The Stanley Hotel & the Rocky Mountains

We got a chance to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado this week. The Stanley Hotel is most famous due to Stephen King spending a night there and getting the inspiration to write "The Shining." The Shining was not filmed here... it was filmed on a sound stage out of the country. Stephen King did not like Stanley Kubrick's original movie and re-acquired the rights to it several years later. His vision of the book came to life with a mini-series in 1997 that was filmed at the Stanley Hotel.

There are many "ghost" reportings at the hotel and many other stories to make the a spooky place to stay. Diane and I spent the night. We didn't experience any ghosts, but I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and my intestines felt haunted.

Here are a few pictures of the hotel!

When we checked in, I got the wonderful Kristine at the front desk to give me a spooky glare.


This was our room. A little on the tiny side.

Here is an outdoor shot so you can see where our room was.


The front of the Stanley Hotel.


The pool and the awesome view.

The lobby and the front desk.


The grand staircase.




The bar and lounge.

"Redrum" candy bars...


An awesome view out of one of the front windows at the Stanley.


Once we checked out of the Stanley Hotel, we headed up the hills in Estes Park to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Here are a few pics:


Here is a shot Diane shot through my window while I was driving.


And another shot of me while taking some pics.


As you drive through the park there are some massive snow walls that have been carved out to keep the roads open. Diane shot this through the windshield.


Here is Diane and Me in front of the massive snow walls.



And the massive equipment that keep the roads open. These could clean my driveway in the winter in about 7.5 seconds.


And a few more shots...