Category Archives: Featured

The Life Bus Returns from Portugal

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I have to be honest, Portugal was never high on my list as a place to vacation.…I always felt like ‘I will get there when I have exhausted all other travel options.’  I cannot tell you how dumb that line of thinking was. I just got back from a 2 week road trip through the country and I have to say, it turned out to be one of the greatest trips to Europe I have ever had. I started in Lisbon with my husband, and drove the entire perimeter of the country – overall about 1,300 miles, much more than I had anticipated.  Greg ditched me after 6 days for work reasons and I spent the rest of the time trying to read the guidebooks, street signs, and navigate the one way streets on my own.  I can’t lie to you, there were some significant moments of stress, but in the end, the amount of personal satisfaction and sense of adventure far outweighed the strange encounter with the goat herder, driving the wrong way on a busy city street and the countless hours of trying to find last minute lodging in a strange city in the dark.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had a difficult time planning the trip as very few of my friends and colleagues have been to Portugal.  I was at the mercy of the Lonely Planet guides to lead me on and off the beaten path.  I don’t know why, but I am always fearful of relying solely on a guidebook, probably because I have had some bad experiences in the past. I have to say, the peeps at Lonely Planet did a pretty good job highlighting the practical tips, lodging choices, and key experiences. As a reference point, some of the key cities I visited were, Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Aveiro, Obidos, Coimbra, Borcelo, Porto, Alamante,Manteigas, Marvao, Albufeira, Sagres, and Zambujeira do Mar.

What did I learn about Portugal?

  • It is a GORGEOUS country and is far more diverse than I ever imagined – Long, wide, soft sand beaches,dramatic cliffs, mountains, old world charm, historical ruins, castles, sophisticated cities, and vineyards.
  • It is an easy country to navigate in a car until you get to a city (regardless of size), then the street signs become a little less visible.  There are rest-stops with clean gas stations and restaurants about every 35 to 50 miles.
  • There are A LOT of tolls so I was grateful to have an ‘EZ Pass’ toll tag.  Saved me from digging for Euros at the toll stations.
  • The radio stations are the BOMB.  They play 2 or 3 English songs (Adele, Florence + the Machine, Michael Jackson, CCR, Rihana, Flo-Rida, etc) and will follow up with a Portugese song or 2.  I have never danced or sang in a car this much in my life!
  • It is clean and very tourist friendly.  You won’t see mounds of trash piled on the side of the highway and all of the lodging I found was extremely clean and affordable.  There are also tourist offices in every town to help lead you down an interesting path if needed.

What were the highlights? There were so many it was hard to pick but I managed to dig deep.

  • Porto has become my new favorite European city – it is an old, authentic city full of maze-like alleyways and colorful buildings.  The photo and exploring opportunities are endless.   I was never a fan of Port wine until I visited this fine city and visited one of the tasting rooms – Ferreira.  I ended up buying a vintage bottle of Port I can drink in 10 years.  I will be close to 60 years old when it is ready for consumption – probably not my finest decision.   The view of Porto from that side of the river is stunning, if you miss it you will regret it.

  • Driving solo through the Douro Valley wine region on a crisp fall day with blue-bird skies has to be one of the most liberating experiences of my life.  I rolled down the windows and cranked Dirty Diana on the radio (the Portuguese radio stations love Michael Jackson!).  Because I just missed the grape harvest season, the roads were empty and I felt as though I had the entire valley to myself. The views of the terraced vineyards were amazing and some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  The hotel Casa da Calcade in Amarante was my overnight stay in this area.  Trip Advisor gave it high marks, but I found it to be average.  Take into consideration they gave me the handicap room on the lower floor so it was no frills and dark (Why do hotels do this??).  I did have an enjoyable glass of wine on the patio near the pool with the scent of apricots in the air – perhaps that made up for the dingy room.

