Happy Saturday to all! A big thanks to Natalie of Natalie the Explorer for hosting WeekendCoffeeShare this weekend.

It was a wonderful birthday week this week. In fact, it was probably one of my favorite birthdays ever. Not only did I got some alone time but I also got things done, like giving my car some love by getting an oil change, finally spending some precious time at the local garden center, which claimed to be one of the largest native plant nursery around, and going to see some fall colors. Not on the same day, of course, I think I would be exhausted if I did all those things in a day. I went to the nursery the day after my birthday.

After getting an oil change for the car, I stopped by Starbucks to claim my birthday breakfast. It was a hardy breakfast wrap. I knew I would need it. I also got a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappucino for a drink before getting back on the road, heading toward the mountains.

The night before, I found a website that would show me the foliage color level. This will help me decide where I want to go to see maximum colors. The route turned out to be the same route I did on July 4, 2024 and that’s where I went.

Since time was of the essence and I had to be home at a certain time, I didn’t want to stop too much along the way but this view made me pull over and grab my camera. I will admit, Mother Nature knows how to put on a show.

I wanted to first check out a spot I haven’t been in about 5 years. I first discovered this spot during the Labor Day weekend of 2018 and it promised some spectacular fall colors but when I got there, it didn’t impress me. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it before or maybe the yellows and greens bored me. So I went to my next spot.

Unlike the road I took to get up to the canyon, this road had nowhere to pull over, hence the term, Scenic Backway. I ended up driving to the top where I parked the car, then I re-traced my steps back down the mountain road to get all the pictures I wanted. It’s the whole reason I want to do this alone. My mom and aunts would never approve of such action. They also don’t have the patience to allow me to get the photos I wanted. Slowing down to compose each picture can make a huge difference.

After this road – Guardsman Pass – I entered Pine Canyon. Every second of driving is a photogenic view. If there was anywhere to park, I would park the car and just walk the entire length of the scenic backway to the town of Midway. In so many ways, I thought Pine Canyon was more beautiful than Guardsman Pass. The layers of dark red felt like the mountain’s personal touch.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the aspens and its golden hues.

After Pine Canyon, I criss-crossed my way across the town of Midway toward Cascade Springs, one of my all-time favorite spots. Unfortunately, with time being so limited, I opted out of visiting Cascade Springs and instead, I went to the next view point along the road, which was Deer Creek overlook.

The view at this spot looked a little different than at Pine Canyon. The mountains look like it has a carpet of fall colors draped over it, don’t it? The pumpkin was a cute touch and I could tell it’s been here for a while. Still, makes an unique photo.

After that, I continued driving down the scenic backway until 2 PM, which was the time I gave myself of which I must turn back and get home. With traffic, it took almost 2 hours to get home. Despite wishing the day was a little longer, it was one of the best thing I can ask for on my birthday.

Anyway, I appreciate you stopping by. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead.