9/7/22 Wednesday
This morning we bid farewell to Tim and Buca, and head south to Rocky Mountain National Park. We take a back road, avoiding 80 and I25. We stop a few places to check out rocks.
We stop at Denver Creek Campground, which is closed due to recent flooding. Many areas of fallen trees from beetle kill in recent years, and more areas that have burned. Sad. It will take a long time to come back!
We reach Granby and Grand Lake on the west side of the National Park. The lake is huge! We stop at a gas station where people have set up trailers selling things like antler chandeliers and Aspen Bowls.
They are also selling bowls and wooden items made from the Beetle Kill wood.
We have reservations for a campsite tonight, so we don't have to have timed tickets to enter the Park. Unfortunately we won't be able to camp without the Trek.
We get a map at the Visitor's Center, and begin to wind our way up into the Park. We stop at a few pullouts along the way, including Holzwarth Historic Site which features a 1902 miner's cabin.
The only wildlife we see is a small herd of elk in a meadow.
This is an in-between time of year - the elk are beginning to prepare for the rut - mating season. They are moving from the higher altitudes to lower ones one ranger tells us. (But another ranger later tells us that the unseasonably hot weather is keeping them up high.) When we were here before we saw many elk just wandering through the forest or sunbathing on the tundra. Today they are elusive.
Lake Irene's parking lot is full, so we continue to the Alpine Visitor Center which is at 11,796' and is surrounded by tundra.
It is also surrounded by people! Anita and Greg hike the Top of the Tundra trail to 12,005', while Kevin and I check out the Visitor's Center and gift shop.
We find a bench at the edge of the parking area and enjoy a quick lunch.
Anita and Kevin haven't been here before, but Greg and I have, and we are sad to see the way it is today. Too many people - even with the timed entries.
Beautiful scenery as we wind down the east side of the Park. It's a long way down!
After a brief stop at the Moraine Discovery Center, we exit the park and make our way through Estes Park. This town is 100% tourist-oriented. We stop at Dick's Rock Museum but are unimpressed with their crazy tourist prices. ( Lots of things that look like they came from Tucson and quadrupled the prices!)
Galleries, shops, restaurants, hotels, and plenty of kitch.
A local lady back at the Discovery Center suggested we stay in Longmont - far enough away to be away from Estes Park prices, but also not too close to Denver, so we travel on and find a nice Super 8. From there we can walk to a restaurant called 3 Margaritas for dinner. Their margaritas are potent! Tequilla sunset on the walk back!
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