Hello Fall; Colorado Edition

Fall is my favorite time of the year. Not only did I get to celebrate Teanna Day, but the temps are dropping, leaves are finally turning, and there's even a bit of snow on the peak of the mountains. I'm not looking forward to the snow, but it’s prime leaf peeping season and since the color dies so quickly here thanks to the elevation, I knew we had to find a place to check out the leaves. 

A couple weeks ago, Drew and I headed off to Woodland Park at the suggestion of some friends to see the leaves change colors. When we go to Woodland Park, the leaves were STILL GREEN! I was pretty bummed. Drew suggested we go to Cripple Creek, since I had been talking about the leaves. On FB I have seen pictures about the drive to Cripple Creek and the colors were beautiful. Since Cripple Creek was only a 30 minute drive from Woodland Park, which is a 45-minute drive from our house, we decided to continue on. It was the best decision we could've made.

 

From Woodland Park, we continued to the city of Divide and headed down Hwy 67 towards Cripple Creek. It was such a beautiful drive. The colors were stunning! Don't believe me? (Just a head's up this posts is basically pictures! haha) The drive was really easy. Usually we take the SUV, but this time we decided to take the Prius and save on some gas, it handled wonderfully especially when we got to 10,000 ft!

The drive to Cripple Creek was the perfect drive. Along the route there are many places to stop off, where you are not on the road but you're still able to get the perfect shot!

If you're looking for a quick getaway in the Colorado Springs area and want to see the changing of the leaves, this is the place to be!

In case you don't believe me, here are more shots from our day. :D

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Teanna's Vinyl Creations

Because I don't already have a lot on my plate, I've opened up my own Shop! A Vinyl  Creation Shop.  I was creating items for friends and family and then got messages asking if I'd be willing to create some things for other people, so I decided to open my shop!
If you're interested feel free to check out my Facebook Page.

P.S. I ship as well! Email me sidlesadventures@gmail.com if you are interested! 

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Zero Grid Money Belt Review

When we travel to other countries, the hardest part for me, is being able to keep organized. Where would I keep my money? What about the million different currencies? What about my passport? In my head all of these things need to be kept together.

So of course when Zero Grid approached me about trying out their product, I jumped at the chance to try out their money belt! The money belt has two large zipper compartments, and a smaller compartment in the front and a bigger one at the back which, contains sectioned off pockets to help you stay organized! Everything I could have needed on my trip was able to fit into the money belt! The only thing I wasn't a fan of, was that the elastic around the waist didn't stretch as far as I would've like. I tried to wear the belt as a cross body bag, but it didn't work. :( I still love the product though!

Why should you try out Zero Grid products?

• IT PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES & IDENTITY - Conceals cash, credit cards & other valuables from pickpockets. Built in RFID Blocking safeguards your passport and credit cards and protects your personal information against identity theft.
• DESIGNED FOR SAFE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL - Invaluable for crowded marketplaces, airports, buses, trains, sporting events and music festivals. Virtually invisible to thieves, feel secure in any environment.
• COMFORTABLE & FULLY ADJUSTABLE - Constructed from ultra-lightweight, water-resistant 210D Ripstop Nylon. Breathable, moisture-wicking back eliminates uncomfortable moisture and heat. Soft elastic waistband adjusts to fit Men and Women.
• MORE SPACE TO FIT EVERYTHING - Two zippered compartments fit cash, passports, boarding passes, credit cards, and all the new smartphones. Inner pockets organize your valuables and quick-access carabiner clip secures your keys/usb drives.

Overall, I am a big fan of the Money belt. I love the look of Zero Grid products and the best part of Zero Grid products, Zero Grid offers a 100% money back lifetime guarantee which is always a plus with anything you plan on using.

Where can you buy them?
Amazon
Website
Check them out on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

What's even better is that I've teamed up to give one of you, my wonderful readers a chance to win your very own money belt! One random winner will be selected to win this product. Deadline to enter is 12:00 am EST on October 21, 2016. The lucky winner will be announced on Friday, October 21th, 2016.

