Before last September, it had been a while since I’d stepped foot in the Wild West. Colorado is a state I’m fairly familiar with, having lived a year of my life north of Steamboat Springs. As my plane landed in Colorado Springs, I easily felt at home among the mountain ranges again.

What started out as a quick trip to photograph a couple eloping at the Maroon Bells slowly evolved into a longer stay. In the middle of my busy season, I found myself hopping on a plane to Colorado Springs for five days before flying out to Massachusetts for a wedding that same weekend. Packing a small suitcase for two very different bodies of water was a bit of a challenge, but I was up for it.

I also brought along my fly rod in hopes of fishing a few rivers and streams during the trip. Last summer my boyfriend Justin got me into fly fishing, and growing up with a dad who’s a semi-pro bass fisherman, I quickly felt at home—and at peace—standing in the current of a mountain river. I’m not going to say this trip was all glamorous, but it was fun, and there was never a dull moment.

Upon arriving in Colorado Springs, I picked up my rental car and made my way out of town for the week. It was already wicked hot, hot enough that I had to swap my shoes for sandals before even hitting the road. There were definitely a few spots I had my eye on during the drive, but eventually I made my first stop in Johnson Village—a small town with a surprisingly photogenic row of buildings.

Naturally, I stopped at Station 24 Café for an iced dirty chai and a breakfast burrito, because honestly, who can really go wrong with that?

From there the quest continued as I made my way toward Twin Lakes. Huge shoutout to Justin for putting together the perfect Colorado road-trip playlist featuring Shakey Graves, Townes Van Zandt, Luke Bell, and Lou Hazel to keep me company while driving through the Rocky Mountains with the sun beaming through the clouds.

One of my favorite random towns I stumbled across during the drive was Twin Lakes. It’s such a charming little mountain town nestled along the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. With views of the surrounding peaks reflecting across the water, it almost felt like something out of an old postcard.

Open Skies | Arrival in Colorado & the Road to Twin Lakes

Allison of Goldie Blossoms