Breathtaking Colorado!

North America » United States » Colorado » Rocky Mountains
June 21st 2005

Published: August 21st 2005

Edit Blog Post

Travelgirl

Taken at the Rocky Mountain welcome center.

On Saturday we played in the snow at 11,000 + feet in flip flops, walked on a tundra, drove on the highest continuously paved road in the USA, crossed the continental divide, drove through immense thunderstorms, saw 3 rainbows, went from 90 degrees to 47 degrees in less than 2 hours, drove through an authentic old west town and saw a spectacular sunset...whoa...lol. I mean, where do I even start??? And that was Saturday....here it is Tuesday....a lot has happened since I last wrote!

Saturday was truly the most scenic experience of my life. I don't know what was more amazing.....walking on snow in my flip flops, driving Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park or seeing 3...YES, 3...RAINBOWS--AT THE SAME TIME!!!! I am going to have to go with the rainbows because that HAS to be a very rare occurrence. I can actually say I've seen THE END OF THE RAINBOW! April and I saw where the rainbows ended. If you could imagine driving through mountainous scenery, topping 11,000 + feet, snow-capped mountains, rain showers, thunderstorms and rainbows...than you have the making of my dreamlike day---Saturday, June 18, 2005.

Rocky Mountain National Park & Estes Park, Colorado

3141

This beautiful blue colored lake didn't look real on the way to Rocky Mountains park.

are so amazing. The scenery is poetry through vision. We couldn't of gotten a more perfect day. The sun was shining and there were only a few scattered clouds when we started out early afternoon. The temps went from high 80's to high 40's in a matter of hours. We drove up I-25 north toward Estes Park and were in the visitors information center in less than an hour from our stop in Denver. The second you enter Estes Park you are greeted with mountain peaks soaring over 11,000 feet, the sounds of rushing waterfalls, the smell of cut grass, waverunners buzzing in the pristine lakes and a consistant gentle breeze. It is a striking sight to see the snowcapped mountains as you round the bend toward Estes. This is the original rustic design. This area is what log cabins and rustic decor emulate. You couldn't get THIS feeling from anywhere else but Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

We decided to take Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuously paved road in the United States, toward Grand Lake, Colorado. We had done this close to 4 years ago and it was overcast then but still a mind blowing experience. This time the

3145

You could see the mountains rising in the background.

SUN was out and the sky was BLUE....so you can only imagine what it looked like. Before we knew it we were above tree line and up in the clouds. After doing this road twice I can honestly say I am NOT afraid of heights. If you are even slightly afraid...AVOID THIS DRIVE....PLEASE! LOL! There was a portion of the road that had NO railing and was having ROAD WORK done....holy @&*@&*@&...but it was SOOO beautiful and cool. We stopped at all the scenic spots, parked our car and took in the beauty. At one section we were greeted by cheerful little chipmunks and the most beautiful grey and black birds. To me the Rocky Mountains is even more moving than the Grand Canyon. Maybe that is because the Grand Canyon is so surreal it kinda is hard to comprehend? There we were, at the top of the world, and out of the blue this cowboy type young man comes up to April and says, "WHAT PART OF RHODE ISLAND ARE YOU FROM?" -- When we said Providence he said he was too but moved out to Colorado a few years ago. He loved Rhode Island but LOVES Colorado. You

3224

We were getting closer and closer.

can tell. This man looks pure Coloradian now...lol. What are the odds of that? Meeting someone from the smallest state in the union on top of the Rocky Mountains? April also chatted it up with a nice gay fellow. He gave her lots of information on chipmunks...that's all I am saying.....lol.

Up and up Trail Ridge Road we went. Before we knew it we were at a tundra.

Main Entry: tun·dra
Function: noun
Etymology: Russian, of Lappish origin; akin to Kola Lappish tundar hill
Date: circa 1841
: a level or rolling treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic regions, consists of black mucky soil with a permanently frozen subsoil, and has a dominant vegetation of mosses, lichens, herbs, and dwarf shrubs; also : a similar region confined to mountainous areas above timberline.

