Lake with a Grand View

Grand Lake, Colorado

Grand Lake sits at the Western entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. A dozen lodges rest along its edge, but travelers beware, there aren't many to pick from in the off season. We ended up staying at the Big Horn Lodge, which Aaron nicknamed The Stinky Goat.

High Elevations

One of the most spectacular experiences at the Rocky Mountain National Park is the drive up to the top of the world. At least it felt like the top. Above the treeline, in the alpine tundra, visitors are cautioned to stay on the paved roads and paths, as the sparse grasses grow so slowly that a footprint can take a hundred years to heal. The air is so thin that a 200 yard walk can make you breathless, and the view is enough to take your breath away.


Aaron swears he wasn't actually asleep.


A bird's nest at 12,600ft elevation. Possibly an eagle's?

Autumn in the Rockies

Just one of the vistas we saw in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The leaves were turning beautifully on the plateaus, but up in the higher vistas, deep green pines and furs dominated that brilliant yellow-gold of the sparse deciduous trees.

The Cliffs of Insantiy

OK, well it might not take Andre the Giant to scale these puppies, but when you're driving along this little road in Colorado, between cliffs that shoot straight up several hundred feet, the view is rather impressive.

The Glorious Road

Sometimes, the road itself can be beautiful. Photos like this one are among my favorites. They speak to me of possibility, freedom, and the thrill of discovery.


Road to Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Colorado Vistas

The following pictures were just a couple of the amazing horizons we saw while driving the loop from Denver to Colorado Springs, to Breckenridge and up to the western entrance to The Rocky Mountain National Park.

Garden of the Gods

South of Denver, CO, somewhere near Colorado Springs, is a little park called Garden of the Gods. I must admit, it had some of the most sheerly impressive natural rock formations I've seen. This is but on of them. The space under the pendulous rock formation is large enough for several people to crouch below, though I don't recommend it and the park service forbids it. That didn't stop several ninnies from doing it while we were there, however.

Beetling

Our Beetle at a scenic overlook in the Rockies

It's a tradition. Every cool place we go with my hubby's 2004 New Beetle Convertible, we take a pic of the Beetle in front of something cool. On the Oct 2007 trip, we took more than a few. Here's one of my favorites. The fellow in the shot is my hubby and the pilot of our adventures, Aaron.

Bull Elk

A bull elk in the Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

We spotted this group of elk soon after entering the part from the West side. The park west of the Continental Divide is much less traveled than the eastern side, with approximately one-sixth the visitors yearly. If you are looking for Rocky Mountain wildlife, this seems to be the place to go. Before we crossed to the eastern side, we spotted three herds of elk, a solo male mule deer, numerous birds, and several smaller forest dwellers.

Sunrise over the Rockies

Sunrise over the Rocky Mountains and Grand Lake, CO.

Sunrise was glorious this morning. Thanks to the dreadful accommodations at the Bighorn Lodge (aka The Stinky Goat), we got an early start on the morning and witnessed this brilliant sunrise.