Stuff to Do in Estes Park: Have a Beer at the Stanley Hotel

This evening it was approaching the early dinner hour but neither Cam nor I were very hungry, but we didn't want to just sit on our butts, so we decided to hop over to the Stanley and have a drink. It may seem a sin, but despite living here for a couple months we haven't done anything else except drive past the Stanley.

I, of course, had to try the flagship brew:

(And it was darn yummy!) 

I was impressed with the moderate prices of the draught and bottled beers at the bar; most of the mixed drinks were fairly expensive but the beers were nicely priced at $5-6 per beer.

We took a brief walk around the lobby; unfortunately most of the rooms were closed off to non-registered guests, but it was pretty interesting to get a glance at the prestige of this glorious place. I have a feeling we'll be spending a night here after the wedding as a temporary getaway. At the very least, we're going to try and take one of their history/ghost tours soon, as those are very reasonably priced.

No ghosts in these pictures though....

WinterFest in Estes Park

Today we went to the Stanley Park Fairgrounds to check out the 3rd annual WinterFest. It was fun! There was live music, vendors, beer and wine, and chili. Lots and lots of chili. The biggest part of the fest seems to be the chili cookoff, but since we arrived relatively late in the afternoon and didn't want to spoil our dinner, we didn't partake in the voting process. We did try a couple of samples, most of which were really yummy. The place was packed! I am sure it's been really great for Estes Park.

Outside the main stage there was a Candy Land ice castle, ice bowling, and a snow cone ice luge! There was also a petting zoo with one of the most adorable--if not completely aderpable--llamas I've ever seen in my life.

We didn't stick around for things like the jalapeno eating contest or the bonfire, and we missed the Ceilidh Irish Barn Dance that they put on last night to kick it off, but it was still a cool little event. It's expanded a lot, apparently, and now takes place at the fairgrounds instead of at Bond Park. So yay for Estes! I actually also ran into a vendor I once sat next to at a craft fair in Louisville where I was selling my wreaths, so it was neat to catch up with her.

Timeless

The beautiful thing about most of Estes is that it's perfectly timeless, and I mean that in the literal sense of the word. I took this photo of The Stanley on Christmas Eve and after a bit of editing--and removing two cars from the right side parking lot--you might almost think it was a picture taken a long time ago. I love that about some of the places here in Estes.

Nature's Beauty

The sunsets lately have been absolutely stunning. These pictures don't do any justice at all, but hopefully you get the idea.

The weather has also been unseasonably warm. With the exception of a little snow on Saturday night, we've been dry and fairly warm, if not a little breezy. Last week Cameron and I took advantage of the nice weather to go and take a hike in RMNP. We started at the Cub Lake trailhead and wandered a little bit. We didn't really have the time for a full out-and-back hike, but we wanted to go out, so we deviated from the trail a bit and walked along (and on) the river, which was frozen solid in most places. When we got back on the trail we found that most of it was very icy and we had not brought our snowshoes or crampons, so the going was a little treacherous and we turned back after a while.

Admittedly, I've stolen several photos from Cameron because as it turns out, his new iPhone takes way better pictures than my actual camera.

Please note that I do not ever suggest deviating from any marked trail or walking on ice unless you are completely comfortable and sure that you know how to get back from where you are going. I should note that where these pictures were taken, the ice was not only a foot or two thick, but we were within sight of the highway. Please be safe if you want to go hiking in RMNP and use your best judgment. Getting off the "beaten path" can sometimes bring you to some really exciting places, but it can also be dangerous if it's not in the right conditions.

All right, PSA over.

On the home front, I'm occupying myself with wedding preparations. Right now that includes making the invitations. I decided to "DIY" most of the wedding for the sake of saving as much money as possible, so I'm typing the invites on my typewriter. It's still a bit early to be sending things out (save-the-dates will go out next month) but I figure since there's a lot of time involved, I might as well get them done now so that I am not having to rush in the summer when I am working full time. And in the end it wasn't actually as tedious as I thought it would be; I typed all of the save-the-dates yesterday while I was watching football. (Go Broncos!)

I am still waiting for a rubber stamp to arrive in the mail to put the final touches on them. Mostly it gives me something to do in this period of time when there is not much going on and I am only working one day a week. I'm enjoying it.