Estes Park is famous for many things, one being the Stanley Hotel where Stephen King stayed and was inspired to write his novel, The Shining. The other is its spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery with the Big Thompson River rushing past a river walk that features boutiques, cafés, and restaurants.
We had visited Estes Park in the past but never in the summer. We were delighted with the transformation of a ski town into one catering to summer visitors. The town was festooned with flowers and the green areas were oases among the bustle of shops. Melissa wanted to check out several stores but we stopped to have coffee and treats at Kind Coffee first.
After a stroll along the river, a brief pause at the playground was followed by shopping the main street. Another snack got Elijah and Miles back to the playground while Glen, Geoff, and I went into the local winery, The Valley of the Wind, to do a tasting. We knew we would buy wine there but the lady insisted we try a variety of types. We ended up liking the Grizzly Bear Syrah and the Roaring River Red. Geoff also bought a bottle of their Riesling for Melissa.
The boys had had enough of the playground by the time we finished so we walked to our favourite family restaurant, Poppy's. I had their Mediterranean Pizza although I could have created my own pizza from a variety of sauces and toppings. The boys had grilled cheese with carrots from the children's menu while Glen and Geoff ordered the Classic Reuben sandwich.
We had planned going to a large rock shop just outside of town but due to the misbehaviour of Elijah and Miles, this plan was abandoned. Instead, we headed back to the campsite where pork chops were for dinner.
Comments for this post