  • The velvety green mountains in the Serra da Estrala provided me with the feeling of home in Colorado, only with quaint whitewashed villages nestled in the valleys of the 5,000 ft. mountains, no fast food chains and few gas stations.  Given I almost ran out of gas in the middle of this grand terrain, I would suggest ensuring you have a full tank prior to making the drive.  I know what you are thinking – don’t ask, it’s embarrassing.  If you happen to get car sick, this drive just might throw you over the edge – the roads are steep and winding but worth the discomfort.  Every time I turned a corner there was jaw-dropping scenery.   I spent the night in a town called Manteigas and hunkered down at the Hotel Berne.  It was clean and cost me $35 + breakfast – what’s not to love about that?

  • Standing on the most Southwestern tip of Europe in Sagres was another one of those days that will stick in my mind forever. The cliffs, the blue green waves crashing against the rocks below and the feeling of being on the edge of the earth made it an unforgettable day.   As you can imagine, this part of Portugal is a little touristy (only slightly though), however, the drive between Lagos and Sagres will most assuredly provide you with plenty of off the beaten path beaches to explore.  I found 2 that I fell in love with.   Praia do Zavial is a little surf beach on an obscure road where I made a last minute turn – there must have been at least 10 surfers off shore waiting to catch the next big wave.  The second was Praia do Beliche where you descend 100s of steps to get to the sand – mainly because it sits between some dramatic cliffs which makes you feel as though you are in total seclusion.  It is so gorgeous, I could live there – right on the beach. Apparently you can also explore some of the nearby caves via a kayak or canoe. My crash pad in this area was in Albufeira which I would not necessarily recommend to visit (the town is unremarkable), however, there was an awesome Sheraton Pine Cliffs Resort there that I got for free thanks to my Starwood American Express points.  I didn’t leave the compound for 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed the beach and sunsets there.

  • The only 2 cities I could have passed on were Coimbra and Aveiro – I felt the guidebooks overrated both of these spots.  Coimbra is a relatively large city for Portugal and I did not find the university component to be the most interesting.  Apparently the way to see this city is on foot which I did not do.  Perhaps I missed out on a gem.  Aveiro they call the ‘Venice of Portugal’.  Again, maybe I missed something but the best thing I saw here was a girl walking her cat on a leash.  Come to think of it, that was the highlight of the entire day so perhaps the day in this city was worth it!
  • The other cities visited as noted above I would recommend.  The guidebooks cover those pretty well, they just didn’t make it to the top of my personal highlights list.

If you don’t have Portugal on your bucket list you should. I could literally go on and on about things I found interesting but if I put everything in the blog, it would be 5,000 words long!   Jump on the Life Bus and take a road trip through Portugal.  I think it is one of the best countries to explore in a car!

The Art and Color of Portugal

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I just spent 12 unforgettable days in Portugal and one thing I have to say is there is art and color EVERYWHERE from the stones used to pave sidewalks to thoughts and passions adorning the sides of buildings to 15th century architecture (or earlier!) – it just goes on and on….what a beautiful and special place.   Thought I would share some of my favorites around the country from Lisbon, Obidos, Cascais, Douro River Valley, Sintra, and Sagres – Enjoy!

Fall Color and Cathedral Lake, Aspen, CO

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Fall in Colorado is hands-down my favorite time of the year.   The air is crisp, aspen leaves are changing and it is the start of sweater and boot season.  There is nothing better than driving up to the mountains in mid to late September to witness the colorful change of the season.  My favorite place to go is Aspen, CO one of the most stunning mountain towns in Colorado.

My preference is to find a great hiking trail and soak it all in on foot.  One of the best fall hikes in the area is Cathedral Lake.   It is a difficult 6.4 round-trip hike as noted in the link, but the views are pretty gorgeous all the way up to the emerald green lake. Once you get to the lake, views of the ragged edges of the surrounding majestic peaks are abundant. The trek down, provides amazing views of the aspen covered valley below.  If the lake doesn’t interest you, the first mile or so will take you through a rather large aspen grove where the photo opportunities are endless.

