Month: January 2017

gnewhall

The Stanley Hotel (Aka The Shining Hotel) July 2016

OMG…we can’t seem to get out of the state of Colorado, we enjoy it so much.  We took a ride to Estes Park where The Stanley Hotel,  a 420-room Colonial Revival hotel is located.  Approximately five miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Stanley offers panoramic views of Lake Estes, the Rockies and especially Long’s Peak. It was built by Freelan Oscar Stanley of Stanley Steamer fame and opened on July 4, 1909, catering to the American upper class at the turn of the century. The hotel and its surrounding structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stanley Hotel also hosted the horror novelist Stephen King, serving as inspiration for the Overlook Hotel in his 1977 bestseller The Shining and location for the 1997 miniseries. Today, it includes a restaurant, spa, and bed-and-breakfast and provides guided tours which feature the history and alleged paranormal activity of the site. (From Wikipedia).  The story of the Stanley brothers is one worth reading.  The hotel has a number of rooms open to the public to stay and for business and wedding functions. I’d love to stay there but probably wouldn’t get much sleep.

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The walk up to The Stanley Hotel.

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Front lobby.

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Stanley Steamer An interesting read.

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Conference room.

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Staircase to the bedrooms.
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Hallway to room 217.
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Room 217 where the most notorious  paranormal activity took place. This is also the room that was the inspiration for Stephen Kings novel “The Shining”. It’s also the room Jim Carey stayed in while filming “Dumb and Dumber. He stayed about two hours before running out of the hotel like a crazy person. He moved to another hotel.
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I took this selfie and nothing appeared in the mirror except me.
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Eileen took this selfie and she is NOT in the picture and there appears to be a wedding dress in the hallway. Same mirror. Spooky!  The hotel guide requested it to be forwarded to her.

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Basement where the staff worked.  The guests never saw the staff.  They traveled back and forth in these tunnels.

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gnewhall

Hike to Horsetooth Falls and white water rafting on the Poudre River July 2016

A 4th of July hike  located in Horsetooth Mountain Park west of Fort Collins.  The hike to the falls is a pleasant hike through meadows and a rocky canyon to a diminutive but high cascade.

Horsetooth Falls tumble through a steep, narrow rock chute separating the Horsetooth Falls and Spring Creektrails. While the falls are subjectively impressive, families and runners will enjoy mild grades, open space and active wildlife on the short trip: look for deer, fox, coyote, snakes and rabbit in tall grass and along the forest fringe.

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Eileen and Mark lead the way.

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It was more up than down. Both ways!  How can that be?!
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Horsetooth Falls! Wasn’t really much of a falls, just a trickle of water due to drought conditions.

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Base of the falls.
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Top of the falls.
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Looking back the at way we came.

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Starting our decent.

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Looking out to the reservoir and marina.

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Another geocache!

 

Mark and Eileen went white water rafting for the day.  Stopped for lunch at a restaurant located on the river.  Can’t wait to do it again this year.

2016 “Cache La Poudre” River – “Stash The Powder” – Rafting class 3+4 rapids…epic adventure! @rockymountainadventures Great guides, entertainment on the shuttle and on the river….class A act they are…those guides really love what they do and you can see/feel it! What a perfect day!

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gnewhall

Michael comes to Ft. Collins – Greeley Stampede Rodeo June 2016

Talk about a delay!  We are delayed about 6 months  on our whereabouts, through our own fault.  Every time we talk about putting something up we get distracted and find something else to do or some place to go .  Anyone that asks “won’t you be bored in retirement” has no idea how time is flying by even when you don’t set alarms anymore.

We are now enjoying this so much that the kids have suggested they come and visit us wherever we are.  Only the exciting spots though.  To continue our blog about Colorado, we were here for two months staying near Mark when Michael called and wanted to visit.  The kids are so geographically separated that we try and travel to visit each during the year but it’s nice when they suggest visiting us.  We’re usually in a spot they would not get to with active things to do so this was a treat, plus he could stay with Mark.  So,  out comes Michael for some great times.  Lots of hiking,  Snow in June (with a smack of an altitude headache)…and yummy food.  He loved it so much that he’s going back to stay with Mark in February.

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Hike to Horsetooth Reservoir One of our favorite places!
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Overlooking Horsetooth Reservoir

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Hunting for a geocache
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Mark found it.
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They used an ammo can as the container.

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Awww!

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Someone was hungry. Got soup?

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The Mayor of Old Town is one of the many local breweries in Old Town and had 100 beers on tap. No Shock Top though. When I asked for Shock Top the waitress told me they only serve local beers. Shock Top was born and raised in Fort Collins. Nice bar we had a good time here.
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Trail Ridge Road

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Looking down from the road that climbs up to the Trail Ridge Road.

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Eileen and Michael playing the xylophone along Estes Park River Walk.
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Just chillin.
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Another geocache. Eileen’s found this in a roundabout near our campground.

The Greeley Stampede. Can’t remember the last time I’d been to a rodeo.

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Bull Riding
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Calf Roping
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Bronco Riding

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Hooter’s yes we were there for the food!