YEEEEEEEEEAH! HOW COOL! I was so excited I walked as fast as my legs would let me to the area filled with snow. I jumped on it and YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES, SUNK IN!!! OH MY GOSH! When it is only 53 out and you have shorts, a t-shirt and flip-flops on....you don't want to sink in ICE COLD SNOW! My feet were instantly numb

3234

It was a picture perfect day!

and as cold and shocked as I was I said, "APE COME HERE...YOU GOTTA DO THIS!" --- We must've looked like nuts! But we had fun. How many times do you get to step on snow, on a tundra, in the middle of June??? Hmmm....

We continued our way up to the top of the road and was surrounded by snow banks and a landscape of rocks and shrubs....trees were long gone. When we reached the top of the mountain we had to (of course) go in the gift shop! This place was so cool. It opened in the late 1800's....I couldn't imagine traveling Trail Ridge Road on any other means of transportation other than a car! People do it on bike all the time.....I SHAKE JUST THINKING OF THAT! Ape and I were both oblivious to the fact that we were taking in much LESS oxygen than we usually do and believe me, we need all the oxygen we can get...lol, so we walked fast, maybe too fast, from our car to the gift shop. It was cool taking a picture under the sign that read elevation 11,798 feet. The gift shop must love it though. I mean,

3250

The famous Stanley Hotel most known for the movie, The Shining.

will all the oxygen missing from your brain you are more likely spend money on stuff you don't really need! :-)

After our little shopping excursion we headed DOWN the mountain, past more gorgeous scenery and the Continental Divide. That was pretty cool too.

Main Entry: Continental Divide
Variant(s): or Great Divide
Usage: geographical name
the watershed of N. America comprising the line of highest points of land separating the waters flowing W from those flowing N or E, coinciding with various ranges of the Rockies, and extending SSE from NW Canada to NW S. America.

Before we knew it we were entering the very picturesque village of Grand Lake. Grand Lake is known as Colorado's quintessential lake community and is one of the state's finest resort communities. Quaint cabins, rustic shops and restaurants line the downtown area. There is a rustic boardwalk that you can stroll and shop the western-style stores. The town is a great place for people who are into sailing, boating, swimming and fishing. It is a very quiet, laid back town. Not lots of nightlife, but great for families and people looking for a peaceful getaway. We walked around and decided to

3267

View from the Stanley Hotel.

keep heading back to our hotel in Littleton, CO. We would drive through Granby and past Winter Park ski resort via I-40.

By the time we were back in the mountains near Winter Park and topping almost 12,000 feet -- it started to -- RAIN and THUNDER! Ugh..not fun when you are in the mountains, however, it was a sun thunderstorm. The sun was shining towards the east and it was storming to the west. This made the perfect condition for what else? RAINBOWS! Not one, not two...but THREE spectacular rainbows that literally took our breath away. It was almost TOO beautiful. It was surreal and spooky in a heaven-like way if that makes sense. I mean, we were the only two people (practically) on this mountain road and the scenery was pure dreamlike. That is the only way to describe it.....dreamlike. I was filled with adrenaline as we wound our way down the mountain on the wet roads with our windshield wipping the loud rain drops from our vision. Snapping pictures like a photoholic -- I couldn't stop. I SO wanted to capture what we were experiencing on film, but I know this will never be possible. It

3269

Leaving the Stanley Hotel.

is, however, something that will live inside my memories forever.

By the time we were down from the mountains it was almost 9pm and I had taken close to 1,000 pictures on my digital camera. A record for even a photo junky like me! That says a lot! We were so excited about the day we just had but started to both have tremendous headaches and like, sinus problems. We knew we had a touch of altitude sickness, more me than April. By the time Sunday rolled around I was SICK....not like, bed ridden sick, but major headache, loss of oxygen sick...niiiiiiiiice...lol! But it was 100% worth it and I would do it again and again. By Monday I was FINE.....we were both fine.....so we headed to our next destinations....Breckenridge, Vail and Glenwood Springs.