The drive to the trailhead takes you through the pristine Castle Creek Valley which, by itself, is well worth it. The gently winding road is lined with aspen grove after aspen grove.  If you decide the hike is too much, you MUST do the drive at a minimum.  An added bonus:  You will pass by the ghost town of Ashcroft which was once home to 2,000 silver miners back in the day (specifically 1883).  It is a pretty well preserved historical site if you are into such things.

Key tips:  Start out early in the morning to find good parking and if you do so, wear warm layers as it will be cold up there. Be prepared for a potentially warm decent. Bring plenty of food and water – it is a strenuous hike so you might as well be hydrated and well fed.  Consider kicking back at the lake with a picnic and a good book.  Enjoy!

The Best Crabs You’ll Ever Have

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On our layover in Juneau between our East Turner Lake adventure and flying to Gustavus, we had exactly one hour before our plane left.  There was never any question between the four of us how we would spend that hour.  We literally ran from the airport gate to the taxi cab stand, flagged down a cab, and said “take us to Tracy’s Crab Shack.”  The cab driver raced through the outskirts of town to Juneau and careened up to the Shack.  We ran up and ordered 4 buckets of claws and Alaskan ambers.  (I’m drooling just writing this.)  Inhaling would be a good adjective to describe how we woofed down the moistest, most flavorful, meatiest crab legs you can imagine.  Tracy’s is a supporter of Alaska’s sustainable fisheries as well.   [slideshow]  Tracy’s King Crab Shack

We had our first taste of the divineness that is Tracy’s while we were in Juneau the night before heading out to East Turner Lake. The guide book had indicated good crab located by the cruise ships.  Both were understatements.The crab is amazing and the Shack is basically right up against the cruise ships right by the gang planks passengers use to load and unload from the ships.  It’s tiny size is dwarfed by the hulking ships a few feet away.  Tracy’s is one of those tiny shacks that make you wonder how they can produce the quantity and quality of the food they do.  Topping off the great seafood we had Alaskan ambers.  This was one of those moments you have to ask, does life get any better than this.

We jumped back in the waiting taxi and made it to the airport just as they were loading up the plane.  I think Greg is still in amazement at the fact that we spent $100 to get crab legs. Hope that gives you an idea of how good this hole-in-the-wall is.  To me, Tracy’s represents one of those places and times in a trip you just want to last forever.  Good food, good friends, great memories!  The spontaneous nature of this outing to Tracy’s is pure Life Bus living!

Hut Trippin’ in the Colorado Rockies

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One of my favorite things to do in Colorado in the winter is to ‘do a hut trip’.  What does that mean exactly?  Well, there is a backcountry hut system that includes 30 huts scattered about the Rocky Mountains.  These rustic cabins are located at about 10,000+ feet and have been built with love and care by the 10th Mountain Division Association.  Many have been built in honor of fallen heroes or deceased lovers of the outdoors. There is typically a write-up in the hut about how it was named – touching indeed.

What are the huts like?

The huts are log cabins (1,500 to 3,000 sq ft) and sleep anywhere from 6 to 20 people which means you are going to share the joint with many folks you don’t know.  Yes, sometimes you will find a person who wants to sing Puff the Magic Dragon after dinner – practice emotional intelligence skills and ignore.  There are typically a few rooms that sleep 4 to 6 at a pop and a shared common space where you put the kids or your friends who snore.

If you stay in one of the larger huts, there is a common area on the first floor where everyone congregates.  The common area includes bench type seating along the windows that show off the CRAZY beauty of the Rocky Mountains.  This is also where the kitchen ‘lives’.  The kitchen is equipped with everything you need from plates, coffee mugs, cookware, and utensils.  There is a fireplace as well. This multi-functional object serves as a way to heat the cabin, dry wet clothes and melt snow for cooking.

There is no running water, so you will not have a hot shower, bath or flushing toilet. You have a method to melt water via the fireplace as mentioned above and have to boil it on the gas stove in the kitchen to make it drinkable.

How do you make a reservation?  There are several ways to accomplish this sometimes challenging task:

    1. Go to the following link and go through the lottery process
    2. Go to the following link for reservations outside of the lottery
    3. Go to the following link to search the community posts for people who are looking to sell their spots

What mode of transportation is used to access a hut?

