#hirstcoloradoadventure Day 3

This day ended up being one of our big adventure days and we had so much fun! We knew we wanted to do something special we wouldn't normally do so we started throwing out the idea to go horseback riding in one of the towns we visited. We decided to do it in Vail since we were staying 2 nights and had a full day. There were a lot of good looking stables but we ended up going with a 1 hour ride at Vail Stables and it couldn't have been more perfect.

Our ride started at 9 am on Monday morning so we got there around 8:15 and watched them get the horses ready for the day. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day and we couldn't wait to get on the mountain! The employees at Vail Stables were so nice and accommodating - they really helped me feel confidant on a horse and I loved how they treated their horses.

Stephen was getting some go pro footage for us 

We finally got on our horses - I had a super sweet and calm horse named Yeller and then we were off!! We couldn't believe we were like legit climbing a mountain with a horse but thankfully, the horses were pros. We went for an hour ride through a mountain with the most beautiful views! An hour ride was really the perfect amount - we were hurting by the time we got done lol

After our horseback riding, Stephen wanted to hike a trail that he did with his intern friends one summer. He told me it'd be 2 miles up to a waterfall and then 2 miles back down. I figured this would be no problem... except 2 miles in FL is 100% different than 2 miles in the Rocky Mountains. Oh my goodness, it was basically a vertical climb 90% of the way and so difficult. Stephen didn't remember it being that hard and poor guy had to hear me complaining and gasping for air the whole hike up. Thankfully, the falls were beautiful and we got some great pictures.

All smiles before we knew what we'd be facing...

The falls were beautiful but we were so glad when we made it down off the mountain and headed over to Vail for lunch. We ate at a Big Bear Bistro in Vail then walked around the town before heading back to our hotel for naps. After waking up, we heading back to Vail Village to walk around and get dinner. We split the best pork shank at Mountain Standard before calling it a night.

You can see Day 1 of our trip here and Day 2 here

Linking up with Jessi

#hirstcoloradovacation Day 2

Like I said yesterday, this day was going to really set the tone for the entire week and how we'd handle the altitude. On our way to Vail, Stephen wanted to take me up to Mt. Evans. Now I will preface and say we drove to the top and walked the 300 ft to the top - we did not climb this mountain. I literally would've died if we tried to climb it. The beginning of the drive was so pretty - so many lush trees then once you passed the tree line, it was pretty barren. After passing the tree line, the drive got quite scary as you're literally on the side of the mountain with no guard rails... thankfully, Stephen did an amazing job making it up and down the mountain.

We made it to the top and had such a great time taking in the scenery and realizing that we successfully made it and didn't feel sick!

While coming back down the mountain, we made 2 pit stops at some beautiful areas to get some pictures before heading back into town for lunch.

Excuse the side mirror - I was snapping these as we were driving

We had to stop by Echo Lake and get some pictures - it was SO beautiful!!

I'm so glad I made the last minute decision to buy this jacket - it was a lifesaver and matched just about everything I brought. I also bought these jeans last minute and they were amazing! It was colder than it was supposed to be so I ended up wearing them more than I'd like to admit and even after hiking, they held their elasticity. They were stretchy which helped immensely with hiking and crawling around but I never needed a belt to keep them up later in the week!

We finally made it back into the city at the base of the mountain for lunch. Idaho Springs was an adorably small city and we had a great lunch at their local brewery, Tommyknocker.

After lunch, we hit the road for our next location - Beaver Creek which is in Avon, CO and right outside of Vail. I have to say, we LOVED Beaver Creek. It was the most beautiful area, it had it's own little downtown and was so family friendly. If we ever went to CO with our kids, we'd go back to Beaver Creek and stay there. It was also a quick drive down to Vail so we had the best of both worlds :)

Since we were staying 2 nights in Beaver Creek, we decided to splurge a little more so we stayed at The Pines. It was a beautiful hotel and the rooms were so quaint - we even got upgraded with an amazing view! The hotel below was right next to ours and it kept reminding me of Beauty and the Beast.

The view from our room!!

After checking in, we took a quick nap and then headed out to Beaver Creek's little downtown area to explore and grab some dinner.

It ended up being about 10 degrees colder than we anticipated therefore we were freezing at night because I didn't pack enough warm clothes! We loved the views so we braved the outdoor seating. This night, we ate at the Beaver Creek Chophouse and then walked down to the fire that was in the middle of the town so we could warm up.

See Day 1 here