Rocky Mountain High in Estes Park

Well, here we are back in Denver awaiting a 7 am flight back to Munich and neither one of us wants to leave Estes Park and The Rocky Mountain National Park. The highlight and real purpose for this almost 2 week journey was the wedding of our son and his fiancee. And what a wedding it was! These 2 have a great start and we are so happy for them. Visiting with Dan’s family was fun as usual. His nieces and nephew are fun, good people making me confidant that the next generation is going to do us proud. For me, meeting the 2 youngest grand babes was pure wonderful joy. Sharing some  very early morning time with them and Dan’s eldest was a special time that I treasure. I was the first one up every morning ( no surprise there!) only to greet 2 little girls being carried up the stairs by their strapping big daddy.  The emotions felt when cuddling a 2 year old and rocking a baby are not to be under estimated. I miss them….. a lot. A real lot.

When all the wedding guests had left, I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my firstborn who I haven’t seen in 2 years. But we never skipped a beat. Our conversation picked up from where we left off and never stopped. Being able to introduce him to the rest of our not so blended family was important to both of us. Andy was the emergency back up cook at the family and friends picnic where he met just about EVERYBODY  IN THE WORLD! He handled it wonderfully as I expected. I know my adult man cub well and I’m always proud of him. Be able to hike trails in the Rocky Mountains with him and Dan is something I will never forget. I love taking pictures of Andy and of Dan, taking pictures! The gold of the Aspens against the grey of the mountains was breath taking! Having this son of mine in the mix just warmed my heart.

Spending time with Dan traveling through this incredible, majestic, awesome, stunning, jaw dropping, humbling, gorgeous, unbelievable Rocky Mountain National Park was an experience that we will never forget. Photos can’t possibly capture the magnificence of this American treasure. Estes Park is the entrance to RMNP and it is a treasure all of its own. The condo we stayed at was 2 miles from the entrance and on the Fall River. How do you say “Perfect?” Just perfect.

And then the wild life……..Ohhhhhh…..good…….golly! The Elk herds in the Valleys and high up in the mountains were truly the experience of a lifetime. In late September the Bull Elk are in full rack and have their harems close by. The rut is imminent  and the challenge is real. This is wild, dangerous and nature at it’s most powerful as the survival of the fittest occurs each Fall.

The Big Horn Sheep are skittish and wary but they need to come down off the rocky mountain side to gather nourishment and valuable minerals from the ponds in the valleys. For me, it was the thrill of a lifetime  to witness animals in their natural environment and be amazed at God’s creations. Spying this wee one, originally hidden by the adults was a never to be forgotten treat. Can you imagine raising your family in all this beauty?

Wildlife both great and small graced our presence. This Grey Jay and his friends greeted us at Nymph Lake.

Wild Turkey wandered the hillsides and the area around our Condo.

We enjoyed really delicious meals in Estes Park. This one featured Lamb, Elk and Buffalo. Truly wonderful flavors and so well prepared.

Time to say goodbye now so I’ll leave you something to dream on. This is a picture of Dream Lake. So worth the aching legs and hard breathing to visit this little bit of paradise, high in the Rockies.

Wherever your journey takes you, I hope you’ll find beauty that drops you to your knees in gratitude and amazement. Thanks for stopping by today. Journey on!