“USA 🇺🇸 ~Road Trip’n Through Colorado ~Part 1 of 2”

• August 27, 2021
• By Pen
• 2 Comments

COLORADO ⬆️⬇️

We arrived in Colorado to the most beautiful summer scenery, imaginable. Our first stop was well planned out. A day stop, to enjoy this amazing Park.

Estes Park, Colorado ⬇️

I was very excited to show Daryl this incredible place, where wild Elk are often seen wandering around the town.

Estes Park is a town in northern Colorado. It’s known as a base for the Rocky Mountain National Park; home to wildlife including elk and bears, plus miles of trails. The park’s Trail Ridge Road winds past craggy peaks, forests and tundra. Nearby are the wilderness areas of Roosevelt National Forest. The Estes Park Aerial Tramway connects the town to the summit of Prospect Mountain for views over the valley.

That young elk is fine. He’s just stretching

⬆️ Mission accomplished.
The Elk were hanging out in view.

I used to live in Colorado and would come here, often. This was (still is) my happy place. Those are wild Elk, btw. This is Not a petting zoo, so one must keep their distance and respect the wildlife.

We also saw a huge Bull Elk, just outside the Park, as we were leaving. I was the first to spot him. By the time we left, five cars were stopped and families of people were getting out to see this magnificent Bull Elk. A woman told me she had been in Estes for a week and had not seen a Bull, yet. It was true, I am sure, as we saw only one smaller Bull, up on a hill (just outside of town, but still inside the park. 

In addition to the quaint town of shops in Estes….

…..The Historic Stanley Hotel  ⬆️ is quite a place, as well.
I have never spent the night there, and over the years, since I moved away, the grounds have grown to incorporates more buildings. But, the original historic hotel remains ⬇️

We spent $10 to park. In turn, we got a $5 chip to spend in the restaurant, plus it gave us access to explore the hotel. We are so glad we did! ⬇️

The Stanley Hotel is best known for being the inspiration for Stephen King’s bestselling novel The Shining and the subsequent film starring Jack Nicholson as the slowly driven mad overseer. The Stanley Hotel is located in Estes Park Colorado, the gateway to one of the most visited national parks in the United States; Rocky Mountain National Park.
Set amidst the beautiful mountain scenery of Colorado, The Stanley Hotel was built in 1909 as a grand summer resort that catered to wealthy travelers from the East Coast.
The Stanley Hotel has a storied history that begins well before Stephen King stepped foot on the property, and the hotel once hosted guests like Molly Brown, John Philip Sousa, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Today, the hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of Historic Hotels of America.

The man responsible for building The Stanley Hotel was Freeland Oscar Stanley. Stanley was born and raised in Maine and he and his identical twin brother Francis Edgar were entrepreneurs and inventors from a young age. They sold maple syrup, made concert-quality violins, ran a company specializing in photographic dry plates (which they sold to Kodak), and designed the Stanley Steamer automobile.
However, a life-threatening bout of tuberculosis in 1903 caused doctors to recommend that Freeland spend time in the curative Rocky Mountain air in Colorado. Stanley and his wife Flora went to Denver and later to Estes Park for the summer.
During the summer in Estes Park, in a rustic cabin, Stanley’s health recovered and he decided to return each year to Estes Park.
In 1905, Stanley had built and moved into his own property in Estes Park; a four bedroom house. However, the couple decided after a few years that they wanted to be able to accommodate more of their friends and provide the sort of social life that would impress their East Coast millionaire friends, so they built the Stanley Hotel.

The fact that Stephen King stopped at The Stanley Hotel and spent the night was very fortuitous for the future of the hotel. The hotel at that point had fallen into decline and the success of the novel and film helped to greatly boost bookings for the hotel as well as lead to a fascination with the supposed hauntings at the hotel.
The hotel also served as a filming location for other films and TV shows, notably the 1994 film; Dumb and Dumber. Jim Carrey requested to stay in room 217 during the filming but left the room after only a few hours, and refused to return. It is unclear why he refused, but it seems he got spooked by something. It is not surprising that 217 is one of the most popular and requested room at The Stanley Hotel. If you want the chance to stay here, be sure to book this room well in advance.
The Stanley Hotel has been regularly visited by Ghost Hunters and is believed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country.
Some of the reported paranormal activity includes mysterious figures appearing on the staircase, clothing being folded and packed away, the piano playing by itself, strange apparitions in portraits and photographs, unseen noisy children running up and down the halls, moving nightstands, and shadowy figures.
One supposed ghost is a former hotel chambermaid named Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, who, in 1911, entered room 217 with a lit candle. A gas leak caused an explosion and she fell through the floor to the MacGregor dining room below. She survived with broken ankles and other injuries. She was well taken care of by the Stanleys after the accident, and spent the rest of her working life at the hotel. Now she is believed to be responsible for folding and putting away guests’ clothes and for her haunting disapproval of unmarried couples sharing a room.
Other ghosts include the Stanleys, Lord Dunraven (original landowner), children, and a kissing cowboy. Most are said to be friendly ghosts (laughing, folding your clothes, playing the piano) or standoffish, not sinister.
If you are interested in the haunted history of The Stanley Hotel, consider the evening Ghost Tour, or the Ghost Adventure overnight package and choosing a room on the fourth floor. The most haunted hotel room is said to be 401, but rooms 217 (Elizabeth Wilson), 407, 428 (kissing cowboy), and 1302 are also said to have a fair amount of paranormal activity.
The billiards room, hallways, and Concert Hall are also frequent settings for reported ghost sightings (visits are included in the hotel tours).