You have the option of  back country skiing or snowshoeing to get to the front door.  If you cross country ski, I would suggest your skill level be considered intermediate or above.  Routes are typically about 6 to 7 miles in duration and can include undulating terrain.  Many folks sign up for a ‘hut to hut’ trip and backcountry ski from one to the other.  That looks pretty cool to me, however, I am not a great cross country skier and I fear snowshoeing would not be nearly as enjoyable.

What do you do when you get to a hut?

    1. Ponder Life Bus activities
    2. Hang with friends and play games or chat about your favorite blogs
    3. Backcountry ski or snowshoe in the surrounding area
    4. Dig out a racetrack on one of the hills and sled like there is no tomorrow
    5. Read
    6. Nap

What do you bring to a hut?

    1. Sleeping bag and a pillow case unless you are ok with using the case that is currently on the pillow and used by hundreds prior to washing.
    2. Good food.  I have seen people make cupcakes using a clever backpacking recipe. If you go with multiple couples, you can plan who cooks what meal and lighten the load a little.
    3. Sleds!  Bring at least 2, there are plenty of hills around!
    4. Beer or wine is a must if you are so inclined.
    5. Trash bags as you have to pack out your trash.
    6. Appropriate cold weather clothing – don’t forget you are in the mountains where the weather can change in an instant.
    7. Toiletries you can’t live without.  Keep in mind, your backpack can get heavy QUICKLY if you don’t watch it.

It’s an interesting study of social behavior….people JUST KNOW what to do when they get to a hut.  Groups sort of magically disperse and respect other’s privacy and space. Depending on the experience of the attendees, rarely do you have to coordinate much with other groups.

Overall, this is one of the best ways to spend time with good friends in Colorado.  It’s cheap, physically challenging and a perfect way to spend a few days in the Rocky Mountains in the winter.  It doesn’t get much better than this!

Learn French in Guadeloupe!

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Have you ever heard of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe?  If not, no sweat, I never heard of it before Greg brought it up as a potential vacation destination. He was keen on learning French and loves the beach so he suggested we take French classes in Guadeloupe. I don’t speak a lick of this beautiful language so I decided to jump on the Life Bus for a really cool adventure of a different kind.

Guadeloupe is located in the ‘French’ Caribbean, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Martinique, St Martin and St Barthelemy.  This lovely country belongs to France so it has a distinct French atmosphere (very little English spoken) but with a Creole twist given it’s Caribbean location. The primary land mass of Guadeloupe is made up of two islands that are night and day. The Grande-Terre has most of the amazing white-sand beaches and the Basse-Terre is where you will find the less crowded brown-sand beaches and lush mountainous terrain to explore.  You can find out more about Guadeloupe via this simple link Guadeloupe Travel Guide.

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We picked Apple Languages as our language school of choice.  If you look at their website, you will notice they have options all around the world for every language imaginable. The school in Guadeloupe is located in the town of St. Anne on the Grande-Terre which is one of the nicer beach towns in the area.

OMG – our first day of class was priceless – we looked like deer in the headlights!  The purpose of these classes is to completely immerse you in the language, therefore, not one word of English is spoken – NOT ONE – not even hello.   Of course, we were the only Americans in the class and because we barely knew how to say ‘Je’, we ended up in the beginner class.   Based on the other participants, we should have been in the Beginner – Beginner class.  Everyone else was from Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands and already knew 2 or 3 other languages.

The experience was humbling and amazing all in the same breath.  The learning structure was very basic and they tried to make it as ‘simple’ and as enjoyable as possible.  I learned over the course of 5 days that French is a difficult language to learn. We did the standard vocabulary exercises where we would pick a word out of a hat and have to describe it in French for others to guess.  One of my words was Beyonce. After a few moments of humiliation and laughter, there was a great girl from Germany who got it after I said, “joli, noir, chanteur, grande derriere.” That was the best I could do with limited skills.

