Day 341 - Pink

Thought of the day: Aspen was a great place to visit once in a while but it didn't feel like home to me. Since the town was pretty small, the choice of stores was pretty limited. I left part of my camera battery charger at home and I had been shopping around for the replacement part all around town but couldn't find one.  The only camera store in town didn't carry it either.  It was pretty costly to live here, too. I think I would feel stranded living in a town like this, even one as beautiful as Aspen, for a long time. In any case, after a couple of days of visit, I was happy to return home to Boulder today.

Photo of the day:

Lila holding a pink umbrella on a lawn in Boulder. She was happy to be back home again too.

Day 340 - Maroon Bells

Thought of the day: Maroon Bells. So that's where people go when they visit Aspen in the fall.  It's hardly surprising that this is the most photographed place in Colorado. The mountains are decorated by layers of colors at the base.  In the stillness of an early morning, the mountains and forests are reflected on the lake in their full glory. It's an irresistible place for hikers and photographers alike. We have never been disappointed when we visited here and I know that we'll be back again and again.

Photo of the day:

Lila walking towards the Maroon Bells.

Day 339 - Gallery

Thought of the day: We took a hike in the forest today. It had been hard to predict the best days to visit Aspen in the fall. We had been here last year when the fall colors were in the prime. This year we picked the same weekend to visit but the reds were not quite here yet. We did get an abundance of yellow, green and many shades and colors in between. To our surprise, throughout the day, we didn't see any other hikers in the forest.  Indeed, other than the occasional booming sound made by all terrain vehicles nearby, the only sounds we could hear were the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds. It was good to be here.

Photo of the day:

A couple having dinner in a restaurant in Aspen downtown near an art gallery.  There were some nice autumn paintings on display behind the windows.

Day 338 - Independence Pass

Thought of the day: It is a beautiful day to drive up Aspen.  Fall is my favorite season to visit Aspen. At this time of the year, the sky is crystal clear, the air is cool and fresh, the light is brilliant and the fall colors are plentiful.  In addition, there are not as many tourists as in the peak seasons of winter and summer. All of that make it a perfect time to pay our annual pilgrimage to Aspen. 

Photo of the day:

We took a brief stop at the Independence Pass on the way to Aspen this afternoon. It was chilly but the view was great.