A Phoenix Photo Diary.

Two of the four Conrad girls visited a most beloved little sister at her new school (!) in Phoenix last weekend. Good times and college nostalgia ensued (and possible heat stroke delirium).  

Nocturnality

Headlamps + 30 second exposure + lack of oxygen = magic.

Boulderado

So, some fun facts about Boulder:

-There is no motorcycle helmet law for anyone over 17 (state law)
-Liquor is only sold in liquor stores
-Elevation 5,430ft.
-Regarded as one of the most liberal cities in Colorado
-The flatirons are considered the symbol of Boulder
-Boulder is badass (fact)

Back in early August the fiance, younger sisters, and I made a 5-day jaunt to CO to visit my older sister and her hubs Carl. They live in Boulder where Crocs are fashionable and Subarus outnumber people (fact). No, but seriously, Boulder is awesome. It has that laid back vibe like everyone still lives in the '70s...and maybe even dress like it too. But it makes this place great. There are bike paths everywhere, a big outdoor pedestrian mall of shops (but the kind of shops that spell it 'shoppes'), an interesting blend of earth mothers and frontiersmen, and a creek that runs through the city. Then, of course, there is the landscape. Instead of an ocean to the west, the base of the Rocky Mountains majestically preside over the western border of Boulder. Need I go on?*

My two previous Boulder visits were during snowstorms, so a summer trip allowed for summerlicious activities. We inner-tubed on the slightly dangerous creek (a result of record rainfall), explored downtown Denver and Boulder, and spent one night in the Rockies - the highlight of the trip in my book. An hour away from Boulder, in the mountains is the trailhead to Heart Lake, elevation roughly 9,000 ft. We hiked a beautiful 4 mile trail amidst waterfalls and Colorado flora to Heart Lake - elevation 11,000ft. It was a splendorous adventure.

{street robot}

{high five action shot} 

{nailed it}

{Denver Art Museum}


{impromptu clay workshop. elephant}

{some ominous storm clouds moving in}

{boys braving the chilly creek}

{sisters at 11,000 ft.}

{Heart Lake, CO}

{water filtering is a group effort}

{scale}

{beauty shot}

{king of the mountain}

*No I don't work for the Colorado tourism board.

*The tardiness of this post can be blamed on the blogger html glitches. Blogger, (stink eye!)  

SLO: Fin.

We spent our last afternoon enjoying the awesomeness of the sand dunes just north of Montana de Oro State Park. If you have never been, I highly recommend making this little jaunt next time you're in town. Totally worth the climb.

{warrior shot}

{steep post-jump sand dune climb}

{nobody's tracks but ours}

{hubs-to-be all hwindswept}

{looking south towards Montana de Oro}

{he jumped}

{I jumped}

{me, dunes, ocean}

{Morro Rock in the distance}

{Morro Bay}

{Francis the giant looking down the sand dune}

{dune, late afternoon sun}

{splendorous}

{fin}

*Not pictured: a mostly enjoyable drive south save a laborious 2-mile stretch of the 10 that almost made me kill someone.