My adventure this summer was another trip out West first to South Dakota and then a drive through Wyoming to Colorado. In South Dakota we ended up in a freak spring snow storm (May 21) where the area got 1.5 feet of snow. On the first heavy night of snow, try as we might, our rental car got stuck on the side of the road on our way back to the cabin. The snow was very wet and we came to a full stop because we missed a turn off toward our cabin and we just couldn’t get the car (despite 4-wheel drive) back into the rut that would give us the traction to get us home. And so our rental car was stuck on the side of a desolate mountain road for about 12 hours until the locals could come and plow the roads and pull us out. Our hope was to visit Custer State Park and or Badlands and or Spearfish Canyon for hiking and appreciating nature but the snow storm prevented all of that. We did have a wonderful birthday celebration for my sister-in-law and we spent the greater part of one day snowed into our cabin. We had a massive day-long game of family monopoly. It was fun in its own right! 

Invariably the snow melted and we headed west and south through Wyoming toward roughly Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Our overnight was in Saratoga, Wyoming and I got the chance in the early morning light to take some photos that are definitely more in my Photos by Frances style. The weather was gorgeous and the town was deserted and the North Platte River is spectacular. 

Our ultimate destination was a cabin in Redstone, Colorado and we had the luxury of spending a full day hiking along Avalanche Creek, which was just a couple of miles from the cabin. I fell in love with this area of Colorado and can’t wait to go back! Highlights of the hike included seeing a mama hummingbird in her nest and a bear (!) at the trailhead who was very obligatory toward the paparazzi gathered there to take photos (I didn’t get a good one).