Dirt Roads ~ High Heels: Woke up in Kansas, Had Breakfast in Colorado

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Woke up in Kansas, Had Breakfast in Colorado

It's my birthday and I'll fly if I want to...I just had to. We left on an early flight to Denver, landing at 7:30 MST, grabbed our bags and our rental car and we were off to Denver. I wanted to stop by Snooze AM Eatery, one of my favorites places for breakfast for two reasons; I was hungry and I had to show the BF a must-stop place in Denver. It's our first time together in one of my favorite states, so I felt obligated to introduce him to what I like to call Colorado gems.

After breakfast we headed off to Golden, mainly to walk the cute little downtown area and explore the shops. Because we like to take the more off-the-beaten-path roads anywhere we go, we didn't see any reason not to do the same in Colorado. We jumped on US HWY 6 through the Clear Creek Canyon on our way to Idaho Springs. Once we arrived we stopped by the Visitors Center to get more info on camping and hiking in the area then made our way over to the Charlie Tayler Waterwheel and Bridal Veil Falls. This cascading frozen waterfall is made by water pouring over from Soda Creek. It plummets into Clear Creek which runs right along I70 and this time of year, is completely frozen. The Charlie Tayler Waterwheel was built by none other than the man himself in 1893. He used the wheel for his gold mining operations in Ute Creek. It was moved to it's current location after being restored and dedicated to Idaho Springs during their Gold Rush Days of 1988.

As we left Idaho Springs, we weren't quite ready to stop exploring so we headed into the Arapaho National Forest up to Echo Lake. Although the roads were closed once we hit the lake, we were still able to see the beautiful views. The lake was completely snowed over but made for a gorgeous winter scene being highlighted by the bright Rocky Mountain sunshine. On the way down, we stopped so I could do a little "rock climbing" because how can you not want to climb higher in Colorado?

As we made our way into Georgetown we checked into our little French home for the next 3 days, The Hotel Chateau Chamonix, located right on Clear Creek. We dropped off our bags, drove through downtown and headed up Guanella Pass. The views from the drive were breathtaking and if you want to see Georgetown from a different perspective, this is a must. As the sun was starting to set we made our way back to our room and enjoyed a little relaxation in the hot tub before heading to dinner at Alpine; a restaurant known for their pizza and mac-n-cheese. I highly recommend it!

By the way, did I mention I spotted a Big Horn Sheep high upon the cliff's along I70? With eyes like a hawk, I am always on the lookout! That day was not only my 38th Birthday, but definitely one for the books.