This is the gas pedal…right?

I haven’t ridden a quad or any type of recreational vehicle since I was in high school! It has been a good 10 years, but I am also not afraid of trying things that scare me. Getting back on one of those things was the single best decision I made that day…

My grandfather (pictured below: how cute is he?!) and my great uncle, niece and family friend all went in the big vehicle. I was on my own on a normal quad, left to my own devices. We traveled up the Rocky Mountains in Colorado up to the very top (next post, because it’s magical). 

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The first quarter of the ride was peaceful as can be. It was a nice cleared, paved road. I was thinking, “Hey! I got this! This is so easy!” These pictures were taken before our trek up the rockiest, most narrow “path” I have ever seen. But we did it! These pictures are from the nice road part of the ride. Look at those trees! Being a desert girl, I was more than pleased with the view.

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I ended up frolicking a little. Not only was I surrounded by the most beautiful trees, but I also made it up to the snow tops of the mountains and was SO excited. I hadn’t seen snow in over a year at that point. I’ve never seen Colorado snow. I feel there is a difference!

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There were quite a few land bridges I had to cross with a large amount of water rushing under. Who let me go on my own?! I could have easily fallen in from slipping on the snow. I guess that’s part of the thrill though. 

Crystal clear air (although, I slightly suffocated because of elevation!), grand forests, and snow with my family! Although I was with other people, I have never felt so in tune with myself that this day. 

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I will take you to the top of these mountains next time. SPOILER: The pictures are magical!

Thanks for joining!

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**Follow me on Instagram!: @jesskahwiggins

About Jesskah

Hey y’all!

I realized I never did a true introduction post. How rude am I?!

The name is Jesskah, but my close friends call me Jess. I am a honors college student attending Northern Arizona University studying Logistics. I reside in Tucson, Arizona currently and have lived in this up-and-coming city for my whole 26 years.

Traveling is my happy place. Anywhere. Anytime. Any mode. 

I started traveling when I was a kid with my family. Growing up in a sometimes unstable household, I remember my first time in an airport and thinking, “This feels like home.” While most people hate the hustle and bustle of the airports, I crave it. I have had so many good experiences and met countless amazing people on airplanes. This sparked my love for adVENTURE and going new places. I love the freedom of going places where no one knows your story and you don’t know theirs. 

I live with my boyfriend, Josh, of a million years and we recently added to the fam with our rescue dog, Archee. He is a one year old pitbull (Staffordshire Terrier) and he is my pride and joy. I hope to bring him on some of our future adVENTURES.

 

Why Blooming Ventures?

I feel like I am in a place in life where there is an unprecedented amount of growth occurring within me. Just like a flower, I feel like I am in the blooming process of my life and my adVENTURES are responsible for most of it. 

I created this blog originally to be a travel journal, but I have wanted it to become more. This is a safe space for me to express ideas on traveling, lifestyle, health, fitness and whatever my path puts in front of me. I open up the other end for you, as the viewer, to engage in asking questions, giving tips, offering feedback or whatever you want, because this is your space too. Thank you for being a part of my journey! I can’t where to see where we go next… 

Hellooooo Coloradoooo!

Next stop: Telluride, Colorado

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I have family in Montrose, Colorado who I was staying with for this part of the VENTURE. Montrose is located a couple of hours away from Telluride. I was not familiar with this little slice of heaven prior to visiting, but it instantly became one of my favorite getaways thus far.

There are two ways to get to this small town in between a cluster of mountains: gondola or highway. We opted for the more unique gondola route. Telluride provides free gondola rides into the city and the views are AMAZING. The contrast of the greenery and the snowy peaks was outstanding. 

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If you are not fond of heights, this route is not for you! Although the ride felt secure, the wind made even the most chill person uneasy about the height and speed of the ride. 

The actual city of Telluride had chill vibes and a lot of small shops. These, of course, were next to big brand stores that were severely over-priced. You can’t win them all though! Overall it was a cute town with good places to grub and the scenery stole the show.

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This last photo has no color correction (you know me ;)), and it is still one of my favorites from the trip. Being from Arizona, AKA mountain central, I have never been too impressed by mountains when I travel. But these Rockies, though!!!! The black/grey base color to the peaks coupled with the snow is one of the coolest sights to experience. I came home to Tucson and looked at my backyard mountains with more fondness than before. 

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I spent most of the day looking up. Telluride is such a charming spot that is, apparently, very popular. You wouldn’t know of it’s popularity when you visit, because it still has a quaint vibe about it. Bottom line = loved it, will visit again!

Until the next venture!

Can we just take a minute?

I need to appreciate two things in this post:

The open road

&

This Earth 

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In my last post I mentioned that I stopped on the side of the road in Monument Valley out of frustration because I was getting lost. But….look at that view though! I was physically lost, yes. But I was also lost in the freedom of this stretch of land. If you need to go on a “find yourself” exploration, go to Monument Valley. You will find peace, I promise.

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Now, let’s talk about Horseshoe Bend. I actually visited this site before Monument Valley, but it deserved a post of its own. I stayed at a hostel I found in the heart of Flagstaff, Arizona (thanks Hostelworld!) Horseshoe Bend was about an hour and a half away from it. Although I had had a long day of driving, I knew I couldn’t miss this site. And BOY was I right! 

Horseshoe Bend is essentially a cliff looking over this river bend. You park at the top of what seems to be a path to nowhere, and then BAM! You’re there. There were a lot of people there, so it wasn’t a peaceful hike. The fact that you had a melting pot of people to cross paths with made it less annoying.

Once you get to the site (about a half mile hike down), I cannot put into words how BREATHTAKING it is. I have never felt so calm and awestruck by this amazing planet as I did then. I realized that no picture ever did this view justice. I took five minutes and just breathed the air and tried to remember as much of this extraordinary scenery as I could. This is a must-see, or must-experience, rather.

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I just want to note that the top picture has NO editing whatsoever. This was taken with my iPhone and a shaky hand.

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After I took the “HI MOM!” picture, a line formed behind me of about 15 people. Very few spoke English, but their objective was clear. They wanted me to take pictures of the bend for them. One of my fans told me that he would do it himself, but he was not crazy. Thanks man? I politely took the pictures for them. It wasn’t until after that I decided that I should have charged them! A high-five would do 🙂

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I will be doing a separate post on useful travel tips. This will include what apps and services I used to have a seamless solo trip across the states.

**Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, (jesskahwiggins)!

Until next time! 

Run Forrest…Run!

I honestly did not see Forrest Gump until I was 18 years old.

I know, I know. “It’s a classic!” It just didn’t happen for me. Just because I was late to the party doesn’t mean I wasn’t excited to visit the road where Forrest Gump ended his cross-country run. 

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Somewhere between Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado lies this majestic area. An open valley with peaks in the perfect places to leave you in awe. I will be honest and say that after a while, I got completely lost. I didn’t know which way I came from or where I was going (ah, the freedom!). I accidentally parked next to a vendor off the side of the road in frustration, trying to understand which way I was going. I turned to my right and saw a sign that read, “In 1994, Forrest Gump ended his cross-country run.” I lol-ed.

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I drove around and found the Utah sign, which I have always loved seeing in photos. I had to take a picture to commemorate. This was taken 0.02 seconds before, no joke, a tour bus full of mostly elderly patrons parked behind me. The twenty minutes of commenting on my car and how young I am ensued shortly after. What are you gonna do?!

If you do take this drive, I highly recommend dropping the roof down and blasting Lana Del Rey. It adds to the experience 😉

Back on the road! Where to next?!