Hi there! For my first official post, I am going to write about one of my very favorite places: Colorado, and specifically, the Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park. My husband and I were there recently, so I have fresh new info and pictures.
This trip was extra eventful, as you will soon find out. Be sure to click on each picture so you can get up close and personal with all the glorious details! 🙂 (Image carousels have more pictures than what show, so be sure to look through those, also.)
Drama on the interstate
Day 1. Up at 3 a.m. and left our home at 5:26 a.m. heading west on I-80 expecting to arrive at our destination around 2 p.m. with plenty of time to get some good sights in.
So many hay bales
It’s fun to see trains zoom by
Can you see the”running” rows of corn 🙂
We don’t leave home without it
Rockies, here we come!
Just a flower for your enjoyment. (Black and Blue Salvia)
After about four hours and 300 miles, we blew a tire on the back of our van!
Rick, my hubby, steered us off the interstate safely and proceeded to put the “donut” on.
We drove about 30 miles into the next “big” town, Ogallala, NE. We were looking for a specific tire dealer because we had a warranty. No dice there. We got off the interstate and onto highway 30 so that we could drive slower. Stops at Sidney, NE and Cheyenne, WY yielded no results. That “donut” held out for 250 miles, making it to a dealer in Fort Collins, CO!
Our son, Luke, lives in Fort Collins and was going to spend a few days with us anyway, so he picked us up and we went and ate while waiting for the new tires.
With our new “set of wheels” on, we headed into the amazing Big Thompson Canyon…
The thrilling Big Thompson Canyon
and into… Estes Park! As soon as I see that familiar beautiful town, I always feel both excited and peaceful.
It soothes me!!
Coming into Estes Park…ahhhhh
We checked into our hotel and unloaded; then we finally headed out to Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park (RMNP) and Trail Ridge Road (TRR) to see some sights. 🙂
Me, Luke and an elk
Historic Stanley Hotel, built 1909
Near the entrance to RMNP
Heading for the top of Trail Ridge Road
A Colorado wildflower
Golden rocks, clear water
Deer Mountain at dusk
Not much snow on the Never Summer Mountains this year!
Near the top of TRR
Serene sunset at top of TRR
Nearing Rock Cut on TRR
Elk on TRR at dusk. See the vehicles at top left?
Many Parks Curve. Peaceful ending to a crazy day!
We saw elk and a coyote that night. Got back to our room after dark. What a long day!
Went to sleep looking forward to driving Old Fall River Road (OFRR) in the morning, which is something we do nearly every day while there (and sometimes twice a day)!
It’s most definitely one of our favorite things to do in Estes.
Day 2. On our way to OFRR this morning, we stopped at the Alluvial Fan. The Alluvial Fan was formed in 1982 when a dam 4 miles up the mountain burst, sending millions of gallons of water racing down the mountainside, scouring a gully as it went.
Flood!
When all that water hit level ground, it slowed and fanned out, depositing trees, boulders, smaller rocks, sand, and silt, forming the fan. It’s a neat place to see, although the September 2013 flood changed it a lot. (I think it was better before 2013.)
Ok, let me tell you about OFRR.
It’s a one-way, narrow, speed limit of 15 mph, winding with hairpin turns, dirt/rock, awesome mountain road!
I’ve read that it was built by chain-gang convicts.
Originally completed in 1920-ish, it was the first automobile road to penetrate the interior of Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park, which was founded in 1915.
Since the speed limit is so slow (and we usually drive slower than that!), there is time to take it all in.
Besides the wondrous views, we have seen various wildlife on this road.
During the 9-mile drive, OFRR winds through various ecosystems including montane forests and grasslands in the lowest elevations, subalpine forests above 9,000 feet, and above treeline (at approximately 11,500 feet), all trees disappear and the sparse alpine tundra takes over.
Click on an image below to see more fun views from Old Fall River Road
Old Fall River Road with beautiful valley in distance, this view says it all! 🙂
I especially love the “craggy” mountain peaks, and many times during the drive they are directly above us.
The road ends at the Alpine Visitor Center at Fall River Pass, elevation 11,796 feet.
To get back to Estes Park or to go to Grand Lake, the only option is Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuously paved road in the U.S.
Its highest elevation is 12,183 feet!
We like to drive OFRR at different times of the day. It’s usually very clear and peaceful in the morning.
On this day, we had a real treat. We saw 4 bighorn sheep climbing on the rocks of the mountain face across the valley from where we were driving!
I took some pictures, but they were too far away to see, so the following sheep picture was not taken by me.
We’ve been to Estes and the park 8 times, and this is only the second time we’ve seen the sheep. We stopped a ton this day; lots of good views.
See the dog head?!
Me hanging out the window, as always!
Indian Paintbrush
Stunning
It’s such a fun drive!
Nice crisp clear day
Near the top of TRR
Elk herd
I really like these rocks
Bighorn sheep in RMNP
After we came down TRR, we drove south to the Bear Lake area and walked around the lake. This is an easy, flat walk. It’s beautiful and peaceful.
We’ve only seen one moose in all our travels here, and this was the place.
In 2011, we saw an adolescent moose swim across the entire lake!
Great view
The book
Did some “history hunting” in the afternoon.
We have a book called “Estes Park, Then and Now.”
It contains awesome old pictures of and around Estes from the late 1870s and forward as well as recent (2010) pictures of the same structure/location.
A photographer went to all the original sites and took pictures from the exact same spot to compare with what is there now.
Lots of structures still stand, but some are gone so now there’s just a landscape. We are trying to see all 99 picture locations!
Got some food and…drove into the park again. Always different light in the evening, but there were stormy skies this night as well.
Saw an amazing (double) rainbow!
Stormy sky and green trees contrast awesomely!
Almost a full rainbow in view 🙂
Distinct colors
Partial double rainbow
How’d you like the first 2 days? Stay tuned for more of our trip coming soon!
Blessings and blooms,
Pam
Author: Pam
Glad you’re here!
Looks great!
Thanks, Lace! 🙂