A few nights ago, it hit us. We were sleeping on a secluded perch high in California’s Sierra Mountains. It was the first night this season that we’ve had to use the heater in the van. Our thermometer read 25 degrees Farenheit as the sun broke the horizon and began to cast its warmth over the mountains. There’s no denying it. Fall is on the way. It’s not as easy to notice the seasons changing when you’re in a city, but when you spend 90 percent of your days outside you notice subtle changes in the way the wind blows, the late afternoon lighting, and in the smell of the air. The changing of seasons, especially summer into fall always causes us to look back and reflect on the adventures we had, the good times spent with friends, and the relaxing nights spent under the stars. We only have about six weeks left in the 2019 Live Outside and Play Tour and we’re feeling a little sentimental. We thought this was a good time to write a brief recap of this summers’ events and an update of what we’ve been up to.
We kicked off the summer in Colorado with one of our favorite breweries. Upslope Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado. For the second year in a row, Upslope transformed its parking lot into a full-on outdoor festival complete with vendors live music and plenty of tasty libations. It was a perfect sunny day and a nice way to be welcomed back to our home state.
From there we pointed the LOAP van west and headed to Copper Mountain for their annual Fourth Of July Celebration. Copper is a beautiful resort and the Colorado Trail actually crosses right through the resort, which made for a perfect place for Henry (our pup) to escape the sun and humans for a little while.
Our third event of the summer was a little different for us. The Colorado Vanlife Gathering in Basalt, Colorado hosted by Tiny House Tiny Footprint felt more like a meeting of old friends than a formal event. We lounged in the shade next to the Frying Pan River, made new friends, and Roxy even taught a didgeridoo class. It’s a wonderful community, and when it was time to go, we followed a crew of our new friends high up into the hills outside Aspen and continued our Vanlife Gathering for another night in a beautiful parking lot in the Shadow of Mt. Sopris.
Following the Vanlife Gathering, Roxy began to have wild dreams of the desert. We hadn’t been to Utah in a while and despite the high temperatures we continued to ramble west and enjoyed a fantastic week under the desert sky. We even wrote a blog about it! Check it out here.
Our next event took us to one of the most beautiful towns in the country. Telluride, Colorado holds a special place in our hearts. Nestled in a picturesque box canyon in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, Telluride is home to some of the best music festivals we’ve ever been to. We were in town for the Telluride Jazz Festival. A gathering of immense talent, the Telluride Jazz Festival has been running for over 43 years. This event was made even more special when we were invited to take a walk in nature with the famous bass player Victor Wooten. He spoke about music and nature and how they are interconnected. It was so great, we even blogged about it! Check out the blog here.
The most recent festival we attended was a single-day event at Keystone Ski Resort. The Mountain Town Music Festival is a gathering of both music lovers and foodies. Attendees enjoy a full day of (free) top-notch music as well as a large offering of small plates from local restaurants. We love the relaxed atmosphere as well as the stoke that the crowd shows for our magazine and tour sponsors.
The last event of the year is one that we’re really looking forward to. 14er Fest in Buena Vista, Colorado is a multi-sport festival that offers something for every outdoor enthusiast. Hike, fly fish, bike, 4×4 – it doesn’t matter! This is a celebration of the outdoors for everyone.
That pretty much brings us up to speed! We’ve had what feels like countless adventures this summer. We’re currently on a road trip to Oregon to hike the Three Sisters Loop near Bend. As part of our trip, Roxy is raising money for the Cairn Project (which she blogged about here)! P.S. she is just shy of her fundraising goal – so if the Cairn Project aligns with your ideals, please feel free to make a donation! We’ll be on the road until the end of October spreading the Live Outside and Play love. If you see us on the road make sure to say hi!
There is one way for this tour to be a reality– our sponsors! Sending a thank you shout out to all of our awesome sponsors that make this tour happen: Sea to Summit, Mountain House, Lowe Alpine, Leki, Big Agnes, Stio, Roofnest, and Franklin County, VA. For more info on our sponsors, check out the post, “Live Outside and Play is Back!”