JOIN THE GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For an Extra Chance to win:
- Like Sidles Adventures & Zero Grid on Facebook and comment on the post!


Eligibility: This promo is open to U.S. residents only. APO/FPO allowed.

Deadline: This giveaway starts Oct. 11, 2016 and ends Oct 21, 2016.

Disclaimer: I received a free set of Money Belt from Zero Grid in exchange for writing a review on the blog, all opinions are my own.

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Road Trip Guide

Drew and I are no strangers to road trips. Even before moving to Germany, we would drive 10+ hours home to Florida, or 13+hrs to Canada. In Germany we would drive anywhere and everywhere we could. But I have to admit, our #PCSFL2CO road trip was the LONGEST. TRIP. EVER., and we only made it to the mountains! I feel like on this trip I learned a thing or two. That's the beauty of road trips, you learn more about yourself and your companion. Road trips are hard, and sometimes you just want to kill the other person you're with. But we survived! Here's my list of some things you need to take/do in order NOT to kill yourself and any of your travel partners along the way.

Travel Companion - Your travel companion can make or break your road trip. Luckily for me Drew and I are pretty compatible, we're not perfect by any standards and I'm a "passenger seat driver", but at the end of the day, we get each other, and he knows when to slow down because something cool is coming up and I'll want to snap a picture, or to ask when he see's a sign for a rest area if he should pull over (because according to him I have the world's smallest bladder.) What more could I ask for?

Great Tunes - Road trip 101, make sure you've got some great tunes. I'd suggest having multiple playlists, you can even go through the same songs! Great tunes are essential for a trip, especially if you want to zone out and not have to talk for 8 hours straight. Siruis XM is a great alternative, or if all else fails, the radio.

A place to Sleep - I like knowing where I am going to sleep at night. That's just me. When road tripping, I like to have a plan, mostly because sleep is one of the most important things to me. Plus, if you're on the road for 8+ hours in a car, trying to find that perfect spot to get comfortable, at the end of the day you'll want to sleep in a bed.

Camera - Don't just rely on your Iphone / Andriod  camera. Photos are such great reminders of past trips, and yes some camera phones take amazing pictures, others not so much, so if you have it, make sure your DSLR is charged and ready to go. You never known what gorgeous scenery you'll see just outside your windshield!

GPS - While getting lost can be fun, sometimes...it will also delay your trip and add extra hours of unnecessary headaches. While the scenic route sounds like fun, when on a time crunch the GPS will be the most efficient way to get from here to there.

Snacks - Granola Bars, Fruit Snacks, Trail Mix, all great ideas, people tend to gain weight while on the road. I like to try to keep healthy and if you have low blood sugar, or get hangry (like me) snacks are a great way to keep going especially when you pass the 25th McDonalds and want to stop.

Water - Water is essential on a trip. Instead of paying $2 at the gas station per bottle, get a reusable water bottle, both Drew and I have Hydroflask water bottles and we would fill it up with Ice every night and the ice would last us 24 hours. Thank you double insulated water bottles. I bought the big jugs at the grocery store for $1 and filled it up every chance we got. (Of course that meant more bathroom breaks, but at least we were hydrated!)

Cash - Who carries cash any more? We do. Maybe it's from our time in Europe where they don't believe in Credit Cards, but carrying cash is always a smart idea, you'll never know when the unexpected toll roads will pop up. (I'm looking at you Kansas!)

RoadSide Assistance - When travelling for long periods of time across unknown areas, it's always smart to have some kind of roadside assistance you clearly don't want to have a reason to use them, but better not pull out of the driveway without them. Murphy and his damn law, he's always out to get you.

...and of course with every road trip, it's always a good idea to make sure your vehicle/the vehicle you are taking is road trip ready, (i.e. top off/change all fluids, check tire wear, make sure you have a spare tire and emergency roadside kit, check/replace brakes/brake fluid)

Anything to add to the trip guide?

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