The Fourth of July in Lake City, Colorado | Grand Trip Out West

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A few weeks before we left Mississippi, one of our "Mississippi Grandmother's" daughters, Mrs. Annette, came to visit her mom. They had my family over, and as soon as Mrs. Annette found out we were going to be in Colorado, she told us we had to come see where she lives during the summer. It's a tiny mining town in the San Juan mountains, south of Gunnison, and the population quadruples in the summer time! It's one of those wonderful places where everybody knows everybody, and on the Fourth of July, the whole entire town is either at the parade or in the parade! So we rearranged our route and found ourselves celebrating America's 237th birthday in Lake City, a place that is American as apple pie. We loved it!!


People lined up early for the parade!






The town's veterans started the parade, with a medley of Armed Forces songs proudly playing from a truck behind them!


If you have a Jeep or a motorcycle, you're in the parade. That's just how it is. :)


Or an old truck. :)




Mrs. Annette is an EMT and this is the ambulance she rides in! (She was with us watching the parade, though.)








Sarah and I laughed so hard. You know what this youth group was rocking out to? One Direction. "What Makes You Beautiful." Y'all. One Direction is from England. And we're supposed to be celebrating our independence from Great Britain. You shoulda thought that one through first. But thanks for the laughs! :)




This young man took driving his Gator quite seriously.


Hey look! It's a Waltons kind of car!



This was the best. :)


I don't know about you, but she doesn't look a day over 75!






If you have a horse, you're in the parade, too.


Or a four-wheeler.




He had The Wave down, y'all. Except only his hand moved, not his arm. It was funny. :)




And that was the end of the parade! It lasted about a half hour and it was worth every minute! :)






We wound our way over to the town square...


These signs were, at one time, taped to the door. They cracked me up!    






First time I'd ever seen inside an ambulance (thankfully!)!




Games in the Park!

So there was this girl who bore a striking resemblance to Taylor Swift, and she had a Phi Mu shirt on. Phi Mu is the sorority Ainsley Britain is in. We just thought it was funny. :)




Lake San Cristobal, after which the town is named.




Red Mountain








We stopped by the Presbyterian church and saw this beautiful organ!






We also saw the Episcopal church.




Somebody had fun with a couple of tree stumps!




Even Mrs. Annette's flowers were patriotic!

A happy end to a happy day!

"You light me up, like the fireworks flyin' on the Fourth of July!" -HH

Actually, there were no fireworks in the whole state because it was under a burn ban.

We missed them. And it rained back home, so they didn't have any fireworks there, either.

Oh, well.

Happy Birthday, America!

For the love of small American towns, sweet people, and freedom,
Rebekah