When I think of Colorado I think of beautiful autumns in Aspen. I think of skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing. I think of the mecca of outdoor activities. I think of sunny cloudless skies. I think of an entire state so liberal they legalized weed before anywhere else in America. After my third visit to Colorado It’s not as new and different as it once felt. But it is still special to me nonetheless. My first visit to Colorado was 2 years ago. I had never seen the Rocky Mountains.

The common area at The Ember Hostel in Denver

For my most recent trip over the New Years Holiday I stayed the first two nights in downtown Denver at a fantastic hostel called Ember Hostel. I could not recommend it more. The common area was one of the most luxurious I’ve ever seen with wood floors, colorful pattern walls, (did I see gold trimming? It might have just been the Christmas decorations), fireplace, reading nook, leather sofas, and even a cappuccino machine. To my great surprise, this is the first hostel I’ve ever stayed at which had a large hot tub which I used both nights of my stay. I had an early first night, but not before a little hot tub dip, a little conversation around the outdoor fire pit, and a little weed.

In the morning I was quick to make two friends during breakfast to whom I discussed my plan to spend the day hiking and taking photos. They were down to join. Andreas and Justin were their names, from Copenhagen and Alabama respectively. Justin even offered to drive. We came up with a good plan for the day and stuck to it pretty well. Our initial idea was to do a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park called Emerald Lake trail. The problem with that was, after doing some research and a phone call to the local mountain shop, not only was terrain going to be tough and icy but the roads had not even been plowed due to President Trump’s shutdown. We had a feeling that Justin’s 4x4 rental could handle the unplowed road but we decided to come up with a plan b just in case.

So, the real plan for the day became to drive north past Boulder and stop by a nice town called Lyons. We had heard it was a nice pit stop on the way to Estes Park (just outside Rocky Mountain National Park). Then continue to Estes Park where we would find The Stanley Hotel, made famous for being the inspiration to Stephen King’s The Shining as he was a frequent guest there. We knew that we would still have about an hour or 2 to kill at this point. And we decided we could choose from many nice landscapes we’d see on the roads back to Denver.

Andreas snapping a photo on side street of Lyon, Colorado

We soon arrived in Lyons. It was a nice small town with small red mountains half surrounding it on one side. There’s a couple little sandwich shops, art shops, food, ice cream, bars and restaurants. We decided not to stay too long although we could have spent the whole day drinking and eating there. Instead we grabbed a fresh sandwich from St. Vrain Market and Deli. This was a great choice. Andreas and I couldn’t resist ordering the same thing. Turkey, swiss cheese, apple, with honey mustard on marble rye. Was great.

After about an hour in Lyons we decided to get back on the road towards The Stanley Hotel. We stopped once in a while at scenic overlooks.

Eventually we made it to the hotel. It was just after noon and the skies were a bright blue. The hotel is not like the film. I don’t think any scenes were filmed here. But I’m not certain. We were able to explore quite a lot. It did not feel big. I think the hotel maids were so accustomed to tourists that they simply embraced us. They practically took us by the hand and showed us room 217. The room where Stephen King frequently stayed. There’s even a framed photo of the famous author on the dresser. The corridors had reddish and gold pattern carpet with all the off-white trimming. It was a little creepy but it’s not that hard to make an old hotel creepy. Don’t forget; they say it’s haunted. Altogether, we spent only about 30 minutes in the hotel.

Finally we had about an hour and half before the sun was to set. We decided that on our way back south to Denver we would stop to take photos just off the main route 36 south in Altona where we saw some long stretches of empty roads and large vistas towards the east. In the end I was glad we spotted this location because this photo ended up being my favorite photo of the day. Could have been due to the blue hour sky as well.

The rest of the evening consisted of weed, cold medicine, whiskey, hot tub, and fun conversations. I really like Ember Hostel. I was really happy to hear Andreas and Justin really enjoyed themselves and were happy to have joined me. So much so that Andreas was already decided on joining me for next morning’s photo adventure.

The next morning Andreas and I met in the common area during breakfast. Many other guests were getting ready for some New Year’s electronic festival that was happening in Denver. I’m not sure the name of it. But Andreas and his friend Robbie decided to join me. It was then that I learned both Robbie and Andreas were volunteers at the hostel. They worked in return for room and board. I was hanging out with the hostel’s employees all along.

The plan was to visit Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Then grab lunch in Colorado Springs and end with a sunset hike at Garden of the Gods located 10 minutes east of Colorado Springs.

