September 2019
Since I now live within driving distance of my parents, the girls and I decided to make a quick 3 day trip to Ignacio for Labor Day in early September. My sister Leina, and her son Noah, also came from Salt Lake City. We had a nice weekend of visiting and playing.
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| Oldest to youngest: Noah, Deekon, Lincoln, Elin, Anikka, Mia (and Diva) |
We went swimming everyday in Oscar's pool.
Got popsicles from the ice cream truck.
Went to the park.
Made Smore's and did some planet watching.
Plus they got to see Diva, their favorite dog and Mia, their favorite cousin.
Perfect quick trip with loads and loads of fun family time.
OCTOBER 2019
The girls had a few days off of school in early October so we decided to take a 2 day family trip and explore our new state. We have a free national parks pass this year (4th graders can get the free pass) so we planned to go to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Because I love old historic hotels and national park lodges, James booked us a night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.
When we got into Estes Park we were able to go to a nearby park to see the Elk that invade the town every October in what is called the Elk Rut.
It is also the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write the novel The Shining. The story is as follows (taken from wikipedia):
In a 1977 interview by the Literary Guild, King recounts, "While we were living [in Boulder] we heard about this terrific old mountain resort hotel and decided to give it a try. But when we arrived, they were just getting ready to close for the season, and we found ourselves the only guests in the place—with all those long, empty corridors." King and his wife were served dinner in an empty dining room accompanied by canned orchestral music: "Except for our table all the chairs were up on the tables. So the music is echoing down the hall, and, I mean, it was like God had put me there to hear that and see those things. And by the time I went to bed that night, I had the whole book [The Shining] in my mind."[8] In another retelling, King says, "I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire-hose. I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed. I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in a chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of The Shining firmly set in my mind."
We woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunrise.
Because I love old historic hotels and national park lodges, James booked us a night at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.
Then, we checked into the Stanley Hotel. We didn't tell the girls, but this hotel is haunted by several ghosts. And no, we didn't see any or have anything weird happen. It is a very beautiful hotel. It reminded us of the Hotel Coronado in CA.
It is also the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write the novel The Shining. The story is as follows (taken from wikipedia):
In a 1977 interview by the Literary Guild, King recounts, "While we were living [in Boulder] we heard about this terrific old mountain resort hotel and decided to give it a try. But when we arrived, they were just getting ready to close for the season, and we found ourselves the only guests in the place—with all those long, empty corridors." King and his wife were served dinner in an empty dining room accompanied by canned orchestral music: "Except for our table all the chairs were up on the tables. So the music is echoing down the hall, and, I mean, it was like God had put me there to hear that and see those things. And by the time I went to bed that night, I had the whole book [The Shining] in my mind."[8] In another retelling, King says, "I dreamed of my three-year-old son running through the corridors, looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, screaming. He was being chased by a fire-hose. I woke up with a tremendous jerk, sweating all over, within an inch of falling out of bed. I got up, lit a cigarette, sat in a chair looking out the window at the Rockies, and by the time the cigarette was done, I had the bones of The Shining firmly set in my mind."
We woke up the next morning to a beautiful sunrise.
We had intended to spend the whole day in Rocky Mountain National Park and drive over the Trail Ridge Road then stay a night in Steamboat Springs.
But....as Colorado will do....the weather changed very quickly and it was snowing as we started into the park and Trail Ridge Road was closed indefinitely. Since we are only a few hours away, we will definitely be back.
We drove as far up the road into the park as we could. It was still very very beautiful.
I have a small obsession with national parks and I have my girls do the National Parks Passport stamps with me.
We had not booked a hotel for the 2nd night since we weren't sure if the road would be open. So, we amended our plan after leaving the park and booked a night at Indian Hot Springs which was just a few hours up I-70 and through some beautiful mountain country.
We stayed at Indian Hot Springs Resort. They have their own warm mineral pool so after a delicious pizza dinner in town at Beau Jo's...
we relaxed in the mineral springs that evening,
and again the next morning before heading back to Colorado Springs.
Maija
