Exactly two years after we first visited Winter Park to hike around and view the fall leaves changing, we (unknowingly) decided to take a weekend trip with the same purpose. We spent the morning leisurely enjoying the last day of our local farmer's market, visiting our favorite coffee shop and indulging in some classic fall espresso drinks. We headed up to Golden Gate Canyon Park and hiked one of the trails. The hike was enjoyable but not as vibrant as we had hoped, leaving us wanting more. We ate sushi fusion tacos at our favorite restaurant, played board games in Winter Park at a local brewery and spent the night in Winter Park. The next morning we enjoyed breakfast at a British Pub (we've always wanted to visit England and get the real deal), where we discovered that we had been at the same restaurant 2 years ago (to the exact day!). We packed up and debated if we should head back to Aurora and catch up on things before the workweek or go to another state park. On a whim, we decided that there was more fun to be had. Even though it was a five hour drive down South to Mueller State Park, the drive would be scenic and enjoyable in itself. We stopped for lunch in Idaho Springs, and in Evergreen we were surprised when we spotted a herd of elk (whoa!!!) and pulled over to try to snap some pictures. The bull elk was feisty (blame it on mating season), so we couldn't get too close but got some one-on-one with some females and a calf relaxing in the library lawn. (See Part 2 for the rest of the story!)

We eventually made it to Mueller State Park, West of Pikes Peak. It was a beautiful afternoon, barely a breeze present. We headed out on a hike, and decided that although it was warm, we might want to grab jackets. Bruce headed back to grab our jackets (and disappeared for 15 minutes... more on that later!). After walking back to the car to investigate the difficulty locating the jackets, we finally set out on our hike. Unlike the hike the day before (and really every other hike before that), we were virtually alone in a quiet, magical forest with nothing but the wind to make a sound. I could not get over how gorgeous the colors were. I felt like a hobbit in the belly of this magical forest. Bruce patiently waited for me to stop every 2 minutes to try to captivate the beauty of our surroundings. At a clearing in the valley of the forest, Bruce caught me off guard and told me that although he had planned this another way, he professed his love and got down on one knee. Of course, I said yes! This was exactly the way I wanted it, but I was tickled when Bruce still followed through, took the ring and asked again (in the original fashion he had planned). When we got back to the car, Bruce took the ring back, and told me that it was fitting that we knew each other in two parts of our lives (in high school, then several years later), so it’s only fitting that the proposal should have two phases. In his car (I almost spoiled it when I went back during the great jacket expedition!), he had spelled out "Will you marry me?" using pieces from one of our favorite date night board games. The first proposal in the forest was exactly as I wanted it, just the two of us and nothing else, but the second highlights our shared interests and silly side. All of it, together, sums us up as a couple! We finished the weekend at another of our favorite breweries in Colorado Springs, playing the board game from which Bruce borrowed pieces for the proposal!