I fell SO lucky that we got to spend the weekend camping up at Blue Lakes near Breckenridge. We found this gem on Campendium and loved camping right around the tree line.

We lugged our tiny trailer up to the top of the dam which was a little sketchy on a narrow road but it was well worth it. The site was large, mostly level and gravel. Great for small trailers, vans or tents. We were joined by a couple other campers each night but there was tons of room!

On the way up we immediately saw Mountain Goats on the road, which was amazing!

We hiked down to Blue Lakes Waterfall which was an easy hike, perfect for our littles.

We also hiked up to the upper part of Blue Lakes around the dam.

We contemplated summiting Quandary Peak (above 14,000 feet elevation) but decided that was too much for us.

A little way around the lake was enough for us!

The best part was seeing all the Mountain Goats and their babies.

Cory got in some mountain biking and the trails are beautiful for running. The only thing missing is Oxygen!

Our campsite is magical….Mountain Goats visit us with their babies and the views are spectacular. Breckinridge has more of my heart now.

If we go again, taking Kermit up to the mountains!

Dirt bag summer going strong.

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Since we are halfway through our summer break I wanted to check with our bucket list to see how we are doing…

Not too bad!

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Did you make a summer bucket list?

Today marks exactly half way for our summer break and it’s going so fast! We will still have lots of summer like weather post going back to school but we won’t have lazy mornings and our mission will be more than just finding fun. We have been keeping that summer feeling alive:

We went to a summer story time at our local library.

Then we went in to borrow some fun books and movies.

Also the play patio is now open so we spent the morning playing and making new friends.

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We also visited a new to us splash pad, I just love this little girl so much!

Cannon had the best time, I love seeing him so happy and playing!

We joined some friends and that makes everything better!

When we got home I wanted to make our 4th of July trifle since we couldn’t make it while we were camping.

I really need to write up the variations I have made to this recipe.

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I have also been spending some time shopping for back to school. It’s so early, and I am not ready but if things are going to be personalized or bought from small shops lot’s of lead time is needed. Cannon needs a full size backpack.

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He also needs a full lunch box and we love our snack boxes from Stuck On You so now we are upgrading to the large size. They also have labels if you need some!

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How many weeks of summer do you have left?

Have you started thinking about back to school?

We were so excited to spend the weekend exploring a part of Colorado we haven’t spent much time in before. Cory had Friday off and Monday was also off for July 4th so we had four days to enjoy Aspen.

We decided to camp in Twin Lakes outside of Leadville.

When we arrived it was raining, typical for summer in the Rockies.

We found a spot that had amazing views of the lakes but also had some dirt piles. At first I was unsure but it turned out to be the best spot because the kids loved playing in the piles!

After about an hour the rain cleared and we got to really enjoy our camp site.

We went to  High Mountain Pies for dinner to have our favorite Crocodile Pizza.

On Saturday morning we set out to drive over Independence Pass to Vail. We stopped at the top which is the highest mountain pass in the US.

No surprise the views were amazing!

There are some trails to explore and a big parking lot so people can enjoy the sights.

We drove a bit further to The Grottos Trail Head.

It is a beautiful little trail and perfect for families.

On the trail you can explore some ice caves.

The ice caves were very cool to explore but not friendly for little kids. We made it in and back out but it took a lot of effort and some friendly strangers helping us out.

Cannon needed help the entire way and Emmy needed to be carried and the ice was slippery but it was worth it!

The rest of the hike was pretty as well, including a waterfall and views down into the ice caves.

After our hike we drove the rest of the way into Aspen where we walked through town up to the ski lifts.

Aspen is very dog friendly, Humphry was allowed on the gondolas and the city busses.

They view from the top is amazing.

We had lunch at the top of the mountain and enjoyed some kid friendly games and play structures.

After lunch we joined a guided nature hike, unfortunately Emmy was very tired (it was her nap time) and it started to rain a bit.

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We rode the gondola back down to Aspen and saw a little more of town.

We drove back to our campsite and made dinner, then went down to the lake.

Very exhilarating to end the day with a dip in an alpine lake!

On Sunday we got to see some Big Horn Sheep on our way back over to Aspen!

This time we stopped at the Independence Township Ghost Town along the way to learn about the Gold Boom that was short lived.

It was fun to explore the buildings and think about the very resilient people that lived here back then.

We spent the rest of the morning visiting the John Denver Sanctuary.

It was so beautiful!

Then it was time for us to head to the Maroon Bells.

We took the (free) city bus up to Aspen Highlands where we caught our shuttle to the Maroon Bells.

You either need a parking permit for before 8 am or you need reservations on the shuttle to visit because it is so popular.

It’s breathtakingly beautiful!

We would have liked to hike further but it was just too hot for our French Bulldog, he doesn’t do well over 70 degrees.

We then took the busses back to town and walked to our car. We decided to stop at a trail head on the way back to explore and rock climb.

We got back to camp in time to grill some veggie burgers and enjoy the sunset.

Better than fireworks!

On Monday we packed up drove home knowing mountain traffic would be bad (it was). We really enjoy these weekends away and love this state we live in!

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Where do you live and what do you love about it?

We were lucky enough to secure tickets to visit the Maroon Bells while we were in Aspen for the weekend and they were even more breathtaking than pictures can convey. It’s not surprising that these are the most photographed mountains in the US.

We wished we could have hiked more but it was just too hot and our dog was just not up for a long hike.

Hoping we can come back in the fall to see the colors and maybe leave the pup with family so we can take a longer hike!

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Where is the best place you have hiked? I can’t rank them but some favorites are: Switzerland, Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe, Oregon Coast, Moab, Whistler and now Maroon Bells.

We are off to visit the most photographed mountains in the USA 🇺🇸

Have a happy and safe 4th of July!

We are very excited to get out of town for Independence Day weekend. A long weekend to explore Aspen!

We are stopping along the way to spend some time in Leadville. Cannon has been talking about Crocodile pizza for a month now.

Anyone been to Aspen in the summer? We have not and are so excited!

We are spending the day hustling to get ready for a weekend away.

We are headed to Aspen for a long weekend and I am super excited!

We have only visited once in the winter of 2011 so it feels like the first time!

Before heading out we visited on of our favorite splash pads and playgrounds.

Emmy convinced me that she didn’t need a nap but then fall asleep four minutes into our car ride. She really doesn’t want to nap but really needs to most days.

We got Cannon a haircut and this was the post they gave me. The matching outfits were completely unintentional.

We had ice pops in the yard while waiting for Cory to come home.

I enjoyed Rob’s Leadman episodes 1 and 2 while getting in a short run.

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What are your plans for the weekend?

If you have kids when did they stop napping? Cannon stopped napping by the time he turned 3

Would you ever attempt Leadman? From the Leadville website:

I can say with hight confidence that this will never be something I will attempt. My big crazy goal is just to run a 100 someday.