Estes Park

Yesterday we got up early to get on the road before the snowstorm was forecasted to start. We had a full breakfast at the Mountain Chalet including fresh squeezed orange juice from a juicing machine- it was almost as good as Meme's. We left around 7:30 and started back towards I-70. We got on the interstate and it started snowing about an hour and a half into our trip. The good news is these cities are very prepared for these sorts of storms, and it doesn't seem odd at all for it to be snowing in May. The snow continued for about a half hour and then took a break. We got off the highway to take Central City Parkway and the Peak to Peak Highway which follows the Rocky Mountains all the way up to Estes Park. There was so much snow banked on these highways and most of the trucks and SUV's had plow attachments as their rural streets are likely not plowed. It felt like a winter wonderland. We saw lots of people working on their trucks and houses, which is normal for a Saturday but it's just funny to see that when there's so much snow on the ground and it's so cold. I think most Southerners would have called it a day and not tried to get out and get house chores done. We got up to our hotel and stopped by to ask for lunch suggestions and to see if we could check in early. They had lost power and thought the whole town had also so they didn't know of any food places open. We decided to look on yelp and call a local pizza place to see if they were open, and they were! We went to the downtown district and enjoyed some pizza for lunch. Then we walked the whole downtown and looked in the local shops. We walked along the Fall River to get some fresh air. Then we went back to our hotel and checked in as they got their power back. 

We hung out there for a bit before going to the Stanley Hotel for a drink. The Stanley Hotel is where Stephen King stayed when he had the vision to write The Shining. It was built in the early 1900's and it was very ornate. The carpets were very clean, which makes sense as the founder also founded Stanley Steemer. Then we grabbed takeout from the local Mexican place so that we could enjoy the pretty view from our hotel room. It overlooked a golf course and had a great view of mountains. Just as we were settling in, the snow began again. We'll keep you posted on how much we get - the forecast was between 10-24 inches. 

At the Stanley Hotel