|
Estes Park Colorado Estes Park is located in a high valley 35miles West
of Loveland on highway 34. From the South you enter the valley via the
Peak-to-Peak Highway, highway 7. You can also enter from the East on highway
36 from Lyons and Longmont Colorado. Denver is 70 miles to the East of the
park. Having spent time in Estes Park and it's surrounding area
since I was a child, Estes is one of my favorite places. Considering how much
Colorado has changed Estes Park has not, probably on purpose, kept up with
the rush. Yes it's bigger and some say to big but from my perspective the
size of the Village is still small. It is primarily about 8 blocks long
moving east to west along Elkhorn Ave the parks main street. There is also a
three block section that stretches along Moraine Ave. Elkhorn Ave is the
home of the unique shops and merchants, some I will say have been there over
50 years selling keepsakes and souvenirs so one can remember their trip.
Estes Park is most famous for being the entrance to
Rocky Mountain National Park
and the small village that greets over 3,000,000 visitors a year.
And of course the park is home to the highest contagious highway in the
US Trail Ridge Road. Rocky mountain National Park is also still has the
original road built over the continental divide
Fall River Road a one
lane, one way narrow twisting road to the Alpine Visitors center at over
11, 796 feet. Thousands of visitors drive this road every July through
about late September. Lake Estes is on the East side of the village and can be
seen as one enters the town. As in most towns like Estes there are horse
stables so the visitors can experience at least a small sample of the
western atmosphere.
Fall River runs directly through the center of town and
intersects with the Big Thompson River about in the center of town at
confluence park. On occasion Fall River has flooded and caused much damage
to the downtown area. You can read the history and see the pictures in a
small shopping mall just off Elkhorn. Around June of each year the elk virtually disappear from
the low areas around Estes and go up and beyond tree line. They don't
like the heat and insects either.
But they will be back for the ELK Fest
every Setember. Spending time in Estes any time of year is fun but in the
spring through the fall it has a special charm. There is plenty of lodging
and restaurants to satisfy most ever taste. There is always something for
the kids to do too.
However, when all is said and done it is the clearer and
cleaner air you breath that does the trick. If you stop to think and feel it
when you breath you can tell the difference. It is fresher. We are working
on bottling it for export now. |
