We're finally here! After months of waiting, I'm now in Estes Park at the end of day one of our Colorado trip. It felt like we traveled most of the day. We left Old Bridge before 6AM and drove to Northern NJ to Carol's Mom's. She gave us a ride to Newark so we could catch our flight which departed at 9AM. At the airport we ran into our first "hiccup". I had agreed to take the laptop bag as a carry on and Carol said she was going to take our hiking backpack. Only problem was we didn't think to go through the backpack until were standing in line at the security checkpoint. So I going digging around there to check to make sure we have no liquids or chapsticks or anything like that and what do I find but my large knife! NO! It was a wedding present that I hated to get rid of but we had already checked our main bags so I had to deposit it in the trashcan before we got to the checkpoint. Sad .. sad..sad that was a good knife. Anyway after that we found out as soon as we boarded the plane that we were delayed a half hour for take off because of the fog. Thanks for telling us after were sitting on a hot plane with no AC.
We arrived in Denver a little after noon. After picking up our backage we picked up our rental car and then it was off to Estes Park. The first thing I noticed driving was how dry the landscape was. I had recalled while looking at houses online that green lawns were scarce, and after seeing the landscape it was no surpise. For the beginning of the drive the terrain was pretty flat but as we approached the rockies we saw more hills and large rock formations.
We stopped for a late lunch at Perkins in Longmont and surpisingly they did not have the "Denver" omelette I usually get in NJ (the heartland was a good substitute however). We also stopped at the Longmont Walmart and picked up some snacks for hiking and lots of fluids. They had a new variety of Lay's Barbecue I was excited about so I got them to give them a try. Another hour drive through more twisty roads and large boulders we reached Estes Park.
Estes being being a sort of gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park is the largest town before your in the heart of the Rockies. Sitting at around 7000 feet compared to Longmonts 5000 was a big leap. Interesting science took place in my bag of chips during the drive to a higher elevation. I'll try to post a pic later. At the center of Estes is a big lake that is surrounded by hills. On top the hill leading to the Rocky Mountains sits the Stanley Hotely. The Stanley some of you may recall was the inspiration for Stephen King's the shining. Well unfortuately its 2007 and the "Shining" Hotel is now eclipsed by a McDonalds from the center of town.
We checked into our cheap hotel and unpacked then headed towards the visitor center to pick up some maps. There we learned about the wild elk that liked to roam around town. The Visitor Center lady was super nice and told us that now was one of the best times to see the elk, and if we hiked around the north part of the lake we might catch a glimps. Sure enough after about a quarter mile there was a field FILLED with elk. We start taking pictures from afar but eventually got a little closer. My wife, much braver than I, walked within a few yards to get some great pictures I plan to upload soon. I loyally obeyed the signs that read DO NOT APPROACH THE ELK. I also wanted to make sure I was safe so in the event of any catastrophe I could tell everyone a great story of how my wife was run through by a huge elk.
We ended up at the Estes Park Brewery and unwinded with some specialty brews and a great plate of nachos. Now its time for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow we will being to tackle RMNP.
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