Well, let's kick off our Colorado tour with one of my favorite places on earth - Bear Lake, in Rocky Mountain National Park. Peaceful, serene, and perfect.

 

Antero Reservoir.
Colorado doesn't really have lakes. The whole state basically points downhill (that is not a political or social statement). So any water that isn't moving was forced that way by human intervention.

Anyway, I always thought this picture looked like some sort of painting you might see in a roadside art show...

 

The obligatory ranch sunset photo, as required by law for every photographer wannabe and B-western movie shot in Colorado.

 

 

Colorado Springs is located at the eastern base of Pikes Peak. On the way to the Peak, you can wander through Garden of the Gods, a beautiful natural garden of rocky ridges, desert vegetation, and wildlife.

 

A little bit of Western hospitality...

 

 

 

 

 

You don't need to go too far out of town to get away from the city. Here's a spot on the western side of Pikes Peak called Eleven Mile Canyon (guess how long it is...)

 

 

 

 

 

I like this picture because it represents an unusual determination. Somehow, in the midst of a rocky ledge, one unlikely seed was determined to grow into something big, something people would notice...

 

Thought this was just a little bit spooky.