The instructor did a great job of forcing us to speak to her in French.  Every day she would ask us what we did the day before and some times she would ask us personal questions.  So, I reciprocated and asked if she had a boyfriend.   Apparently what I actually asked her was something about a preferred sexual position. Yeah, I stopped asking personal questions after that.

We learned how to read and write sentences and interpret different scenarios just like we all did in grade school.  In the end, after crazy amounts of laughter, we walked away understanding some basic French phrases and words.  It helped us when we got lost driving to the airport and had to get directions from the non-English speaking rental car agent over the phone.

French communities in Colorado are not abundant.  The one thing I would change, is that I would stay for a week or two (or longer) after class to continue to immerse myself in the language.  A family home stay would be ideal.

I HIGHLY recommend a trip like this, it may not be to Guadeloupe but to some other exotic location. This experience certainly challenged our brains and for once, we were able to order dinner in the local language with confidence and increase the odds we were served what we ordered!

Zermatt – A Bucket List Must!!

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I have to admit that when planning our trip to Zermatt, I was looking forward to going there but I wasn’t so excited that I couldn’t contain myself.  I felt more like it was going to be one of those “check-off-the-list” kind of places that we should see since we were going to be close by in the Berner Oberland.  I thought it would be an over-rated tourist town with an interesting mountain.  NOTHING could be further from the truth!!  From the minute Todd and I got to Zermatt we were entranced by the natural beauty of the surrounding scenery and by the loveliness of the town of Zermatt itself.  It has become one of our favorite places ever and one to which we hope to return many more times in our lifetime.  [slideshow]

Zermatt lies at the end of the Matter valley (Mattertal).  To understand the majesty of this place you have to know that the Mattertal is only about a mile wide at most and that the town of Zermatt sits at roughly 5200 feet.  This valley is surrounded by Switzerland’s highest peaks.  Rising up abruptly on all sides of this narrow valley are many peaks with at least 50 of them exceeding 13,000 feet.  As if these peaks, and the numerous massive glaciers, weren’t awesome enough, add the massive, looming presence of the Matterhorn itself and you can begin to understand why this valley takes your breath away!!  The Matterhorn is so much more than just an interestingly shaped peak.  It’s presence is everywhere you go in the valley and it’s history and grandeur are awe-inspiring.  Do I sound really enthusiastic about this place yet?

The town of Zermatt is the quintessential, immaculate, geranium-bedazzled Alpen mountain town you would expect from the Swiss.  One  thing that really makes the town nice is that it is off limits to all motor vehicles unless you live there.  The only other vehicles are these funny little golf-cart type vehicles they use to transport hotel guests and luggage around.  To get to Zermatt you leave your car at a very large garage in Taesch and take an easy train ride into Zermatt.  Don’t panic about leaving your car behind.  Remember, this is Switzerland and the garage is extremely safe and clean.  The town can be a bit touristy but only in the sense that there are quite a few people there in the summer and there are the typical Swiss watch shops, etc.  We really didn’t see any tick-tacky touristy shops selling cuckoo clocks made in China or anything of that ilk.

You really don’t come to Zermatt to just hang out in the town anyway.  You come to Zermatt to experience the Alps and the loveliness  of the outdoors here.  I should mention, however, that the town does have a wonderful, little, rustic museum that is well worth a visit.  It has information on life in the Mattertal hundreds of years ago as well as quite a bit of mountaineering history.  The rope used on the first ascent of the Matterhorn, which then infamously broke on the descent, is on display at the museum as well.  There’s a small cemetery by the church dedicated to fallen mountaineers as well. Quite sobering!

Obviously, the outdoor adventure options in Zermatt, and the surrounding area, are too numerous to list them all here.  Todd and I spent most of our time hiking the trails off of the Gornergrat.  The Gornergrat is a ridge of the Alps surrounded by 29 peaks rising above 13,000 feet and several glaciers, including the Gorner Glacier – the second largest glacier in the Alps. There is a cog railway that makes several stops on its way to the top of the Gornergrat.  You can hop on or off at several stops a long the way.  Gornergratbahn

This trip truly impressed upon me why the Matterhorn and Zermatt are as famous and iconic as they are.  I urge you to make sure your Life Bus steers towards Zermatt at least once!!  You WILL NOT regret it!!  Have fun!!

