This was our last morning in Denver before heading into the mountains. It was also my birthday. :o)
Up at 6:00am, had Starbucks at 7:00. Todd got up we walked to the Delectable Egg at 8:00 for breakfast, where I had an Idaho skillet with toast and orange juice. After breakfast we headed back to the hotel, packed up, and checked out at 10:30.
What's this on the nightstand? Happy Birthday to me!
Glass tile detail in the hotel lobby bathroom. Something no one ever tells you about is that higher altitudes cause you to urinate much more frequently than normal. There's a scientific reason behind this involving decreased oxygen levels, harder breathing, flushing bicarbonates from the blood, and so on, but you can read more about that somewhere else if you like. I won't bore you with it anymore here.
Road construction and blasting work was causing massive delays on the direct route from Denver to Vail, so instead of heading West on 70 we went North on 25 towards Loveland, then headed West on 34 towards Estes Park. This would also allow us to see the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, and drive through Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mountains Ho!
They're over here too
We did not stop at Sunny Jim's Candy Ranch - it sounded like the kind of place that might have a pit in the basement.
Pre-mountain
This does not bode well
On top of that, we're running out of lanes - oh noes!
We arrived in Estes park at 1pm and drove to the Stanley Hotel. Built in 1909, it's modern claim to fame is that Stephen King was inspired to write The Shining while staying there. If you're a guest, they have a tv channel dedicated to playing the movie version on a continuous 24-hour loop.
So much closer to the sky here
The Stanley Hotel
The Stanley Hotel downstairs lobby bathroom. The poster reads "The wave of terror that flooded America, is here".
After the hotel, we parked near the center of town and walked to Bob and Tony's Pizza for lunch where we split a 1/2 pepperoni, 1/2 hamburger pizza. It was ok, but nothing special. Then we walked to Flavors of the Rockies for ice cream. I had a scoop of english almond toffee in a waffle cone - it was good.
We left Estes Park and drove through Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately we didn't have time to really explore, so we just passed through on US 34 (which is about 48 miles long and reaches an elevation just over 12,000 feet) and made a couple of stops on the way. We had a little bit of cold rain and saw chipmunks and cow moose. Plus I pooped in the dark when the bathroom lights, which were on a timer, went out. Ah, the majesty of nature.
Mountain showers and roads
Patches of snow
Mountain range
Nothing but sky and hills
Mountain peak
Hi Todd!
Cold, cold rain
Cow moose
Chipmunk taking shelter from the rain.
Adorable...
...and fearless
On the road to Vail
US 34 exits the park at Grand Lake, and from there it was a 2 hour slog to Vail through backroads and small towns. We arrived, road weary, at our hotel around 7pm and it was excellent. The Sonnenalp hotel is a Bavarian chalet-inspired hotel located in Vail Village whose name means sun on Alps. With 3 on-site restaurants, nightly turn-down service with fresh cookies and bottled water (you had me at cookies), ginormous bathroom and tub, walk-in closet, in-room fireplace, hotel spa, library, game room, etc., it was the perfect place for a relaxing summer getaway.
Sonnenalp entrance (shot by Todd later in the week)
Living area
Sleeping area
Balcony view
Balcony view: creek, pool, and sunroom of Ludwig's restaurant with retractable roof. Ludwig's is only open for breakfast during the summer.
Room view
Bathroom view. Too many mirrors to stay out of the shot.
We ate our cookies, freshened up some, and then walked around Vail Village for a little bit. We came back to the hotel to eat at Bully Ranch, their more casual restaurant. I had a large, hot, rich chicken pot pie with a flaky crust and glass of good, but not memorable pinot noir. Then it was back to the room for the night and a soak in the huge tub.
Moon over the Vail slopes
"Wait a second, scoot a little bit to your right..."
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