Drive to Estes

Sunrise in Denver

Mindy had breakfast for us

The kids took us on a scenic drive to Estes

 

 We pulled over to look at this crystal clear stream.

Chapel on the Rocks

"In 1916, Monsignor Joseph Bosetti came across a large rock formation just east of Rocky Mountain National Park and inspired by the Biblical phrase "upon this rock I will build my church", he envisioned a church built on the rock. His lack of funds delayed construction for nearly 20 years and he struggled with the Colorado Highway Department to keep the rock intact. Eventually, land for the church was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Malo and Denver architect Jacques Benedict designed the chapel, which was completed in 1936. In 1999 Boulder County designated the chapel as a historic site.

Pope John Paul II prayed at the chapel during his visit to Denver for World Youth Day in 1993; he blessed the chapel afterwards. The pope later hiked in the surrounding woods and spent some time at the Saint Malo Retreat Center.

In November 2011 the Chapel on the Rock was spared from a devastating fire that destroyed a majority of the retreat center, forcing it to close its doors.

During the rock slides of September 2013 the Chapel on the Rock survived, though much of the surrounding terrain was destroyed." - Wikipedia

 Such a beautiful drive through the mountains!   There were even some snow flurries.

 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.           

  For the Lord is the great God,

    the great King above all gods.
 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
 The sea is his, for he made it,

    and his hands formed the dry land.  and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Psalm 95:1-4

 We visited with this couple from India

 It was sooooo cold!

 The Stanley Hotel  -  I'd never heard of it, but evidently it was made famous from a movie.

I found information from "Historic Hotels of America" -

Estes Park, Colorado was forever changed in 1903 with the arrival of F.O. Stanley, of Stanley Steamer fame, and his wife. Stanley had been suffering from consumption and moved West to reap the benefits of the mountain fresh air. He was very weak and ill upon his arrival, but soon, the mountain air worked it's magic and he grew stronger within a year.

Stanley, used to the comfortable, luxurious amenities of the East Coast, found that this beautiful mountain area didn't have anything to offer those with more means. So, once his health was restored, he purchased 160 acres of land from Lord Dunraven and built what is now known as the main building of The Stanley. He built a total of 11 buildings on that acreage and many of those original buildings still remain in use.

F.O. Stanley was largely responsible for the tourist attraction Estes Park is today. He was so smitten with the area that he wanted everyone to be able to enjoy its splendor, beauty, and restorative health benefits in comfort. He built a road from Lyons, which he used to haul visitors in his "motorbus" to and from the hotel to the rail stations.

By 1940, Stanley had established his grand hotel, as well as built a sewer, power, and water company and Estes Park's first bank. Stanley may have developed the area, but just enough for humans to appreciate the dramatic nature around them. He is also responsible for promoting the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Through the years, the hotel flourished under the reign of F.O. and his strong partner and wife, Flora. However, by the 1970s, the hotel's splendor had faded and it gained a notorious reputation for being haunted. It might have even been torn down if not for a happenstance visit by novelist Stephen King. He stayed one night and said he had the worst nightmare of his life. He work up, terrified, and started writing. Shortly after, he says he had the bare bones structure of what was to become The Shining.

We ate at this little hole in the wall

After lunch, we walked along the streets and went into a few shops 

I got a chuckle out of this!

 Drive back

 

"I just saw a moose!"  We turned around to take a look.  It was an elk.  And well hidden!  Don't know how Al got a glimpse of it!

After an afternoon rest, Jason took us to Venice Ristorante, an Italian place by Union Station.  The meal was delicious!  Jason's brother, who also lives in Denver, dined with us.  

After dinner, we walked through Union Station.  What an interesting place!  Besides being a working railroad station and bus terminal, it houses the Crawford hotel.  There are numerous shops and restaurants also.  One can take a local train to the airport and back.

A delightful day!

On to Denver

Hey, Siebert family from church - did you know there was a town named "Siebert"?

 Population around 200.  Named after Henry Siebert, a rail road agent, around 1888.

 Wonder Tower is closed now, but there is talk about re-opening it someday.  The "people" on the observation deck at the top of the tower are fake.  Evidently, if you climb the 6 stories of ladder-like stairs, you are rewarded with "an impressive view of eastern Colorado, and possibly the air over Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, New Mexico, and South Dakota."

Although we continued to climb higher in elevation, it looks pretty flat.  But my ears were complaining of the altitude!  Lots of bugs hitting our windshield! 

 Then after much of nothing-ness, we hit Denver, with its traffic.

We arrived at rush hour and much stop and go.

With GPS and Mindy's help, we were able to get to

Downtown Denver. 

We saw several pan handlers.

 Hmm.

Mindy, Bear and Jason met us 

Lobby wall decoration - perfect for this area 

The views are incredible!

Snow on the mountains 

 There's a place to grill below

Grilled chicken and salmon on the menu

 The view as the sun set

We played Clue.  I won - only by default because all 3 of them guessed wrong!  But I still won!