The Perfect Honeymoon – Hiking the Aspen Four Pass Loop

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[slideshow]If you’re looking for a honeymoon idea, let me suggest the Aspen Four Pass Loop as an option.  Of course, you should throw in your dear friend and her husband and a sister-in-law to boot.  Fellow Life Busers Pam and Greg and Cinda joined us for this adventure.  What honeymoon is complete without a sister-in-law in the tent with you? All joking aside, hiking the Aspen Four Pass Loop with this crew was the icing on a perfect mountain-cabin wedding the weekend before.

Much has been written about this 26 mile stunning hiking loop with very good reason so I won’t bore you with all of the logistical details.  That information can be found on numerous other websites.  What I want to share are some reasons why this hike merits honeymoon and / or bucket list status.  See 50 Places to Hike Before you Die by Chris Santella.

Our plans were to hike this loop over Labor Day and to spend 3 nights doing so.  I know, I know it can be done by ultra-runners in a day but we wanted the opportunity to soak in all of the scenery and solitude.  I would highly recommend the Labor Day timeframe.  We had beautiful weather with a proverbial afternoon shower here and there.  In true Colorado style, the storms left as soon as they came.  You do have to time your hiking with these showers as there are vast expanses of exposed, treeless basins where you don’t want to be when it’s storming.

So, what did I love about this trip?  Where should I begin.  If you like to challenge yourself and work on your fitness, this route will do it for you.  You cross four passes that will definitely get your ticker pumping and lungs burning.  They are all higher than 12,000 feet with steep ascents and descents out of the wetland meadows below.  In fact, except for the beginning and the very end, the loop never descends below 10,000 feet.

I love exercise as much as the next person but that wouldn’t be enough for this trip to merit the bucket list ranking if it didn’t have stunning scenery to complement the physical challenge.   From the very start of the trek, you are treated with iconic imagery starting with the Maroon Bells and Crater Lake.  Don’t be deterred by the number of people visiting this landmark.  Once you head out towards West Maroon Pass you quickly leave people behind and, once you go up and over this first pass, the crowd thins out to almost nothing …. if not nothing.  In fact, once we got over West Maroon until we descended Buckskin (the final pass), we saw only 2 other people the entire time.  This route routinely gets rated one of the most scenic routes in Colorado for a reason.  The views of the Maroon Bells and the rest of the Elk Mountains are breath-taking.  The route takes you all the way around the Bells and Elk Mountains for virtually a 360 degree view of the rugged peaks.  After each pass you descend into beautiful, lush, green wetland basins with excellent camping locations.  The rugged beauty of Snowmass Lake was an unexpected jewel of this hike.

Another unexpected treat was the greeting we got from a family of mountain goats as we reached the top of Buckskin Pass.  We were privileged enough to see these guys, even the baby, successfully navigate a steep snowfield.

The effort this trek requires is so worth every step.  It is heart-warming to know that there is still such peace, solitude, and unspoiled beauty out there if you just go beyond the beaten path.

Yes, I think our marriage is stronger for having shared such a great honeymoon adventure with loved ones.

Lauterbrunnen: A Magical, Majestic Swiss Valley

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When the Life Bus took Todd and me to Switzerland, there was one place we had to see above all others – Lauterbrunnen.  There aren’t enough adjectives to fully explain the beauty of this Swiss jewel.  Lauterbrunnen, in the Bernese Oberland, is situated in one of the most beautiful glacial valleys in the world.  This valley boasts more than 70 waterfalls, the most famous, Staubbach Falls, plunges more than 300 meters to the valley below.  The valley itself is only about 1 kilometer wide and all around has imposing, granite walls rising straight out of the valley floor, at heights of thousands of feet.  The valley floor is dotted with picturesque farms and their grazing cows, sheep, and goats.  Many of these farms sell their own homemade dairy products.  Running through the center of the valley is the glacially fed Weisse Luetschine river.  The green of Lauterbrunnen valley is some of the most intense green you will ever see.  [slideshow]

