Photo`s from our 2 week trip out to Colorado in June

[Jim43]

We left on June June 13th our 19th wedding Anniversary expecting to drive 500 miles to Gorden,NE

for our first night. Turned out the motel I had booked had overbooked and we were left without a

a room for the night. So we pushed on and Stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Alliance,NE. Much

nicer and adding the days drive up 579 miles. June 14th we were booked at the Mountain View Hotel

in Centennial,WY. Historic old Hotel, was really nice till 2:30am when the Church next door started

playing piped music for an hour. We were up early and headed over the Snowy Range Road HWY130 WY.

Climbing up over 10,675ft. Plenty of Snow left up here.

Snowy range Wyoming

Next morning after heading over the Snowy Range we were heading for weeks destination in Colorado out

at Granby Ranch on the 16th green of the head waters Golf Course. This place was incredibly beautiful.

Could wake up to this place the rest of my life easily. We took a side trip up to Grand Lake to kill

some time since we could not check in till 4pm.

Trip to Granby,CO from Centennial,WY

Spent the next day getting unpacked and relaxing at the house since weekends in the mountains of Colorado

the weekend warriors from Denver take over and the place is a Zoo, Granby Ranch is really cool since they

open up the Ski hill to Mountain Bikers in Summer and have some awesome courses set-up.

Downhill and Cross-Country Mountain Biking

Here is the home we rented for the week.

150 Fairview Drive, Ski & Golf Paradise

Monday took us our first trip up into the really high country of Rocky Mountain National Park. $20 and you get a

7 day Pass to enter the park. Great deal. We drove up Trail Ridge road and drove over 2/3rds of the way over to Eastes

Park before the Crowds drove back west. But it was an incredible drive, Most scenic mountain drive we had ever seen.

Rocky Mountain National Park 6-17-2013

Tuesday the 18th we decided to take a road trip down to Silverthorne, Dillon and Frisco in the heart of Summit County

Colorado Ski Country. Was a beautiful drive and we took a new route home over Ute pass that was cool when at the top

of the pass we stopped to pictures and discovered a UH-1 helicopter delivering telephone poles to a crew on the ground

high up mountain slope getting ready to set it. Have video of it and will add it when ready.

Road trip to Silverthorne,Dillon & Frisco

On Thursday we decided to make the trip over the top on Trail Ridge road down into Estes park for the day. Talk about a

night and day traffic situation from western to eastern sides of the park. Was real Zoo in Estes Park and hung out for

a couple hours walking the River Walk and exploring the shops. My wife loved it, my son and me could not wait to get out

of town and back up the Mountain. Another beautiful mountain drive day.

Trip over the top and back to Estes Park,CO

Saturday was our last day at Granby Ranch and we headed north to Laramie,WY for a stay at the AmericInn. Nice Hotel but

very busy this time of year just off I80.

Trip from Granby Ranch to Laramie 6-22-2013

We took our time coming home planning 5 nights to drive back to MN. Really did want to return home.From Laramie, WY we went

on down to Scottsbluff,NE and my 2006 Honda Odyssey Surprised us with the best mileage it ever recorded. 31mpg. Then again

it was all downhill and we were fully loaded with the AC running the trip.

Laramie to Scottsbluff journey

From Scottsbluff,NE we decided to head north into the southern Black Hills, never seen the southern Black Hills

so we booked a night at the Hot Springs,SD USA Stay Hotel. Another really nice Hotel. We explored the area had

a good time.

Scottsbluff to Hot Springs,SD

Early the next morning we took off for the drive to Murdo,SD and stopping along way at Ellsworth AFB South Dakota

Air & Space Museum. Morning light was awesome and we there in time to watch a B1 bomber taxi out and takeoff on a

mission. Talk about LOUD. Had never heard to full Military power takeoff of a B1 before. Was AWESOME.

Hot Springs to Murdo,SD

While Staying the night at the Best Western In Murdo,SD we decided to wait till early morning the next day

to tour the Pioneer Auto Show Museum, even meeting the owner who my son happens to his brother who works our

High School he goes to after finding out where we were from. Even gave him a couple free frisbees and Hat.

Pioneer Auto Museum,Murdo,SD

Our Final night was spent in Mitchell, SD at the Holiday Inn Express with waterpark. My son loved it. Cabelas

was next door and Walmart,Menards and we ate supper at Whiskey Creek Steakhouse, awesome food. Next morning

we drove the final 236 miles back home. Stopping in Sioux Falls at Falls park and again in MN at Redrock Dells

park to take photos of the falls.

Falls park, Soiux Falls,SD and Redrock Dells.MN

Many of the shots taken during this trip were taken in HDR format. High Dynamic range photos that use 3 images to make

one shot using Photomatix software to make the shot merge into one.

Used my GoPro HD Hero2 on one drive over the top of Trail Ridge Road. Here is the video sped up by 300% down

to 7 minutes versus 23 minutes.

[eyeguy 54]

Looks like a great trip!

[polarsusd81]

We just did a very similar trip but didn't take as much time driving out and back. We stayed a week at the Mountainside at Silvercreek in the Granby Ranch. So much fun out there. Fished lake trout with Bernie Keefe, drive to Estes Park with 6 in a van, hiked several trails, wildlife watching. Lots of fun, and looks like you guys were experiencing the same great times too. Did you guys hit the rodeo just outside Granby Ranch on Saturday when you were there?

[Jim43]

We just did a very similar trip but didn't take as much time driving out and back. We stayed a week at the Mountainside at Silvercreek in the Granby Ranch. So much fun out there. Fished lake trout with Bernie Keefe, drive to Estes Park with 6 in a van, hiked several trails, wildlife watching. Lots of fun, and looks like you guys were experiencing the same great times too. Did you guys hit the rodeo just outside Granby Ranch on Saturday when you were there?

We pulled into Granby Ranch that afternoon, was to wiped out from all the

driving to much of anything after getting unpacked. We did see it setup

and ready go for the evening Rodeo though. House we rented on the Golf

Course was an amazing place. Perfect for using it as a base camp to get out and explore. We went over the top on Trail Ridge road 2 times. Love

it up there.