This is Biscuit French Toast. I liked it!

We stepped back out of the Stanley to see a mom Elk nursing her babe. So sweet!

The Lake is also a popular place where the Elk hang out.

Oh, and there are a few places to buy homemade pies before coming in and after going out of the Park.

Don’t miss that opportunity, either. So good!

******
Aurora, Colorado ⬇️

After leaving Estes Park, we drove towards the Denver Airport, and on in to Aurora, where we were invited to spend a few nights with our friends, Mike and Nancy.
We so appreciated the invite and we always enjoy our time spent, together.

Nancy and Mike were on the same Thailand trip, back in September of 2015, when Daryl and I first met. Like other travelers in this same group, they watched the big guy and I fall in love ❤️. It was easy to continued the friendship with Mike and Nancy over the years, and we did. Very fine folks!

We spent two nights with them visiting, resting up and doing laundry. One night they introduced us to “cards and marbles.” I’m not a big board- game fan, but I said I would give it a go. I’m so glad, because this was a fun game, and now I love it!
*****
We left Aurora, after great conversation and food and wonderful hospitality, to head for Thornton, where we would meet another good friend of mine for lunch, then to visit his new horse, before we said goodbye and headed up to the Rocky Mountain Wilderness.
It would be there, we had the honor of staying at my (now our) friends cabin.

Like Estes Park, this Cabin location is another of my happiest places on earth to visit.
I love the Colorado mountains and I always will!

Other than new work mates, Joe was the first person I met, after moving to Colorado from Oregon in 2004; following a job promotion.
Joe worked for a company at that time, where I bought safety gear from, for the company I worked for.
From there, Joe introduced me to the church he and his family attended, which I began attending, and the rest is history.
I enjoyed several previous stays at their family cabin over the six years I lived there, and on this trip back, we got an invite to go again. 

******
Next Stop ⬇️

Leaving the metropolitan Denver area, we made our way up into the Rocky Mountains. One stop at the grocery store along the way to buy food, and then we finally arrived at the Cabin.
Once leaving the city, the drive is beautiful, all the way!
We enjoyed staying tucked away on this remote property. We had all kinds of weather. It even snowed one night. We had sunshine and then we had storms. We watched as herds of elk come through; on two different occasions. No Bulls, just Cows and their young.
We would fall asleep to the bugling calls back and forth from the Elk, echoing through the mountains.
On our first morning, I woke up and just laid still while gazing out the window. Soon a dark shadow covered the window from the sun, and I knew it was something big. I got up and looked out the window, just in time to see a huge owl land in a nearby tree.
Mornings were very chilly, but making a fire in the stove took the chill off in no time at all.

We slept, we watched for wildlife, we cooked, I baked, we ate, we read, enjoyed the fire, and we visited. It was so perfect!

Enjoy the photos from the drive up to and at the cabin ⬇️

⬆️ I always watch for Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep. I’ve seen them many times, but not on this visit to Colorado.

I got to practice my baking skills at over 10,000 feet above sea level. My entire recipe gets completely overhauled to accommodate the altitude; less of some ingredients, more on others  I’m proud to say, I have not lost my touch, the peach cobbler was yummy!

******

Before we left Colorado for South Dakota, we stayed with Mike and Nancy one more night; following our return from the Cabin time. We look forward to seeing these two on another trip, soon!

Thank you Mike, Nancy and Joe, for making our Colorado stay, the best!!

COLORADO

WYOMING 

ROAD TRIP STATE VISITS

CALIFORNIA: ✅

NEVADA: ✅

OREGON: ✅

KONA, HAWAII: ✅

OREGON again: ✅

IDAHO: ✅

UTAH: ✅

WYOMING: ✅

COLORADO: ✅