A 2-day drive out to Colorado allowed us to
stop in WaKeeney, Kansas at the WaKeeney KOA.
Although cool and damp, it was a pleasant stop, with the morning
bringing us hot pancakes and sausage cheap from the KOA.
Another day's drive brought us to Estes Park, Colorado; a normally dry
climate, we drove in with a strong storm, which set the tone for the
entire stay: wet and cool.
Not to be missed was, of coarse, Trail Ridge Road, which winds its way
up to the Alpine Tundra, cool, damp, and surreal. Many hiking trails
abound in the park, many of which we were able to walk easliy
with all our children. The road goes all the way to
Grand Lake, a horrid little town on the other side of the Continental Divide.
It would suit you best to turn around after Never Summer Ranch
and bypass this waste of a drive; the last visitor center on
this end of Trail Ridge is not anything you can't miss.
Lots of elk were to be seen, a lone coyote,
(even though we could hear one nightly at the campground),
and several other unique animals were along the Trail.
We went horseback riding at the stable inside the park;
it is an official concessioner of the park.
(Moraine Valley Stables). A nice ride, nothing spectacular,
but very professional.
A white water rafting trip was on our agenda and Rapid Transit Rafting
is the only company IN Estes (they shuttle you to the Poudre River).
Class 2 and 3 "rapids", a ho-hum trip for me but the kids enjoyed it.
The town of Estes Park has basically nothing to offer
except some pricy touristy but uninteresting stores.
Save your souvenier dollars for the Trail Ridge
or Alpine stores in the National Park.
If you're camping, be sure to plan to cook your meals;
only one restaurant was worth the cost of eating out: The Other Side.
The rest we tried were either just plain bad food
or bad food plus poor service.
For more information about what to do in Estes Park,
click here.
Recommended in Estes Park:
The Other Side Restaurant
Trail Ridge Road Scenic Drive
Gift Shops/Visitor Centers at Alpine and Trail Ridge
NOT recommended:
Trail Head Restaurant at the Trail Ridge visitor center
Grubsteak restaurant
Driving to Grand Lake
On To The Next Adventure
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