Rocky Mountain High

The Pfister, Palmer House, Hotel del Coronado, The Grand Hotel on Mackinac are historic hotels we have stayed at or visited. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park can be added to the list. An ornate lobby, veranda, and attentive staff are their hallmarks. What is different about The Stanley is the view of the majestic Rocky Mountains and the maze created with evergreen trees in the front garden. What a fun place!

Next stop: Rocky Mountain National Park. Road closures prevented us from taking Trail Ridge Road over the continental divide but we did see a lot of the park on the east side. We listened to an audio tour app and drove through the park for almost two hours. It was interesting and informative. Temperature was SO cold, especially at Bear Lake. With an elevation of 9,000+ feet, there was snow everywhere and temperature was barely above freezing. Rangers told us they received several inches of snow two days before we arrived. Fortunately warm sunshine had roadways clear but hiking was a “no” without proper footwear. We did brave a few hundred feet on a snow-packed trail to Bear Lake. Footprints are visible on the side of photo of us. People were trying to walk out on the lake, and rangers would call them back due to thin ice. 

Source: https://youtu.be/gfaRauruRDE

Two minute video clip of our drive down from Bear Lake. My hope was we would see lots of snow on the Rockies yet roads would be clear. Fulfilled!

As we left Estes Park, we drove by Mary’s Lake. It looked like a machine was blowing snow or maybe water over the lake. Still not sure what they were doing or why, but it was entertaining to watch. 

Source: https://youtu.be/qN0CYvRPmeY

In Nederland, we stopped by the Carousel of Happiness. The story behind this attraction is amazing. It centers around a Vietnam Marine veteran and 26 years of hand carving. Read it at the link above. 

In Idaho Springs, we stopped by to see the Water Wheel and water falls. There is a nice walking path that goes from the city hall, under I-70 and to the wheel and falls. A bubbling creek runs along the trail. Very nice place for a stroll. 

We finished up the days touring with a mid-afternoon stop at Georgetown Coffee and Tea in Georgetown, Colorado. The downtown reminded me of Galena. In fact, many of the small towns in Wyoming and Colorado have. That’s the fun of avoiding interstate and major roads. By taking the state and county roads, we see many small towns along the way. 

More of those Colorado spots tomorrow.