We left early Saturday morning, got to Rifle around noon, checked in, and headed up to Rifle Falls to fit in a hike before dinner. It was absolutely beautiful up there, there are three waterfalls all in the same area, and then you can hike up behind them as well as up on top of them. It's an easy hike, because we did it with a two year old, but well worth it. It has natural caves around the waterfalls, and sites from ontop are gorgeous!
This was taken from behind the waterfall, there were two crazy people who climbed down in the waterfall, which is illegal by the way. I had to get proof, especially since one was practically naked.. and hiking... smart. 
This was behind the waterfalls again, there was a hidden cave, and Mikael decided to go exploring, it was a tiny opening, and he almost didn't fit. 
Maile was very concerned he was back there, and couldn't see him very well. 
After exploring behind the waterfalls, we went up and started the hike to the top of them. This is Maile's first rock climbing attempt.. she did well, Daddy was proud. 
Then we came across a little brook, and to take advantage and cool off the toes. Maile was thrilled with it!
We made it to the top and back down, and the whole hike took about two hours, with a lot of stopping, and picture taking, it's an easy hike, which is exactly what we needed for Maile. There were some areas with steep steps, and rocky terrain but that's too be expected. I took a bazillion more pictures, you can see the rest to the right hand side under Faris Vacation 2009. There's a ton though i warn you :).
After the hike, we started on our way home, but decided on a slight detour and visited the Rifle Gap lake, our park pass was good all day so we thought why not! We didn't have any swim gear, but it wasn't exactly a swimming lake. Regardless it was cool, and we taught Maile how to skip rocks... we skipped rocks, she just learned to throw them :) HA HA. She loved the waves getting her feet, and the bouys on the sides.
The next day we headed up early to Aspen to visit the Maroon Bells, we had to stop at a resort, buy a bus ticket, and take the shuttle bus the rest of the way up, I guess they were getting way too much traffic up there, and the area was getting very beat down. i can't imagine why, it's absolutely gorgeous up there!
While on the hike, which can be as long or as short as you'd like it to be, we took the short version :). We found this little note, I found it intriguing, what hoop was found, and where are they going to return it too?? It was a beautiful area as well, Maile I think was a little wiped out from yesterday so we carried her more than we did the first day, it was also a little rockier of terrain as well.
Tired girl!
The next day we headed up early to Aspen to visit the Maroon Bells, we had to stop at a resort, buy a bus ticket, and take the shuttle bus the rest of the way up, I guess they were getting way too much traffic up there, and the area was getting very beat down. i can't imagine why, it's absolutely gorgeous up there!
While on the hike, which can be as long or as short as you'd like it to be, we took the short version :). We found this little note, I found it intriguing, what hoop was found, and where are they going to return it too?? It was a beautiful area as well, Maile I think was a little wiped out from yesterday so we carried her more than we did the first day, it was also a little rockier of terrain as well.
Tired girl!
While waiting for the bus on the way back, Maile found a lost little piggy, and adopted him as her own. She is fascinated with the little guy, she held on to him for the rest of the trip, and even today, she hasn't lost him yet. Amazing, considereing he's the size of my finger nail. She loves him though. 
We stopped for lunch in Aspen at Hickory House, which is Mikael's all time FAVORITE restaurant in Parker, so he had to try it out in Aspen as well :). Maile was super tired by this point, so lunch was a little quicker and grumpier than we would have liked but hey that's life with a toddler, you gotta work around her, and up until now she's been pretty adaptive to all the new changes. So we got back in the car and headed up to Glenwood Springs, Maile was asleep immediatley! Mommy took advantage and got a little shut eye as well, poor daddy had to drive ;(.
We stopped for lunch in Aspen at Hickory House, which is Mikael's all time FAVORITE restaurant in Parker, so he had to try it out in Aspen as well :). Maile was super tired by this point, so lunch was a little quicker and grumpier than we would have liked but hey that's life with a toddler, you gotta work around her, and up until now she's been pretty adaptive to all the new changes. So we got back in the car and headed up to Glenwood Springs, Maile was asleep immediatley! Mommy took advantage and got a little shut eye as well, poor daddy had to drive ;(. Once we got to Glenwood we visited the little shops and treated ourselves to some ice cream, Maile choose the most obnoxious flavor ever, it was super colored red, blue and yellow, and pretty much stained her whole face and hands. Mommy chose a nice orange sherbert and Maile stole that half way through her ice cream. The shop had the cutest chairs too, their old saddles.. Adorable!
After our refreshing ice cream we went on one more hike, a short one only 1/2 mile, but it was the hardest one yet. Maile was carried the entire way, it was VERY steep. Up to Linwood Cemetary to see Doc Holiday's gravestone. He's not actually buried where the gravestone is but somewhere in the cemetary, they just don't know where. It was cool though, people have left whisky bottles, poker chips ,money, cards, and cigars in rememberance.
On the way down Maile was being very helpful trying to keep us hydrated. So very nice of her.
Then after that exhausting hike, we had to do a little clean up business and in the middle of nowhere, you just gotta find the best possible spot. Maile didn't seem to mind one bit. She thought it was pretty cool! She actually didn't want to get out.
We headed back home for the night, and we all literally dropped, all of us where exhausted, but had so much fun. The next morning we took our time getting ready and headed out the door to go up to Glenwood Springs, we went to the hot springs pool which was and experiance, the water was like 95 degrees, and smelled like sulpher, and tasted like ocean water. However, since it was actually a chilly day, it was nice to be in a warm pool, you didn't get too warm and if you did you just got out for a couple minutes and it was perfect. Maile loved, the steps as usual, out in out in out in. I loved that it was relaxing, a nice end to a busy trip.
After our refreshing ice cream we went on one more hike, a short one only 1/2 mile, but it was the hardest one yet. Maile was carried the entire way, it was VERY steep. Up to Linwood Cemetary to see Doc Holiday's gravestone. He's not actually buried where the gravestone is but somewhere in the cemetary, they just don't know where. It was cool though, people have left whisky bottles, poker chips ,money, cards, and cigars in rememberance.
On the way down Maile was being very helpful trying to keep us hydrated. So very nice of her.
Then after that exhausting hike, we had to do a little clean up business and in the middle of nowhere, you just gotta find the best possible spot. Maile didn't seem to mind one bit. She thought it was pretty cool! She actually didn't want to get out. 
We headed back home for the night, and we all literally dropped, all of us where exhausted, but had so much fun. The next morning we took our time getting ready and headed out the door to go up to Glenwood Springs, we went to the hot springs pool which was and experiance, the water was like 95 degrees, and smelled like sulpher, and tasted like ocean water. However, since it was actually a chilly day, it was nice to be in a warm pool, you didn't get too warm and if you did you just got out for a couple minutes and it was perfect. Maile loved, the steps as usual, out in out in out in. I loved that it was relaxing, a nice end to a busy trip.
We got home around 3 and Mikael and I got ready to go to the Def Leppard concert at Fiddlers Green, I'll post that next :).
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