The scenery was amazing (what else is new in Colorado). I couldn't help but notice how it felt like we were driving through a living issue of Log Home Magazine. It was heavenly to April and I, as our dream will always be to live in a log home. It felt like everyone in Eagle County had a log home and jeep...lol....there is definitely

3282

Welcome to Rocky Mountain National Park.

a "lifestyle" to living in that area. I was so excited to finally visit Breckenridge & Vail!!! So many times we had driven by this area and not stopped due to time restrictions. Breckenridge is a VERY cool, hip, modern, almost artsy ski town. It is chock full of log homes, cute buildings, restaurants, cafes, shopping plazas and amazing scenery. I would recommend Breckenridge to ANYONE looking for great skiing and a cool ski town. It was a true mountain resort town. Lots to do and see and lots of activities. Vail is all you expect it to be. It has a Bavarien theme which I love! One of the most charming features of the village are the clocks that chime at the top of the hour. Vail truly captures that "climb every mountain" feel. There are lots of cute shops, restaurants, cafes and nightclubs that line the village and a great covered pedestrian bridge and fountain. We only poked around Vail Village and not Lionshead Village (on the opposite end) because believe it or not, it was HOT out! Vail village is located in a vally so it was close to 90 degrees....mix that with the steep inclines and

3293

Words cannot express the beauty found in this park, but maybe these pictures will help!

stairs--and you have two hot northerners! LOL! We weren't hungry so we didn't stop for lunch, but I would go to either of these resorts again, hopefully in the wintertime right before Christmas.

We continued our trek to our stop for the evening -- Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Ever since I read about the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool I have wanted to visit. This is going back maybe 8 years ago. We were finally doing it! We drove through scenic Glenwood Canyon on the way and it was all I had remembered...scenic, scenic, scenic! This is one of my all time favorite stretches of road. You drive past towering mountains, The Colorado River, tunnels that go THROUGH the mountain, and past beautiful red rock formations. Before we knew it we were at the exit for Glenwood Springs. This town is cute but old. The only really great thing about the area is the Hot Springs Pool and The Colorado Hotel. The Hot Springs pool is a sight to see. You should check out http://www.hotspringspool.com. Be sure to click on media and their picture section. The Hot Springs were considered a sacred healing spot by the Ute Indians for hundreds of

3298

The views will take your breath away and if they don't -- the altitude will! LOL!

years and feeds the Glenwood Springs Hot Pool with 3.5 million gallons of hot, mineral rich water each day. The main pool is 405 feet long and 100 feet wide and contains 1,071,000 gallons of water and is kept at about 90 degrees. The therapy pool is 100 feet long and contains 91,000 gallons of water and is kept at 104 degrees. There are over 15 different minerals found in the water including sodium chloride, potassium sulfate, calcium sulfate and calcium bicarbonate. I am not entirely sure what that means, but I am sure it means it is GOOD for you! 😊 The hot springs pool is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend 7:30am-10:00pm and the rest of the year 9:00am-10:00pm. I was so excited!!!!! Ape and I arrived around 8:00pm and after getting into our baiting suits jumped in and was instantly struck by the toasty warm spring water. Not too hot. Not too warm. Just RIGHT! Ahhhh.......I couldn't believe it as I looked up at the towering mountains, stars and full moon. I was HERE! I was at Glenwood Hot Springs! I don't think anyone will truly ever know how excited this made me. It was

3310

I know this picture doesn't look real, but IT IS! It looks painted, doesn't it? You must see it to believe it.

ANOTHER defining moment on this excursion.

We stayed almost until closing and then went back to the room and called it a night which brings me to today. We decided to stay another day in Glenwood Springs to catch up on work. We are staying in all day and getting back to clients, updating web sites, sending out e-mails etc., -- It feels good to just relax and catch up on things.

Aspen is only 40 miles north of us, so we will probably take a ride there tomorrow before driving 3 hours south to Moab, Utah where we will spend the next 4 or 5 nights visiting Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Monument Valley-- Lots of sightseeing!!! Then it's off to Vegas, Baby!!!

Til then...

HAPPY TRAVEL & HAPPY SUMMER!

Des & April

PS. Our dates are off by a day on some of our pictures for some reason so please don't pay attention to them...thanks!

Additional photos below

Photos: 57, Displayed: 31