Elk at Estes Park - September 2004

When browsing some old photographs, I ran across these photographs taken on Estes Park on 26 September 2004:

Although we see elk all the time when we visit Estes Park, it never gets boring.

Garden of the Gods - Memorial Day 2003

These are some photographs of Garden of the Gods taken on Memorial Day 2003 (26 May 2003) that I ran across while recently browing old photographs.

Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park - October 2003

These are photographs of Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park taken in October 2003.

Sprague Lake

When our children were small, one of our favorite Rocky Mountain National Park hikes was the loop trail around Sprague Lake which does not have a significant elevation gain or loss and is a relatively easy hike with beautiful views.

Other Scenic Views in Rocky Mountain National Park

Elk in Estes Park

A highlight of Estes Park is the elk walking around like they own the place.

Boulder Falls - May 2003

I ran across these photographs of Boulder Falls taken on 24 May 2003 while browsing some old photographs.

Boulder Falls is a nice destination when looking for something relatively close to the Denver area that is outdoors and provides a short hike to a beautiful and interesting waterfall.

Boulder Falls has been referred to as "Yosemite of Boulder Canyon."

Boulder Falls is easily accessible from the Denver area and provides a reward for the short hike.

April Snow at Garden of the Gods

We have visited Garden of the Gods numerous times, but it has been many years since we last went there.

We decided to take a day trip to Garden of the Gods on this mid-April Saturday and it was another very rewarding visit.

Although it was a cold day with a little snow still on the ground and non-accumulating light snow flakes blowing around a little bit, the park was well-attended.

Many of the small parking lots along the loop were full when we arrived (though there would be available spots in the late afternoon), but we did find multiple available parking spots in the Siamese Twins Trailhead parking lot on the west side of the park.

The Siamese Twins trail is short (one-half mile) and visually satisfying.

It is generally an easy hike, but there are some wide steps in some spots.

There are great views on the way up.

There are great views at the top.

The most popular portion seemed to be the unique rock formations (including the "Siamese Twins") at the top.

"Windows" formed by natural structures that naturally "frame" tremendous views seem to particularly draw attention and this one was no exception.

After returning to the Siamese Twins Trailhead parking lot, we decided to head into Manitou Springs, one of Colorado's charming mountain towns. These photographs were taken from a table and benches in front of the Manitou Springs Pool and Fitness Center.

We also visited the Wild West Ghost Town Museum for our first time. This museum is very interesting visually. There are placards with text names and text descriptions, but what impressed me most was the visual aspect. We enjoyed feeling like we were on a road in main street of a town in the Wild West. We were particularly surprised to realize how high off the ground the carriages are, which became obvious once we stood next to them. The Ghost Town Museum is an indoor activity that will take most people less than an hour to see. There is a short film that can be watched and there is a petrified sequioa tree stump between the main building and the smaller adjacent building housing the "Old Home".

When we returned to Garden of the Gods, it was getting close to the time when the visitor centers close and we noticed that there were beginning to be some parking spots opening up in the various small parking "lots" around the loop. There were several parking spots available now even in the highly popular Main Parking Lot.

The Main Parking Lot is popular for many reasons, including its easy access to the wide paved Central Garden Trail that provides easy access into the "heart" of some of the most popular natural structures in the Garden of the Gods.

Shortly after the visitor centers had closed (but the park remains open for several more hours), even the small parallel parking road-side parking area marked as P3 on the park map had no cars present. This is my favorite view of the park that can be seen from the road. I end this post with a photograph from that vantage point.