I had always wanted to see a show Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Unfortunately while the entire venue is open to the public there aren’t any performances during winter . It does not feel like an amphitheatre. It is literally made within the rocks. The Amphitheatre itself is like a hike in a park. There’s a beautiful view overlooking Denver. Without a doubt, no other theater I’ve seen compares to it. It’s definitely one of a kind and I’m very glad to have visited. I love the photo I got of Robbie sitting in the stands with the large Red Rock just behind him. You might notice these guys did not have any problem being photographed.

We continued on our way to Colorado Springs. About 90 minutes south of Denver and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. We hit a bit of traffic and had to hurry with our lunch from downtown Colorado Springs. It’s actually a very large city but with a modest downtown area to the west. After our sandwich from East Coast Deli we hurried off to Garden of the Gods before sunset. I wish we would have arrived earlier. I did not expect it to be so big. It’s a great place to spend the day. You can hike, picnic, run, or relax. Garden of the Gods is famous for its large red rock formations like behemoths billowing out the ground. You can drive around the park a visit other areas of large rock. I’m not even sure I drove around the entire thing. It’s just so easily accessible and I imagine locals often visit weekly or even daily just for a walk or an early morning jog. You’ll notice in the photos how the sky eventually approached golden hour. I did not get as many photos as I hoped. I guess I was overwhelmed and with little time as the sun was setting upon us. And yes it was still cold. It was always cold.

We ended our day with a pint from Tony’s. A large local sports bar. If you want a flat beer and a burger with a big screen to watch the game, go here.

The boys hopped on a Greyhound back to Denver. Don’t forget, they have to get back to work at the hostel. I continued another hour south to Pueblo. I arrived safely in the evening to my friend Jess’. She owns a modest two bedroom house just outside the city center. Jess saved up for it working in Pueblo as a high school math teacher. I was happy to see her and even happier to get some rest. I had been suffering from a terrible cold. Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.

The next morning, after a delicious breakfast at B Street Café, a hip, retro, and small diner in downtown Pueblo, Jess was happy to spend the day with me driving around and showing me the area. Before we left I took a photo just outside the entrance to the café of a standing clock. Also located across the street was the town hall. A snow storm was upon us so we weren’t going anywhere fast. It was a very memorable snowy drive. I enjoyed myself window watching. We stopped and tried to get a couple photos. I got a shot of a rundown pickup truck in something of a reverse silhouette with the snowfall. We drove as far as a town called Beulah where the snow was coming down so hard we had to turn back. But not before getting a couple photos outside the Beulah Inn restaurant. We stepped inside to use the bathroom. They weren’t serving food at the moment but preparing for the evening’s festivities. It seemed like a cozy and friendly place. They had wood burning in the fire place to keep warm during the snowfall. We then drove to Pueblo Lake which is surrounded by a dam. You can drive up to the base of the lake. It was freezing cold and I only had moments to find a couple compositions. I took some decent photos. But for some reason I wasn’t completely happy with them. We ended up returning the next morning and taking the same exact photos in the same exact spot. It was worth it. The fresh snowfall in the morning made for a great photo and it’s actually my favorite from the entire trip. There’s a log in the foreground and Jess is posing in the distance.

Earlier that day we made reservations for New Year’s Eve bowling. We had a great time. I love bowling. We played from 6-830. Then grabbed a pint at the local watering hole. Jess isn’t much of a drinker and we headed home at about 10pm. I didn’t mind. We stayed up watching Birdbox. Such a fun film! And that’s how I spent my New Years. Watching Birdbox high and a bit drunk on the sofa in Pueblo Colorado.

Another fun fact about Pueblo I’d like to mention is their Neon Alley. You can see it in the adjacent slide show. Just like the name would imply, it’s a large alleyway in the downtown which is lit up at night by dozens of large neon signs. It’s a really nice landmark. Each light seem to have some sort of pop culture significance. I remember a King Kong, Aladdin, and a McDonalds sign. It’s must see if you’re in the area after dark.

The next day I was sick and Jess drove us to Trinidad, near the border of New Mexico. I was sick, I saw Trinidad, I took terrible photos, I got back in the car, we returned home. That was the whole day. Happy New Year.

My last day Jess and I found time to just relax on the sofa in the morning. It was a nice sunny day. I waked and baked with edibles. Not sure if it was a great idea but I had fun. We watched Gleaming the Cube on the TV and had a bunch of laughs and it was a nice way to end our reunion. We said our good byes and I headed up north towards Denver. I had an hour to stop in Garden of the Gods one last time and explore a bit more on my own. This is actually the time during my trip that I was alone. I made it to Denver international at about 7pm for my overnight flight. The end.

Pueblo Lake. My favorite photo of the trip.

I’d like to conclude this blog entry by saying thanks to everyone I met on this trip. I arrived in Denver alone but was with company during my entire stay. Everyone I met not only encouraged my photography but wanted to be a part of it. Thanks.