A Family Day Trip

This week I took Nick and the kids to one of my favorite places! Estes Park, CO. Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The town is beautiful, I feel connected to it as you have to pass by my hometown to get there.(plus its a rival school!) Many people that pass through Estes Park end up heading up Trail Ridge Road, which is “the highest paved continuous highway in the United States.” It crosses through Rocky Mountain National Park and over the Continental Divide, reaching an elevation of over 12,000ft.. I found these cool pictures from the ridge road which is closed always in winter.. Isn't the glacier awesome!



WOw! thats pretty high up in elevation!! The day the road opened this season. anyway...
Estes is just a tiny little town with only about 6000 residents. At the height of tourist season, they probably have more tourists than residents! But one of my best friends, grew up there so I have lots of fond memories! Also my favorite place to go to is a shop called "Real West"..Where they do old time portraits. I've done it quite a few times!! But never as a family! So we went there and had a blast! Tessa LOVED playing dress up!



Estes Park is also known for the elk. I remember my friend telling me how she hated the elk! They were more like a nuisance to her and they would be constantly chasing them off the football field before a game! I thought that was funny. Estes Park is part of our ward and the Bishop I grew up with owns cabins there for rent. ( on my to do list) . Below is the gigantic hotel, called the Stanley Hotel. Its totally haunted!



The Stanley Hotel is famous, its the place that inspired Stephen King in The Shining, and was featured in the TV movie. Famous people stay there and someday I will!! but Anyway.. Estes Park is a cool place! So all in all it was a fun day trip! If you ever get a chance to go up there and visit i hope you do!