Sunday, May 25, 2025

Cherry Pie along The Big Thompson River Canyom



In last week's blog post-- click here-- I showed our drive west from Loveland, Colorado, to Estes Park and into Rocky Mountain National Park along Highway 34, and the Big Thompson River Canyon route. Afterward, we returned on Highway 34 to drive east back to Loveland and then Fort Collins, where we stayed for a few days at the end of April.

As you can see, we had blue skies for part of the drive...




...but soon hit fog as we climbed in elevation.



 
The foggy views were beautiful and atmospheric. 




We noticed two memorial plaques at a pull-off and stopped to read them. The first was a memorial to two law enforcement officers, Colorado State Patrol Sgt. W. Hugh Purdy and Estes Park Patrol Michel O. Conley. They both died trying to save lives on July 31, 1976 when more than 140 people perished during a flash flood of Big Thompson Canyon. 





The second plaque was a memorial to Scott Ellis, 55, of Johnstown, Colorado, an experienced mountain biker who died while participating in the grueling Leadville, Colorado, 100-mile, high-altitude course, called the “Race Across the Sky.” 

Ellis worked as an engineer for the Colorado Department of Transportation. had been leading the rebuilding of U.S. Highway 34 through Big Thompson Canyon after the 2013 flood disaster

 “His dedication, passion, and caring grace for the people of Colorado will be profoundly missed,” the Department of Transportation said in a statement.



There is an interesting YouTube video series made by the Colorado Department of Transportation called "The Road to Resiliency."
Video #1 shows the 2013 flood on this link.
Video #10 is about the two and a half year engineering challenge to redo US Highway 34 through the Big Thompson Canyon to prevent flooding damage in the future. It can be seen on this link.




We appreciated all the apparent improvements made to the road during our drive.




We almost passed by this outlet of the Colorado Cherry Pie Company at 1024 US-34! In fact, my husband made a U turn to return to stop at this store along the Big Thompson Canyon. How could we resist?



The displays inside of all kinds of fruit pies, fruit condiments, and gift items were delightful! 

The Colorado Cherry Pie Company began in 1929 with Grandma Katherine's roadside stand, where she sold homemade pies with their delicious flaky crust. In the 1960s, the second generation opened this store in Loveland. In 2000, the third generation opened shops in Lyons and Estes Park, Colorado, adding more types of pies to the menu. In 2020, fourth-generation Lehnert’s introduced the next chapter of the family business, and a new branch called Legacy Pie Co. was born with locations in Denver. 




We chose a cherry pie to take home with us. 
The store clerk told us the seven hearts along the top crust were traditional. 




It was the best cherry pie I've ever had! The crust was exceptional, and the cherry filling was very full, fresh, and not overly sweet.  I would definitely recommend trying one of their pies--they make other flavors as well--if you visit one of their stores!


On our journey home, we took a four-hour detour to drive the entire Cache la Poudre Scenic Byway 

Colorado has 26 beautiful scenic and historic byways, and whenever we know of one near where we travel, we make a point to drive along them.....more on my next post.





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Sunday, May 18, 2025

The Big Thompson River Drive to Rocky Mountain National Park


On our April visit to Fort Collins, in Northern Colorado--click here-- to read that post--we woke up to a foggy, rainy day. Nonetheless, we decided to follow through with our plans to drive to Estes Park and enter Rocky Mountain National Park-- one of our favorite places in Colorado. The park is extremely popular, with over four million people visiting every year, and the months from May through October require a prior reservation to visit. Still, in April, we knew we could just easily drive in.  We wanted to take a new route to us along the Big Thompson River, on Highway 34 west of Loveland, Colorado.  The drive did not disappoint us! Even in bad weather, the views were beautiful!




The Big Thompson River is a tributary of the South Platte River, approximately 78 miles (126 km) long. Originating in Forest Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, the river flows into Lake Estes in the town of Estes Park, and then through Big Thompson Canyon.

From Lake Estes, the river descends 1⁄2 mile (800 m) in elevation through the mountains in the spectacular 25-mile (40 km) Big Thompson Canyon, emerging from the foothills west of Loveland. It flows eastward, south of Loveland, across the plains into Weld County and joins the South Platte River approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) south of Greeley, Colorado.



