Monday, July 20, 2020

Rocky Mountain National Park with Family



Anne and Rich

I am continuing to blog about trips my husband and I took last summer, pre-pandemic days. This summer we are staying home trying to stay as healthy as possible.  I never had a chance to show many "Summer of 2019" trips on my blog, as I was blogging about our wonderful land and sea trip to Alaska--click this tab to read all those posts--that we took last June, which took up many posts. When my husband's sister and brother-in-law, Anne and Rich,  visited us last August, we drove up to Rocky Mountain National Park ( RMNP) for a quick visit.  My husband and I have visited RNNP many times since moving to Colorado--it is only about a two-hour drive from our home.  If you'd like to see past more in-depth posts about the park you can see them on this tab link.  This time we wanted to share the beauty with Anne and Rich. Our brother-in-law was not a fan of high elevations, as he had some dizziness and shortness of breath when we visited the ski resort town of Breckenridge a few days before--click here to read that post--so we knew this would be a quick but a non-the-less scenic trip to enjoy together,



If I ever win the lottery I'm going to buy a second house in Estes Park, the town very close to the entrance to RMNP,  so I can stay there often and visit RMNP all the time.  I absolutely love it!  This summer RMNP, which is a very popular national park that attracts many millions of visitors every year, instituted a reservation system to control how many people could enter the park in an effort to help visitors maintain social distance and avoid overcrowding in parking areas.  I heard it is working so well it may become a permanent feature. Local residents are able to enter the park without a reservation before 6am and after 5pm--see more information on the park's official website at this link


Because we were going to basically drive in and out of the park, so my brother-in-law could stay in the car and not exert himself, most of my photos were "drive-by" photos.  

Trail Ridge Road is the major road inside the park and covers the 48 miles, both ways, between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west. It crests at over 12,000 feet and includes many overlooks to experience the subalpine and alpine worlds of the park.



Even though it was the month of August there was still snow and glaciers on the high Rocky Mountains!




Lots of purple mountain majesty to see in every direction!



So many majestic views the higher we drove.


We made a quick stop at Forest Canyon Overlook so Anne could take a quick walk with me to get some views of the deep green forest views below.



We arrived at the Alpine Visitor Center parking lot but did not go into the building--this is the highest part of Trail Ridge Road so we knew we would turn around here and go back to a lower elevation for Rich's comfort. If you look at the collage above one of the photos is of a tundra walk up the side of a mountain across from the Alpine Center. The tundra in this part of the park is similar to the tundra at the arctic circle!



The views here are spectacular!



Long's Peak is in the distance.  At an elevation of 14,259-feet (4346 m), it is the highest mountain in the park.



Please click on photo collage to enlarge to learn more about the Alpine tundra.



Alpine Tundra view


Please click on photo to enlarge

Alpine Tundra wildflowers




Do you see the elk in the distance?



A closer view



They live and roam wild in a beautiful place!



On our drive back down to a lower elevation in the park we saw many bristlecone pines and weather bent trees.  Trail Ridge Road is closed starting in October to late May due to deep snow.


We did a quick drive-by to show Anne and Rich the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.  This is where the author Stephen King was inspired to write his horror novel "The Shining" because of a paranormal experience he had there as a guest.  I also "saw" a ghost when we stayed at the Stanley Hotel.  My ghost seemed to be a benevolent one! Click here to read that post. Summer thunderstorm clouds gathered on the way home.



As we approached our community we were greeted by a beautiful rainbow in the sky!  It was the end of a wonderful and memorable day together. We hope that we will have many more visits to Rocky Mountain National Park in the future....in the meantime we wish you all dear readers to please stay happy, stay grateful, and stay healthy!

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46 comments:

EricaSta said...

I enjoyed reading. Thank you for sharing this captures about your fantastisc trip. Hope to see more.

Stay healthy and well.
Happy MosaicMonday

eileeninmd said...

Hello Pat,

Beautiful views of the Park. I love the mountains, the elk and the lovely wildflowers. Hubby and I enjoyed our visit there, Estes Park is a cute place to stay. Pretty rainbow! Wonderful photos and memories. Take care! Have a great new week!

Maggie said...

I'm always amazed at the stunning scenery that you share with us in your posts, how lucky you are to be surrounded by such beauty and to be able to visit the park often. A wonderful place to share with your family and also those who visit your blog.
Happy Mosaic Monday.

Joanne said...

I had so badly wanted to make RMNP a stop on our trip out west last fall but just could not convince the family that a two hour drive out (in the wrong direction) was worth it after having spent most of our day flying. It does look so beautiful though!!

Sandi Magle said...

Oh, Golly. This was THE road trip on our list for this summer and then up to Yellowstone, then back to Chciago. So, I really enjoyed your post, as we simply aren't venturing out at all at this point. Thanks so much for sharing, Sandi

Karen said...

What a fantastic place to visit. The scenery is awesome.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

It's all so spectacular! Love the views and the Rocky Mountains are amazing.

NCSue said...

Our trip to the Rockies was disrupted by Covid. Praying to be able to reschedule next year!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-daylily-garden.html

Dawn said...

Great views and memories of fun trips. Hopefully soon we will all be able to get out and about.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

Sharon said...

Your pictures bring back so many wonderful memories of trips to RMNP my late husband and I made. Much as we loved (and I still do) our home in East Tennessee near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we always said we'd love to have a small cabin near Estes Park! I've always loved your Colorado pictures!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

We are all so ready to get back to exploring our areas and going for day trips. I've enjoyed this one and I'm glad you took lots of photos to share. Take care and enjoy your week!

