Colorado National Park

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to move to Colorado. My infatuation with John Denver only made the desire that much more. So, what better way to wrap things up than to return to this beautiful amazing state. Even the drive here was breathtaking. We left South Dakota at dusk and drove through Wyoming for a good part of the night. Stopped at a rest stop near a train depot and all night listened to the whistling of the trains as they went by. Very cool and mesmerizing. These trains are amazingly long and such an efficient method of transportation in this part of the country. We arrived in Estes Park....home of Colorado National Park. I was having a bit of a time adjusting to the altitude once again. A little nauseous and tired, so increasing the water intake and a little nap certainly helped. After securing a campsite for the night, we were off for some exploration. We drove up Trail Ridge, the highest paved road in North America to an elevation of 12, 290 feet. As you can imagine, the scenery was breathtaking above tree line. At times, we were in the clouds, which presented a beauty all in its own. Upon reaching the peak, a storm rolled in, so we waited it out in the RV as death from lightening strikes are very common at this altitude. The sun began peaking over the mountain tops and we were quickly out for a hike. One has to take it slow though, the thin air leaves you breathless.
The alpine tundra and the many wild flowers are stunning. The clean crisp air is invigorating. It was actually a bit cool....guessing low 50's. Quite a change from the weather we had been experiencing in the Southwest. We hiked a bit and climbed a few rocks to get some beautiful pictures. Upon leaving, Guy slipped on one of the rocks (they were slippery after the rain) and dislocated his ring finger. Even being a nurse, it was tough to look at. We made it down the mountain in about 90 minutes and found a medical clinic in Grand. After x-rays, it was determined he also broke his middle finger. Long story short, his finger was re-aligned and both finger splinted. He tore his medial ligaments in his ring finger and will need surgery to have this repaired. He was a real trooper through it all and fortunately, this happened toward the end of our vacation. I treated him to a wonderful steak dinner and we found a beautiful campsite right along Grand Lake and retired for the night. Pictured left is our view from the RV.
The next morning, up bright and early, we drove Southwest to Breckenridge Ski Area for some alpine fun! Because of Guy's injury, we wanted to lay low so he could re-adjust to his activity level. Plans for golf, bike riding, whitewater rafting were out, so we took a gondola ride to the top and did a little hiking, sightseeing and an alpine ride down the flume.



As always, this is great fun and a first for Guy, who seemed to enjoy it immensely. We then took a nice stroll down main street with the dogs and enjoyed the quaint shops and sights to see. Late afternoon, we jumped back in the RV and drove to Vail, Colorado. I had been there almost 20 years ago and would never have recognized the place today. It has grown 4 times in size! It is a very "posh" area and has a very European feel.
At times, I felt I was back in Switzerland. We had dinner out on the deck in a cozy little Italian restaurant with the best pizza I have EVER had. Did a little souvenir shopping and headed back out late evening to find a campsite. Once again, we were blessed and found an amazing sight overlooking the Colorado Rockies and a clear mountain lake. Life is Good!! Today we plan to do some hiking as Guy's fingers are feeling much better. I want to take in as much of Colorado as I can for we head out tomorrow. :((((