Anyone who has seen the movie The Shining is at least familiar with the most prominent landmark in town, the glimmering white, 5-star Stanley Hotel, which sits upon a hill and can not be missed as one drives into town from the south.  Visitors also cannot miss the herds of elk who come down from the surrounding hills during mating season each September and October.  Roads clog as people stop to watch the male elk declare their love for the females with bugling that begins deep and resonant and becomes a high pitched squeal before ending in a succession of grunts.  It is quite a spectacle!

Estes Park is roughly 90 minutes north of Denver and is reached via a well-maintained two lane highway that winds through gorgeous mountain terrain (there is no airplane access).  The town sits in an alpine valley and has one main street that runs from south to north and is lined with restaurants, gift shops, ice cream parlors, coffee shops, antique boutiques and galleries.  This road heads into Rocky Mountain National Park north of town, and residents know to stay away from this downtown area in the summer when traffic can be a headache.   Once off this main drag, though, Estes is quaint and charming, and cute shops and restaurants with delicious fare are tucked along narrow streets.  The town runs along the Big Thompson River (which flooded in 1982) and there are several delightful parks where residents picnic and soak up mountain sunshine.   Lake Estes also provides a spot for strolling and fishing.

This is definitely a small town, and shopping is somewhat limited.  For groceries its Country Market or Safeway; there is no Wal-Mart!  There are a number of very good restaurants, serving everything from Mexican to big game, and Estes has a number of top-notch art galleries, three wineries, movie houses and a historical museum.   There are several festivals each year, including the Scottish Festival in September and the Elk Fest in October.  There is no public transportation, which really is not an issue since most of Estes can be reached on foot; the city offers several free parking lots near downtown for those who want to drive to the center of things.  Golfers will love the thin air and can partake in 27 holes on two separate courses with mountain backdrops (the elk may play, too).    The local library has internet terminals available for walk-in use; Kind Coffee has free wireless Internet.

Estes primarily beckons to those who love the outdoors and healthy living.  Living in the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park provides residents a picture postcard playground for fishing, camping, hiking, cross country skiing, bicycling, horseback riding, mountain climbing and birding.  The Park is home to snowcapped peaks and abundant wildlife, including bighorn sheep and mule deer, and is not a good place to get lost.  Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous road in the United States, starts just inside the Park and is breathtaking.   Alpine meadows, turquoise lakes and heart-stopping cliffs and hairpin curves make for an adventurous drive!   Tall poles have been planted to outline the two lane road so that it can be found in the winter because winter at 12,000 feet comes with a vengeance (Trail Ridge is only open to the public in the summer).  Drivers cross the Continental Divide at Milner Pass and then drop down into Grand Lake, a lovely mountain community nestled along a shimmering body of water.

The main medical facility is the Estes Park Medical Facility, a 15-bed "critical access acute care facility with a 24-hour emergency department, 24-hour ambulance service, emergency air transport, medical/surgical services, obstetrics, home health care and hospice.   Services are available in allergy/asthma, cardiology, dietetics, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, psychiatry, podiatry, pulmonology and urology."   Seniors should keep in mind Estes' high elevation, which may be an issue for those with heart or respiratory concerns.

The Estes Park Senior Center (970-586-2996) provides a number of activities each month that may include art classes, tai chi lessons, card games and potluck dinners. Speakers are enlisted to give talks on topics such as seniors' legal rights, health issues, historical events and how to maintain balance in one's everyday life.   Trips are planned to Denver museums, Colorado Rockies' baseball games (oh, yea), the theatre and historic sites.  The Center is now in a new facility and has 300 members.   And Estes has very little crime, a plus for seniors.

Summers in Estes are short, and despite its elevation, temperatures can reach the low 90s.    It's much cooler in the surrounding high country (and Trail Ridge is always a little chilly, even in July and August).    Mornings are usually clear with cloud build up in the afternoons.  Winters are cold with temperatures in the teens, 20s and 30s.   Precipitation primarily comes in the form of snow; February and March are the whitest months with 6 to 12 inches of snow each, but over the entire year, Estes receives only 12-15 inches of moisture.   There is very little humidity.

Estes Park, Colorado, Continued...