I really like how this vacation was a mix of repeat hikes from former years and new hikes that we’d never done before. So on Friday, our last day in RMNP, we went on this 2.7 mile hike to a beautiful waterfall called Ouzel Falls. This hike was recommended to me by Julie, a new friend from Iowa I made along the trail. We ran into her, her sister Jenelle, and their families on Wednesday and Thursday both! So on Thursday I chatted with Julie for a bit and she told me about this hike and a few other places of interest nearby. This trail was in the southern part of the park where we’d never been before; and, turns out, I think it was my favorite hike. It meandered along a woodland river with a few pretty sites along the way.
First milestone was Copeland Falls, which according to our trusty guidebook, was “pretty but unspectacular.”
I concur.
On we went to the next milestone:
It was here that we ran into Julie and Jenelle for the third time! Julie hadn’t mentioned that they were planning to come here today, and I certainly made her no assurances of our plans, so we were all pretty surprised to meet up yet again. We all agreed that for some reason God wanted us to be friends; with Facebook, all sorts of things are possible now that weren’t years ago, and so, for whatever reason we may never know, meet my new friends Julie from Iowa and Jenelle from Texas who greatly blessed my visit to Rocky!
Meanwhile, kids of course found lots of rocks to climb.
Our destination:
Nothing super spectacular until you make your way (no specific trail) past the bridge to the waterfall itself.
Find four Kaisers:
(hint: look at the top)(of course)
More climbing on the way back down.
An art gallery/community center/souvenir shop in which I *finally* found the exact sweatshirt I’d been looking for all week. *I might or might not be a little picky about my sweatshirts…*
Friday evening after supper we wandered back into Estes for a little more shopping. 
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can’t always depend on their accuracy. ~Abraham Lincoln
Wandering on past the shops, we went through a tunnel decorated with kids’ artwork. It was some sort of “art walk”.
And since it was an “art walk”… we found a few musical instruments as well.
Sweet times.
And- - - wouldn’t you know it? (I maybe should’ve expected it but didn’t…), we ran into my new friends Julie and Jenelle yet again - - -
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