Colorado has always held a special place in my heart. It’s the first state I ever saw outside of my Texas home. I was 5 years old and my mom took me to visit her family outside Denver. The small photos from that trip show the Garden of the Gods, Estes Park and Casa Bonita circa 1989. My only actual memory from that trip was walking into a store in Estes Park and buying little Wizard of Oz Dorothy and Glenda the Good Witch figurines. Somehow that is the only thing left from my childhood trip. Not the amazing scenery or fantastic view…just shopping.

Fast forward 11 years to my high school choir teacher’s exciting announcing our trip that year would be to Colorado Springs for competition. We sang at the Air Force Academy, toured the Cave of the Winds and took the cog railway up to Pike’s Peak. I fell head over heels in love with Colorado and vowed to move there one day. 16 year old me was convinced Colorado was the Oz to my inner Dorothy. Little did I know that I would one day ‘live’ there a month or two each year in a tornado-proof house on wheels! Talk about the stuff of crazy dreams!

Despite several trips throughout the last 10 years, I still feel like I haven’t scratched the surface of all that Colorado has to offer. I’ve breezed through Rocky Mountain National Park, but never had enough time to properly explore it. I’ve revisited Estes and Garden of the Gods many times and introduced people to them but my time in Colorado inevitably feels rushed.

Last summer was perhaps my best opportunity to scout around during a day trip to RMNP and Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We drove around the area and stayed until the final moments of blue hour after the sun had long faded. July flowers were blooming and the crisp summer air beckoned us to stay longer. I can certainly see why so many photographers choose to call Colorado home and I only hope that my path crosses this land many more times. 

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Melody is a full-time nomad who calls an RV home while roaming all over the western US and beyond for couple’s adventure photography in the wilds of nature. Her style is cinematic, romantic and richly colored and she believes that the beauty and chaos of nature, with its twisting paths, coarse landscapes and breath-taking wonder is a poignant analogy for relationships. The Pacific Northwest will always hold a special place in her heart but, life is short and the world is wide so check out the travel schedule to follow along with her adventures.

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