absolutely love it!



Anyone else agree?

The little bit of random...

Family photo time!

Some of these photos are mine and some of them are compliments of my sister.

This was taken about 15 minutes after we landed, we were taking a bus to pick up the rental car. You can tell how excited we were to be in Colorado. Honestly you could have put us anywhere and we would have been this ecstatic just to be out of Jersey for a bit.

Heather and my mom at the caves. Going to be honest, the caves weren't all the impressive. I've seen the ones in the Shenandoah Valley and those are amazing.

My brother always knows how to smile pretty for the camera.

Very deep in thought here.

This is a very typical scene for us. Confusion. We spend most of our vacations lost, even with a map.

We were the only people on this hiking trail not dressed like hikers, or using a walking stick. Obviously we are capable without.

Joe must have ruined at least 20 of mine and my sister's photos just walking through them purposely.

My mom is sorta famous...

we all needed


















a photo with her.
















Doesn't she look like she's going off on a quest?
























 Sometimes my sister and I are just soo cool. In person this discord color theme killed your eyes.
























We understood it.



















We obviously don't abide by the rules of the huge broom and dustpan.

Don't really get the point because you couldn't see a thing once inside, but I just had to crouch under the dome to see inside aquarium.

Colorado chipmunks are so brave. This little guy ate straight from my mom's hand. Then jumped on her lap!

Not to tattle or anything, but I wasn't the only one that HAD to touch the ice cold melting snow water.

The couple behind us were the first people to perform at the Red Rocks amphitheater. We sang nearly as good as them.

We never stop and ask strangers to take photos of us as a whole family, so our vacation photos usually only have three of us at a time. I'm not sure if it's because we are from New York/ New Jersey and don't trust anyone handing back our camera, or because we are in the city a lot and can't stand when tourists ask us to take photos of them.

This was taken with a timer so we could get the whole family!
From left to right: Heather, Aunt Honey, Me, Mom, Joe, Uncle Frankie.


















All in all I loved Colorado. It's so pretty and it seems that there is just so much to do, nature wise. However there are a lot of things they don't have that I am greatly used to in Jersey (like a beach and 24 hour diners!). So yes, I did miss Jersey somewhat, but I'll be honest as I waited for the plane at the airport I was trying hard not to cry. I really didn't want to go home just yet. I'm not sure if it was because I was upset vacation was over, I was leaving my aunt and uncle, or because I was heading back to the real world, and sometimes the real world simply sucks lol.


"When I lose all hope in Colorado."

Day 97!

Vacation day 7!

The last day of vacation as well as the saddest.

I can't explain how much I didn't want to go home yet.

So while I was in the house waiting for everyone to get ready so we could spend our last day in Colorado at Estes Park, I sat by the window using my zoom lens. As I attempted to take a shot of this flower, I noticed something move.

Now let me remind you, I was in the house, which was far across the street, and not directly across but there was a house and sidewalk and a little bit of a field between us. So I put my camera down to look and I completely thought I have finally seen a wild animal on vacation. A coyote! Quickly I zoom in with my camera and snap a shot. Without showing her my camera first, I called my mom over, as well as my sister and we are completely convinced in the woods we see a coyote! Yeah and then I zoomed in further at the animal on my camera to really looked at it...Not only is this animal fenced in to what seems to be someone's front yard, there is a collar around the animal's neck. So my coyote in all actuality was a German Shepherd lol. My mom denied it and was trying to convince me that it was a wild animal, but as I spied into this person's yard I could see the dog play fetch with a woman. Clearly he wasn't wild.

Still. Can't. Get. Over. The. Snow. On. The. Mountains!

Before heading to Estes Park, we stopped off at Lyons. A very cute town, but everything was closed since it was Monday. Psh.

There's something about old trains, they freak me out at the same time I find them intriguing. 

Are you sick of snowy mountain photos yet?

I took this photo on the way home from Estes Park, on I-25 N. This isn't the exact spot, but pretty close to it....So the entire vacation I had my camera with me, taking photos of everything possible. The one time I didn't, the one time I had it packed away so I could read directions to the airport was the one time I really really should have had it out. As we drove, I stared out at the fields, and out of no where a coyote walks out and is on the side of the road. A real coyote this time! Not someone's pet. I freaked out in excitement and couldn't get my camera out soon enough. It took me to the very last hour of vacation for me to finally see a real wild animal. It was pretty awesome.

"Can I just be here one more day, until my sunburn fades away? I'm taking pictures of everything to remind me of the place that's so perfect for me and I'm taking pictures of everything. So go ahead and take this place away from me."

Day 96!

Vacation day 6!

Outside of my aunt and uncle's neighborhood was this huge open area with prairie dogs! Despite the annoying holes they make, they are so cute! They wouldn't let me get very close at all, and they are extremely fast, so this was the best I could do with getting photos of them.

When we came home after taking photos of the prairie dogs, we saw the "kids" had left the nest! Even though they are adorable, don't they look like angry old men?

















I'm so envious that this is their view from their back yard, all farmland.

















 They even have cows!

















So southern looking (even though we were in the midwest). One of my favorite parts of the trip, I felt so country. We were driving in a pickup truck, down a country road, with farmland on both sides listening to country music. It was great.

















More children!





















Look how chubby the one on the right is. lol.



















My Aunt Honey is the sweetest person. Remembering I had a four leaf clover bracelet the last time I saw her, she gave me her clover ring, something to remember her by. She gave my sister a beutiful bracelet, and my brother was given one of my Uncle Frankie's rings. I love this ring.

"But to build a mountain, see I thought we all know you gotta dig a hole. Not everybody knows, we're just digging holes."

Day 95!

Vacation day 5!

I just couldn't get over the snow on the mountains. I was completely in awe by it!

I mean how crazy of a temperature change? It was about 93 degrees out, seriously wearing shorts and a tank top, and there's snow on the mountains!

















Red Rocks Amphitheater!

I would loooove to see a show with this kind of view in the background. Nothing that interested us was playing during our stay though. But I did get to watch sound check, which was pretty cool. 

This place sure as hell beats PNC.
























Doesn't the front of this scene look like Mr Rogers' Neighborhood? It totally does. Denver also looks bit hazy back there.

















When I took this photo I stood in my sister's way and when I asked if I was in her way she said "Nah, it's okay." But a girl behind her said under her breath "Yeah but you're in my way." You can always tell the difference between the tourists and locals. The locals are extremely nice (as well as extremely fit). While the tourists, not so much. She was obviously a tourist.

















My Aunt Honey and Uncle Frankie's house! That's who we were surprising. While they used to live in Virginia, in their various houses, we would visit my aunt and uncle nearly every summer. I loved going. They are probably the coolest older people, both hysterical with a lot of life experiences and stories. Also my aunt has a few stories of my Nanny (her sister who passed away) and my Grandmother (her friend, that too passed away) and I like hearing about them. But since they've moved to Colorado we haven't seen them in five years. So it was kinda awesome being there. I didn't get a shot of the house, not sure why, but here is a shot of their "kids". A swallow had made a nest above their door and laid two eggs. The birds are almost ready to fly!

















"Are you happy in Colorado, with the mountains? Did you like them? Did you find what you’re looking for?"

I had to use this song, it's about a girl in Colorado, while a boy is in Massachusetts. I obviously was in Colorado at the time, and Dan happened to be in Massachusetts. So fitting.