Please click on this photo collage to enlarge it to read the placard information



The scenery changed from a deep, dark canyon to more rocky, hilly, open space as we drove west. The Big Thompson River is popular for trout fishing, and we saw many cabins and homes situated along it. 




At one point in our drive, we had to stop to allow a flock of wild turkeys to pass in front of us!




As we approached the town of Estes Park, we passed ranches and saw the distant Rocky Mountains covered with rain clouds and fog.  




In our Colorado drought-filled, high-desert climate, rain is always a welcome sight, and we enjoyed seeing these misty, mysterious mountain views! 





We entered Rocky Mountain National Park. My husband and I are Senior Lifetime Pass members- we paid a one-time fee as senior citizens a few years ago, and now we can enter any US National Park for no fee. It is the best bargain ever!




We drove along the lower portion of Trail Ridge Road ( US Highway 34)until we reached the section that was closed. 
Trail Ridge Road covers the 48 miles between Estes Park on the park's east side and Grand Lake on the west.  Eleven miles of this high highway travel above treeline, the elevation is near 11,500 feet, where the park's evergreen forests come to a halt. As it winds across the tundra's vastness to its high point at 12,183 feet elevation.

Because of high winter snow accumulation, Trail Ridge Road is closed to vehicles at a certain point for the winter season. In May, the closed portion of the road is plowed on both ends until the entire road can be opened again for travel, usually around the end of May.



A view looking down at Upper Beaver Meadows from the Many Parks Curve overlook, along Trail Ridge Road.



We drove back towards the lower elevation meadow areas of the park...



... where the views were magnificent!




The top of Longs Peak, the park's highest mountain at an elevation of 14,256 feet, 
(4345.22 m), 
was hidden by clouds, but it was a view we had seen many times in the past.



We enjoyed seeing the wildlife on this visit! A goose had made a nest and was protecting her eggs, ducks diving under water for food in ponds,  more wild turkeys along the road, as well as many mule deer.  Surprisingly, we did not see any elk, which are usually prolific in the park, but I read that the females were beginning to give birth to their fawns, and they were probably in hiding.




We drove to our favorite place in the park--Sprague Lake.




The 0.7-mile round-trip (1.1 Km) walk around the lake is easy, with stunning views of Tyndall Glacier and Hallett Peak.




We were excited to see two moose enter the lake!



Zooming in with my camera, I could see it was a female moose and her yearling calf!




A short video of the moose walking through the water. 
(To enlarge the video fo easier viewing, click on the square on the lower right on the video, and to return to my blog post click on "esc" key on your computer.)


Colorado is home to more than 3,000 moose and boasts one of the fastest-growing populations in the lower 48 states. Colorado has Shiras moose, which are the smallest of the four moose subspecies, and are commonly known as Yellowstone or Wyoming moose.

We have often seen moose on the west side of the park, on the other side of the Continental Divide, but now moose have been migrating east of the divide and are being seen more often. We even saw a moose in my neighborhood--click here-- to see that post, which is located along the Front Range!

While fascinating and beautiful animals, Moose can be dangerous, and caution should always be taken when observing them. Some information about living with moose can be found on this Colorado Parks and Wildlife link--click here.


My husband and I always stop to take photos of each other on this small pier on Sprague Lake, and this visit was no exception and I took a few last photos of the moose.


As we left Rocky Mountain National Park to drive back to Fort Collins, the weather was improving, and we had a "goodbye" glimpse of Longs Peak in the distance, peeking through the clouds.  

In my next post, I'll show our drive back along the Big Thompson River and a very special place we found along the way!


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Sunday, May 11, 2025

Odell Brewery Company of Fort Collins, Colorado

Last week's blog post showed some of the sights of Fort Collins, Colorado--click here to read that post. Fort Collins is actually the craft beer capital of Colorado with over 20 craft breweries in town. There are plenty of places to sample local beer and also take a brewery tour. 

On a prior visit to Fort Collins ten years ago, we visited the New Belgium Brewery--click here-- to read that blog post. On this visit, we were excited to visit the Odell Brewery Company and take their tour.



Odell Brewing was founded by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Over thirty years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives. Our very informative tour guide, Sam, showed us the process of Odell brewing from start to finish...


...and we were treated to many delicious tastes of their different beer brews during the tour.


One seasonal beer I learned about was their Peach Stand Rambler, which sounded like the perfect brew to enjoy on a warm summer day!