There is so much to do in this area.  Todd and I enjoyed a beautiful run on a gravel footpath that runs most of the length of the valley.  This gravel path hugs the river for quite a ways.  It is a relatively short run but probably one of the most scenic I have ever done.  The tiny, serene hamlet of Stechelberg lies at the end of the road in Lauterbrunnen valley.  From here, you can access many hiking trails of all levels.  The Swiss have hiking down to a fine art and have great trail signage.  Look for the yellow and red plastic trail signs that are frequent and well placed.  For those seeking even more adventure, there are via ferrata options in this area.  BASE-jumping is also huge here.  While we were on our run, we would hear the sounds of parachutes unfurling.  Looking up we could see people in brightly-colored squirrel suits descending into the valley.  Of course, Lauterbrunnen is also the gateway to some of the best known excursion destinations in the Jungfrau region. A railway links Lauterbrunnen with Wengen, perched high above Lauterbrunnen, and the Kleinen Scheidegg, the station where you change trains for the ride to the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn region.

Todd and I ate outside at the Hotel Restaurant Stechelberg in the shadow of the Jungfrau.  We had great typical Swiss food and great service.  Hotel Restaurant Stechelberg  We did not stay at the Alpenhof B&B in Stechelberg but it looked like a great, simple, peaceful place to try next time.  From Stechelberg, you can also catch the cable car ride up to one of the area’s biggest attractions, the Schillthorn.

You definitely go to Lautrbrunnen for the scenery, not the lodging.  We stayed at the Hotel Staubbach primarily for its proximity to the Staubbach falls and views of the valley.  On that note it did not disappoint.  We had a front-facing room with great views of the falls and some surrounding mountains.  Do not expect any type of luxury, however from this hotel.  It was basic and no-frills. We pretty much knew this going in and, therefore, weren’t unhappy with it.  Given the Lauterbrunnen location, however, who wants to stay in their rooms anyway?  Hotel Staubbach

Mohawk Lakes, Breckenridge, CO

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This past Labor Day weekend, Lexi, Todd, Greg and I spent a few days in Summit County.   In true Life Bus fashion, we picked a hike we had never done before, the Mohawk Lakes Trail in Breckenridge, Colorado.  The best website I found that fully describes the trail is the Summit County Explorer.   The only thing I somewhat disagree with is the intermediate rating.  I think it is closer to advanced and not sure I would say this is the best family hike unless your kids are in really good shape and used to the altitude.  The elevation gain is roughly 1,700 feet over a 3.5  mile distance which is quite steep. I do agree with the Summit County Explorer comments that this hike, “encapsulates everything wonderful about Summit County. From sweeping vistas, historic ruins and ore cars to waterfalls and close-up views of massive, rugged peaks.” Once you get to the Lower Mohawk Lake, the views are spectacular.

Todd and Greg brought their fishing poles and threw in their lines at the Lower Mohawk Lake. They didn’t catch anything but it was well worth the effort to bring the poles and practice their casting skills.  If you take a moment to look up at the surrounding mountains, there is a good chance you will see mountain goats dotting the hillside.  It is always a good day when there is a wildlife sighting.  I hear moose have started to migrate to Summit County,  perhaps you will get lucky and spot one of these gorgeous guys milling around.

If you are in the Breckenridge area in the summer time, I highly recommend this 7 mile round trip hike despite the rating. The descent was manageable and not nearly as tricky as I thought it might be. My only caution is a good portion of the trail either has exposed roots or rocks so if it is raining, the chance of slippage is very high.

Key tips:  Bring hiking and fishing poles, wear good ‘sticky’ shoes for climbing over rocks, load up on food/drink and plan on a picnic at one of the Mohawk Lakes.  Also, if you are ever hiking in Colorado, beware of weather in the late afternoon – things can get nasty so bring a rain jacket and a fleece.