The last weekend of September is typically the peak weekend in Colorado for fall colors, and there is no better place than the Aspen area to view them. So a friend and I made a spontaneous decision to cruise over on a saturday morning and spend a short weekend. my friend's name is Kate Smyth and she is from Melbourne, Australia. she is (was) living in Boulder for six weeks to train for the Chicago Marathon, and ultimately the Commonwealth games in 2006.

The drive over Independence Pass was spectacular, with the yellow and golden aspens bathing in warm afternoon sunlight. We had to stop several times along the way just to take it all in, as every turn brought new vistas better than the last. We had a great dinner in Aspen (turns out Kate and I share similar tastes and passion for food) then drove back to the foot of the pass and found a free campsite on the Lincoln Creek road. We tossed our sleeping bags on the ground and slept under a rising moon.

The next day we visited the nearby Maroon Bells, before driving to Glenwood Springs for a soak in the hot pool. On the way home we stopped in Vail for dinner and so Kate could see the famous ski area. Kate had never really visited the u.s. (except for a trip to flagstaff), so it was fun taking her on a tour of Colorado. The Aussies are great travelers and maintain a sense of enthusiastic curiosity everywhere they go. traveling with her reminded me why i love where i live and also why i love visiting new places.