Odell is an independent, employee-owned brewery, committed to building community through beer.
The brewery’s tap room is open seven days a week and offers limited release pilot brews, food trucks, special events, and live music on Wednesdays.

As a new venture, the Odells added the OBC Wine Project--a wine brewery next door to the beer brewery-- in 2020. They source grapes from Washington, Oregon & Colorado, and they crush, ferment, and package the wines in Fort Collins.  

It is the best of both worlds!

In my next post, I'll take you along as we drive from Fort Collins to visit Rocky Mountain National Park along the Big Thompson River--a beautiful drive!



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Sunday, May 4, 2025

Fort Collins, Colorado


Fort Collins, Colorado, is the fourth most populous city in Colorado and the 156th most populous city in the United States. Fort Collins was founded by the US Army as a military outpost in 1864. Situated north of Denver and tucked between the prairie and the mountains, Fort Collins is the last city on Interstate 25 north before you hit the Wyoming border. It's also a gateway city to northern Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest.

It is a prominent college town, home to Colorado State University, a public research university, and the second-largest university by enrollment in Colorado.  As a college town, it has plenty to offer visitors, including a fun art, music, and theater scene, a range of locally sourced eateries, miles of trails, acres of open spaces, and a well-deserved reputation as the Craft Beer Capital of Colorado!


We visited Fort Collins ten years ago for the day to take a tour of the New Belgium Brewery--see that post on this link. On this visit, we had plans to stay in the town for a few days to use it as a base for some local scenic road trips. We passed many modern suburban homes in the area and charming older homes in the city center.


We stopped at a Fort Collins Visitor Center near Old Town to pick up some tourist brochures and information. It was decorated with the green Colorado University Rams insignia portrayed on the college's men's and women's sports teams. A helpful guide told us a few places not to miss on our visit--the Old Town Square and the Annual Flower Trial Garden.


He pointed out a poster on the wall of an overhead drone photo of the Trial Garden and told me that it was early for some plantings, but the tulips should be in bloom.


They were!

Please click on the photo to enlarge it to read the placard information


The Colorado State University Trial Gardens states:

"The purpose of the trial program conducted at the Annual Flower Trial Garden is to evaluate the performance of different annual plant cultivars under our unique Rocky Mountain environmental conditions. Our growing conditions are characterized by high altitude, intense solar radiation, drying winds, severe hailstorms, large fluctuations between day and night temperatures and a season-long need for irrigation. Each year, our annual trial consists of over 1,000 different cultivars of annual bedding plants. Varieties are grouped by genus, arranged by color and grown in rows, side-by-side, so as to facilitate the comparison of similar varieties. In addition to the Annual Trial, we also have a Pansy/Cool-season Crop Overwintering Trial that tests a plant’s ability to overwinter in the Northern Colorado climate, as well as a new two-year Perennial Trial program designed to test newer perennial cultivars that have been introduced in the past three years or less."



As our visit took place in April, tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs and plants were the only flowers growing so beautifully! There were also hundreds of flower pots waiting to be planted. The grounds look exceptionally beautiful in summer when everything is blooming.


I enjoyed taking some close-up photos of the flowers.



Almost directly across the street from the Trial Garden I saw a giant Campbell's Soup can! I later found it was one of three soup cans that were placed on display when Pop-art icon Andy Warhol visited Fort Collins in 1981. Collectors John and Kimiko Powers sponsored an exhibition of his work at Colorado State University. It was a memorable visit for many!



Our Next stop was the Old Town Square

The well-preserved downtown includes over 20 restored historical buildings, which are part of national and local designated historic districts. Inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street USA was based on Old Town Fort Collins' turn-of-the-20th-century charm, character, and architecture.


Downtown Fort Collins is filled with unique, locally-owned stores, boutiques, and specialty shops with elaborate window displays beckoning you inside. There are also a variety of restaurants, bars, bistros, lounges, and pubs.



One alleyway led to a historic firehouse that is now an independent bookstore!


I enjoyed window shopping at the stores and admiring the public artworks




We also enjoyed listening to a visitor playing a street piano on the square.

 Dinner time approached, and we wanted to return to a nearby town of Severance--click here--to read that post, to dine, as we heard they had the best Rocky Mountain Oysters. 
If you don't know what Rocky Mountain Oysters are, click on this hyperlink to find out--they taste better than you would imagine!


I can also be found on


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