In 2023, my brother and I visited my daughter in Colorado over Thanksgiving. It was a first visit to this gorgeous state for both of us. We stayed in Boulder, and also visited Estes Park, to include Rocky Mountain National Park. Every time I see photos from this trip pop up on my digital picture frame, I stop in my tracks to admire them all over again.
I confess that after returning home from my visit, I felt like, if not for the fact that my daughter lived there, Colorado would likely be a one and done trip for me. But the more time that passes since that trip ended, the more I feel drawn to go again. When you see the pictures, you will understand why.
On our way to Rocky Mountain National Park, we stopped in for a visit at The Stanely Hotel – Stephen King’s inspiration for The Shining after a stay he had there. I’m a big fan of Stephen King, and The Shining is my favorite of his, so checking this place out was a must.
The room keys inside The Stanely Hotel. Notice one is facing the opposite direction from all of the others. Room 217. If you are a fan of The Shining, you’ll recognize this. The history of this room gives me the chills to even think about.
The photo on the left is the main building of The Stanley. The one on the right is one of several spectacular views from the property.
Another impressive view from inside the main lobby of The Stanley Hotel.
One of the stops we made on our way from Boulder to Estes Park.
My brother and I mid impromptu hike on Thanksgiving morning. Clearly, I was not dressed for the occasion. What began as a morning of exploring Boulder by vehicle quickly turned into parking the car so we could get better views only obtainable by foot.
Some beautiful birds we saw inside of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was as if they purposely posed for me.
I believe this particular lake is called Bear Lake – one of several we passed while hiking this popular trail in Rocky Mountain National Park.
The higher we got, the more snow we saw. No matter which direction we looked, we were completely surrounded by unspeakable beauty.
This shot is my favorite from the entire trip, also taken from a hiking trail inside of Rocky Mountain National Park.
This photo shows how breathtaking the views are even at lower altitudes. This was taken from the first of the two trails we hiked that day, also inside of Rocky Mountain National Park.
