Go_laura's Denver area trip report Part IV last
May 19th, 2011, 06:02 PM
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Go_laura's Denver area trip report Part IV last
Since the weather had been bad from the time our friends arrived from CT, they hadn't yet walked down to Larimer Square or seen the 16th St. mall. So when the rain let up, after the baseball game ended we did those things again. Stopped on the way back for dinner at Katie Mullen's - not my kind of food as much but it was fine.
Friday we finally had a lovely weather day again, and we headed out for our day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. We'd probably have gone out Rt. 36 all the way to Boulder but in one of the Fodor's threads I'd read about taking 119 over to connect with the Peak to Peak. So very glad we did that - we were oohing and ahhing all the way up, with a number of stops to take in the scenery. When we got to the park itself (after a lunch stop in Estes Park), we knew Trail Ridge Rd. would be closed but were pleased to find that we could drive up to the second overlook on it - lots of snow just like at Loveland Pass, and just stunning beauty as far as the eye could see. I've been home almost a week now, and stll keep having visions of those mountains pop into my head at various points of the day (and I work in a big, inner city hospital in a mid-Atlantic state, so it's a pleasure!). I know people come on to Fodors rather often to ask if RMNP is worth doing even at times you can't drive all the way up and over, and my personal opinion is yes, yes, yes.
We then looped around and saw some elk on the way back to Estes Park - I would have been disappointed if we hadn't. Oh, that reminds me, in the part of my trip report where I mentioned going to Georgetown and going up the Loveland Pass, I forgot to say we were thrilled to see a bunch of bighorn sheep right on the side of the highway, as we approached Georgetown! We were so excited, and then when we found out there's actually a sighting spot to look through a telescope to see them, we went there too, hoping to see them again or see more, but we didn't see any from there. So we just considered ourselves very fortunate to have seen the ones we did when we didn't even yet know about them and so weren't looking for them!
We then ended our trip by going back to Boulder - our friends were interested in seeing the Pearl St. Mall and when we'd been in Boulder we'd spent no time there since we'd done the more natural stuff first and then my heel had been hurting. So we all walked around there for a while, people watching and having fun seeing the street performers and shops, and then we had dinner at Tahona's - a fun, relaxing setting in which to end the day, and we enjoyed our meals.
Next morning was time to come home - and despite a couple cold, rainy days, I felt so fortunate that my husband and I had decided to make it a whole week so we got to enjoy five beautiful days with glorious sights (it was too bad that our friends only got one good weather day as their trip was shorter). The whole time of our week, the word that kept spontaneously entering my mind was "majestic," - a word that doesn't ever enter my mind here in Philadelphia! I felt I had a new appreciation of the words of "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" (both of which I personally have always thought would be better national antehms than the one we have).
So that's it - and I hope something in this long trip report, helps someone, sometime, in their planning! Thanks again to all who helped me.
Friday we finally had a lovely weather day again, and we headed out for our day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. We'd probably have gone out Rt. 36 all the way to Boulder but in one of the Fodor's threads I'd read about taking 119 over to connect with the Peak to Peak. So very glad we did that - we were oohing and ahhing all the way up, with a number of stops to take in the scenery. When we got to the park itself (after a lunch stop in Estes Park), we knew Trail Ridge Rd. would be closed but were pleased to find that we could drive up to the second overlook on it - lots of snow just like at Loveland Pass, and just stunning beauty as far as the eye could see. I've been home almost a week now, and stll keep having visions of those mountains pop into my head at various points of the day (and I work in a big, inner city hospital in a mid-Atlantic state, so it's a pleasure!). I know people come on to Fodors rather often to ask if RMNP is worth doing even at times you can't drive all the way up and over, and my personal opinion is yes, yes, yes.
We then looped around and saw some elk on the way back to Estes Park - I would have been disappointed if we hadn't. Oh, that reminds me, in the part of my trip report where I mentioned going to Georgetown and going up the Loveland Pass, I forgot to say we were thrilled to see a bunch of bighorn sheep right on the side of the highway, as we approached Georgetown! We were so excited, and then when we found out there's actually a sighting spot to look through a telescope to see them, we went there too, hoping to see them again or see more, but we didn't see any from there. So we just considered ourselves very fortunate to have seen the ones we did when we didn't even yet know about them and so weren't looking for them!
We then ended our trip by going back to Boulder - our friends were interested in seeing the Pearl St. Mall and when we'd been in Boulder we'd spent no time there since we'd done the more natural stuff first and then my heel had been hurting. So we all walked around there for a while, people watching and having fun seeing the street performers and shops, and then we had dinner at Tahona's - a fun, relaxing setting in which to end the day, and we enjoyed our meals.
Next morning was time to come home - and despite a couple cold, rainy days, I felt so fortunate that my husband and I had decided to make it a whole week so we got to enjoy five beautiful days with glorious sights (it was too bad that our friends only got one good weather day as their trip was shorter). The whole time of our week, the word that kept spontaneously entering my mind was "majestic," - a word that doesn't ever enter my mind here in Philadelphia! I felt I had a new appreciation of the words of "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful" (both of which I personally have always thought would be better national antehms than the one we have).
So that's it - and I hope something in this long trip report, helps someone, sometime, in their planning! Thanks again to all who helped me.
May 19th, 2011, 07:03 PM
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I just saw your trip report - thank you for posting it. It's nice to see the city and area I live in through someone else's eyes. I try to always appreciate where I live, and never take its beauty for granted, and to keep in mind the saying (on the Denver Post's front page every day), " 'tis a privilege to live in Colorado." But I don't always remember, so thanks!
May 19th, 2011, 07:16 PM
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Another Coloradan who totally understands your instant affection for our state. It is too bad you were here for the rainy days, especially since they are rather scare.
"Majestic" is the perfect description.
"Majestic" is the perfect description.
Jun 28th, 2011, 05:51 PM
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Thanks for posting, Go_Laura. I'm planning a short trip to Denver soon, and although I've been there quite a few times, it was was nice to get some new ideas! We plan to visit the botanical gardens, so I'll make sure everyone has their AAA cards 
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