I met a moose!

We just returned from a long weekend in Colorado.  Is it worth the 10+ hour drive each way for 2 days in the mountains...definitely!  Especially when you're travelling with friends and car time is full of chatter and laughter.

We did a lot of hiking, because the weather was Colorado PERFECT...cold in the morning and gorgeous in the afternoons. Our friends were speedy hikers, so I didn't get as many pics as usual. I typically brake (and catch my breath) for photos of all sorts of plants, flowers, animals, whatever.

We were fortunate to see a bunch of cool mountain animals...elk, moose, deer, marmots, and a ton of cute chipmunks.  The best encounter on our hike was a pair of moose! Is "moose" the plural for "moose"? The male moose (bull) was keeping watch (see that wary look in his eye) while his happy partner (cow) chowed down on the aspen trees. You aren't supposed to get too close to moose, so I zoomed my camera to the max. All the hikers on the trail slowed to a stop to enjoy this lucky treat! They were HUGE!!

So we returned to our cabin, feeling fortunate for our experience, and guess what we found in our neighbor's yard?  More moose!!! There was a mother moose lounging in the grass while her youngsters munched nearby.   It's hard to tell the size from this pic, but the "baby" was bigger than a really big dog. 

Coincidentally, our neighbors had a decorative "moose" sign in their yard. Who knew moose could read road signs?

It was aspen season, so the aspen trees had turned a brilliant gold and glowed on the mountains. Check out that blue sky, too!

On the way home, we stopped at a historic little diner for sliders...yum!!  Hey, the drive is SO long, you have to keep up your energy. The Cozy Inn has been serving up sliders (baby burgers) for almost 100 years in the same tiny building. You have to make a decision when you get there...order from the outside window (for the feint of heart) or step inside and commit yourself to smelling like fried onions until your next shower. So, of course, we went inside and watched the young grill guy smushing those sliders with his spatula. When I got out the camera, the counter girl and the grill guy asked if they could join us!

Here's the L*K challenge of the day...where is Cozy Inn located? I know a lot of Kansans will know the answer, but how about the rest of you? I have seen articles about the Cozy Inn in several national magazines, and I'm pretty sure they've been on that "Diners, Driveins and Dives" show on the Food Network.  

Warning...if you're casually driving through Kansas (hint: it's not in Colorado) and stop in, don't ask for cheese!  Or anything else "custom". Cozy isn't a "have it your way" sort of place. Just take the pickle, ketchup, mustard and signature fried onions and enjoy it! And don't ask for one...order by the bag!