Before we moved back to Oregon, Brittany and I wanted to visit Moab area. We've heard so much about it and thought it would be a fun weekend getaway for Brittany's birthday. Though it was a bit far away from Moab, I found a beautiful Airbnb in Palisade, CO on a historical Therapy Horse Farm. The farm was over a hundred years old, and this lovely lady ran the farm where she would take disabled children and let them experience mobility by horseback. But more on the farm later.
As we made our way from Denver, we decided to swing by Hanging lake and check it out. We thought it was more of a roadside attraction, but turned into a 3-mile hike with decent elevation gains. This felt pretty good to get out and stretch our legs. You essentially hike straight up this mountain and find yourself at a cliffside lake. If it weren't for the underbrush and trees, the lake would feel as if it was floating from the right angle. There was also this impressive waterfall that you can walk behind, which was nice to cool off.
We made it into Palisade a few hours before sunset and were blown away by the Airbnb. It was this cute little loft building built under this massive tree. We were right against this hillside with nothing but farmland around us. For sunset, I hiked up the hill, which was steeper than it looked, and watched the golden light bath over the town and the surrounding mesas.
Later that evening I went out for a little fun with some astrophotography. This isn't something I do that often, but its always a lot of fun. Unfortunately, but also, fortunately, a nearly full moon rose over the horizon blasting the landscape with light. This made shooting the stars a little tricky, but it gave me my first chance at capturing a moonrise!
Photography Date: 5-12-17
Writing Date: 5-24-18
