TRAVEL

Why Estes Park, Colorado Is Magical

Encounters with nature and unknown fame

One of my favorite trips thus far with our family has been to Estes Park in Colorado.

It sits right outside Rocky Mountain National Park.

My husband, two kids, and I never expected to see nature so up close and personal as we did.

It made our vacation magical, but it was a reminder that man and nature still need to maintain mutual respect for one another.

This was our experience.

The Elk Rut in Estes Park

About mid-September each year, the Elk Rut begins.

The Elk Rut is when the male elk are looking to mate with the female elk. And wow, do the males put on a show as to who among them is the biggest and the boldest.

At the top of this article is a picture of one of the largest male elk we saw coming down from the mountains. He even stopped traffic to cross the highway. But how could he not, he was really something to see.

The elk find their way all over Estes Park, but while we were there, their favorite place to congregate was right on the golf course seen below.

The male with the largest rack of antlers seemed to win the closest seat to the females.

I couldn’t believe how much they would tear up the greens with their antlers and mark their territory. A few young bucks even got into it a little while we safely watched from the car.

And although I don’t have pictures, it was startling to see how close people continued to get to the elk.

I even saw one woman with her small dogs venturing close enough within arm's reach.

It gave me anxiety just watching. Why do people do this?

Nature is meant to be admired, not tempted.

Thankfully I didn’t see anything horrifying as you do on Youtube when animals attack, but I’m sure there have been some encounters.

Why Estes Park is great for families

In addition to the elk, the mountains are picturesque. Estes Park is a great location if you want to feel nestled right into the landscape.

Where we stayed, there was a small playground where the kids got to pretend they were flying into space while my husband and I could just sit back and take in the sights.

Estes Park also has a fun touristy downtown.

It has all the gift shops and sweet treat locations you typically see in places like Gatlinburg and family-focused destinations.

What was nice though is that you could get away from it if you wanted.

It felt like a balance of entertainment at your fingertips or taking it slower to enjoy nature around you.

We did end up walking down some of the streets stopping for some ice cream and getting the kids their very own bear slippers they enjoyed wearing in the hotel.

Probably one of the highlights was our dinner.

I ate the most delicious trout I think I’ve ever had.

At first, it may be off-putting to some with seeing all the skin and tail still intact. But I believe it’s what made it even more delicious.

My son thought so too.

In fact, he ate pretty much half of it himself.

Estes Park also inspired a well-known author

While we were visiting, I was intrigued to find out that Estes Park is home to the Stanley Hotel which was the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel, The Shining.

Not only was it the inspiration for the novel, but it was also a filming location for a related TV mini-series.

Because we were not guests of the Stanley Hotel, we were unable to go inside. But it didn’t stop us from jumping out to take a walk around the hotel and see the grounds.

It is a beautiful hotel, but I could get the creepiness vibe King was going for in his novel.

The fact that it was also a health retreat for those suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis in the early 1900s was another piece of knowledge I didn’t know.

Estes Park definitely delivers when it comes to admiring nature and being an experience to remember.

The food was delicious, the time was treasured, and the proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park was incredibly convenient.

If you are looking for a beautiful and unique historic place in Colorado to explore, this is a spot you want to put down on your bucket list.

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