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Adventure In England: Part Three

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Hello again! Time to dive into the third segment of images from our England trip this summer! Only one more to go after this!

After spending just over two weeks in Exeter we shifted gears and hopped on a train headed north with an end destination of Windermere. We made a pit stop in Birmingham where one of our friends is from, and he showed us around the city for the afternoon. I didn't bring my camera with, unfortunately, but I did take a bunch of images with my phone. It was really neat being in Birmingham for even just a little while, after spending all of our trip in smaller towns up to that point. This history and architecture of the city were incredible, and they have done some really cool things updating/modernizing areas as well.  

The next morning we were up and moving again, on the train heading still farther north to Windermere. We arrived in Windermere that evening with just enough time for a quick hike, so we took advantage of that, along with the good weather, and explored around a little bit.

I was in awe of the landscape there, with the vast rolling hills and intense green surrounding us. The views of the city, farms, and lake below us were absolutely stunning, and no matter which direction I looked it made me stop in my tracks just to take it in. It was also a really unique experience because the trails are on private farmland, amongst the animals, and you use steps placed in the stone walls to continue on the hike. 

Next Up: The final piece of our trip, with images from our big hike through the Lake District. Tune back in for some historic pubs and architecture, friendly farm animals, and stunning Lake District views!

Mount Elbert

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Time to go back to my first weekend living in Colorado again! And to give you fair warning, there are images of an adorable, sleepy puppy towards the end of this post, so prepare yourselves. 

As mentioned in the last post, my best friend, Blair, and I spent the weekend camping in Twin Lakes, CO, with the goal of hiking Mount Elbert. Mount Elbert is the tallest peak in Colorado, standing at 14,439', so it was an exciting goal for my first weekend as a Colorado resident. We drove to the trailhead as the sun was just coming up that morning, and started hiking in the brisk morning air. 

It was a long, rather deceptive hike, with false summit after false summit (or so it felt). But, we kept hiking away, slowly but surely, taking in the incredible scenery and views as we went. 

The summit was absolutely stunning, and made the long hike up worth it. Unfortunately, we still had to get down (the worst part, in my opinion). Blair and I were both exhausted, partially from Stella's (the puppy) seemingly never ending energy. Yet, as we worked our way down, even she started to look completely worn out (somehow not until around tree line though). When we stopped to take breaks towards the end of the hike, Stella would promptly lay down and nearly fall asleep. 

We eventually made it all the way down, drove to a gas station for firewood and other provisions, and then made the short drive back to our campsite. The clouds and light over Twin Lakes on the way to our site were beyond spectacular. So, despite our complete exhaustion, we stopped so that I could grab a few images before heading back to collapse and eat dinner. 

The following morning we, unfortunately, had to pack up and head back to the real world. We enjoyed a somewhat lazy breakfast, packed stuff up, and drove out. The water on the lakes that morning was like glass, creating a perfect reflection of the surrounding area. I snagged a few shots out of the window as we drove past, sad to be leaving that amazing place so soon. 

Ferguson Farm

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Last weekend Scott and I went to visit his parents on their farm. We were only there for one night, though we were treated to some amazing clouds and light that evening. Walking around the farm to photograph on evenings like this is absolutely soothing; it calms me and rejuvenates me. The quiet and solitude of the area are often times just what I need.

I also took some self-portraits on the same evening, which I will be sharing on Wednesday. Be sure to hit the "Subscribe" link on the left to keep up to date, and feel free to share this post via the link below!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Estes Park (Mountain Views)

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Time for the second installment of our latest Colorado trip!

Normally our trips to Colorado revolve around the mountains and adventure. This time, however, we were in Denver for the entire week, and only saw the mountains from a distance a few times (they were covered in clouds nearly the entire time as well). That Friday, the day before we had to head back to Kansas, Scott was finally done with all of his obligations (and relieved after having a successful interview), and we had no plans until that evening. Since we hadn't really seen the mountains yet, we spontaneously decided to at least drive to Estes Park to get some mountain air for one afternoon.

It had been rainy all week, and was forecasted to be cloudy and rainy on that day as well. The mountains on the drive to Estes were so incredibly green and magical with the clouds low and dense, swirling around with the breeze; it was like a dream. Despite the incredible beauty with the rain and fog, we were pretty excited when the clouds broke to show off some of the mountains surrounding Estes after we arrived. The sun warmed things up pleasantly as well, making for a perfect afternoon. 

We grabbed lunch at one of our favorite Estes spots, and then wandered around some of the shops, trying to decide what to do with the rest of our day. Scott has a minor obsession with Longs Peak, so we decided to drive up to a lookout area to check it out before heading to Boulder for dinner. 

Unfortunately there was a patch of clouds that was hovering around the peak, never breaking up enough to allow us to catch a glimpse. We stood and watched for a while as they moved past, but the clouds were dense over the mountain and the Diamond and summit area never were visible. I took a few pictures, but then mostly photographed Scott as he looked on. (I think he looks like he belongs in a Barbour add in these images.) 

We then headed back to Boulder, via a bit of a random, backroads way. It brought us down some narrow, windy roads past some tiny little towns, all through dense fog and rain. It was beautiful and dreamy, though admittedly I wasn't the one driving, which was probably fairly stressful. 

This fall I will be moving to the Denver area, and am so very excited to be only a short drive from sites like these. Now to find a job and place to live (does anyone out there need a photographer or live-in nanny??).

Happy Monday all!

lilacs mean spring.

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I know, more flowers on the blog. It's spring though, so everything is bursting with life and I can't get enough. I photographed these lilacs that are in Scott's yard with my phone a few weeks ago, and then posted it on Instagram with a story behind it. I decided I needed to also document them with my good camera, and am now getting around to sharing them here, along with the words that went with them. 

Lilacs are some of my absolute favorite flowers. Besides being beautiful and smelling amazing, they bring me right back to childhood. 
My parents have always had HUGE lilac bushes in our yard for as long as I can remember. So every spring, no matter where you were in our yard, it would smell amazing. With the windows open the scent would even waft into the house, and my mom would cut some stems to fill the house with beautiful purple and that amazing scent as well. Spring for me smells like lilacs. 

My elementary school also had a massive grouping of lilac bushes next to the playground. They had been hollowed out in the middle so it acted as a cave of sorts. It was by far my favorite spot to play during those years, and though I don't remember specific stories, I do remember spending nearly all of recess each day inside the lilac cave. It was an absolute highlight from elementary school. 

No matter where I am, when I smell lilacs in the spring it instantly makes me a bit nostalgic and more than a bit homesick. It is amazing how something so simple can bring back such strong memories and feelings.

Does anyone else out there have strong memories associated with flowers? Or even with a particular season? I would love to hear your stories as well! 

Happy Monday!