Ruth Hiebert said...

WOW! That is a gorgeous place and if I lived within driving distance, I would be there often.

Janice said...

Your wonderful photos and mention of Estes Park brought back memories of our stay in 2008. Three nights tent camping in Estes Park with day trips into different parts of the park. 2019 shows RMNP is as beautiful as ever.

stevebethere said...

Wow! ehat a fab trip I enjoyed all the photos and scenery, thanks for the tour :-)

Have a safetastic week 😷😷😷

NanaHood said...

What a beautiful trip that was! Would love to go there!

Lowcarb team member said...

It really does look a fabulous place to visit.
I enjoyed seeing your photographs, the scenery is majestic.

All the best Jan

Lydia C. Lee said...

Wow! Those mountains are stunning!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Spectacular views all around. It has been years since we have visited and I think we need to put it back on the bucket list.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Oh, those glorious Rocky Mountains! Thanks for these fabulous shots.

ellen b. said...

So many beautiful spots to visit at your doorstep. What a blessing.

Angie said...

Pat - a wonderful post. We had a spectacular hike today, and just like your post, it reminds me how much beauty there is in the world. Glad to hear that the reservation system is working well - maybe Glacier needs to take a page from that book! Thanks so much for sharing these terrific photos with everyone at Mosaic Monday!

Lady Fi said...

What a lovely area!

Crafty Green Poet said...

lovely photos, what a beautiful place to explore

Gillena Cox said...

Luv your photos and mosaics. My favourite, the wildflowers. I am at #11 on the linky.
Be safe

Much😊love

Barb said...

I love the hardy tundra wildflowers. My friend just visited her brother-in-law who is a ranger and biologist at the park. She said the new quota system seems to be working well.

Yvonne said...

Lovely photos of a wonderful trip. I lived in Colorado Springs for seven years and traveled through most of the state. I never was too fond of blizzards, but it's a beautiful state during all seasons. Denver had many places of interest back then and probably more now, so I know you enjoy it. Loved reading about your experience.

Tanza Erlambang said...

love icecap views ...wonderful

Life Of 2 Snowbirds said...

Thanks for the tour of the Rocky Mountains. Your pictures were gorgeous. Looks like you had a great time. We are hoping to get there one day soon!

betty-NZ said...

I can see why you love that park so much, the views are just stunning! I love seeing your photos, so please share all you have!

It's great to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

handmade by amalia said...

Gorgeous! Oh, I miss travelling.
Amalia
xo

April J Harris said...

Pat, thank you for taking us on a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park! I have never been to Colorado and I so enjoyed the chance to have a virtual visit to this amazing place. No wonder you love it - it is absolutely spectacular! Thank you so much for sharing, and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party community. Take care.

Joyful said...

Stunning scenery. I hope your brother in law was able to enjoy the scenery despite his physical discomfort. I remember seeing The Shining many years ago. Boy that was scary and I believe shot in Canada.

Karen Del Tatto said...

Thank you for sharing these stunning photos!! When I was 16, our family drove out west from the east coast to the Grand Tetons. There is nothing like snow-capped mountains and the smell of the air!

Tom said...

...what gorgeous views of God's Country!!!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Hi Pat... we are still doing almost exactly as you two are doing ... staying safe and mostly at home ... simple masked walks around the neighborhood and living on memories ))).... Really, as I’m sure you feel also, it isn’t as if we’re miserable ...we keep busy at home and enjoy being together (and we *can* visit occasionally with our daughter and family because they have lots of space). But I am so running out of things to blog about and I don’t have wonderful days I skipped blogging about like you do.... I loved this post ... Rocky Mt NP is the best place for drive by photos ... it’s so spectacular. There have been times we’ve been there when Bill is like your BIL, even a short hike at that altitude would be too much.... we have still enjoyed it. My memories and my pictures are always wonderful, whether it’s a drive thru visit or one when “we” were able to walk about, It’s simply one of our favorite places ever. Thanks for the beauty and the memories! ..... Stay well and safe, both of you.

Nanda kumar said...

splendid nature

Jim said...

Beautiful sky.

Lady Fi said...

Such gorgeous scenery!

Lieselotte said...

Fauna und Flora sind ein Erlebnis für´s Auge.

Klara said...

gorgeous! really beautiful scenery.

Spare Parts and Pics said...

RMNP is a place I would REALLY like to visit. Never seen it before, but your photos are stunning. I used to work with a lady that had a second home in Estes Park. She loved it!

Traveler In Me said...

I remember the Rocky Mountains from the Geography classes in school. I have never been there but only heard or seen it on SM.

Gorgeous landscape and very good photos that take us there virtually.

Like you I wouldn't mind a home near RMNP 😍 I simply love mountains! The visit seems to have a bit of everything nature has to offer ...... a rainbow too to end the day 🌈

Have a great weekend Pat!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

I've said it before, and you already know, but you live in such a beautiful state. You're so lucky to be so close to some much natural beauty. The only time I've been to Rocky Mountain National Park, we stayed in Estes Park and loved every minute.

Rambling Woods said...

Thank you so much for sharing these as I am home and at least I can take a virtual trip..Michelle

NatureFootstep said...

seeing your post I realize how much I miss travelling to places like this.
I´ll see if I can find you on IG :)

Tanza Erlambang said...

Views are Gorgeous ....
thank you for sharing beautiful photos