Day 1: Chicago to Denver to Estes
On Tuesday, September 13, 2022, I took a morning flight Chicago O’Hare airport to Denver, arriving around 12:15pm. I then headed to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the airport to pick up a mid-size SUV, and drove straight to Discovery Lodge in Estes to check into the hotel.
I chose to stay there because it’s a short walk to downtown Estes and just a four-mile drive to the Beaver Meadows Entrance, the main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. It cost $627.80 for three nights in September 2022, which is a bit more than I usually prefer to spend (I aim for places closer to $150 per night). However, considering the location, it was worth it. Additionally, the hotel was clean, and the bed was nice and comfortable.
So that I’d be able to pack everything for my trip into carry-on luggage, I rented hiking poles from LowerGear Outdoors (hiking poles are not allowed in carry-on bags in the cabin of the plane), but didn’t think to place the order until 09/08/2022. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t arrive in time for me to use them at Rocky Mountain National Park (I was going to be there from 09/13/2022 - 09/17/2022), so I had them sent to the hotel I was staying at for Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Luckily, Estes Park Mountain Shop had hiking poles available for rent, though! After picking those up, I went back to the hotel to drop the hiking poles and the car off and wander around Estes to spend the day acclimating to the higher elevation.
I walked along the Estes Park Riverwalk, Moraine Drive, and Elkhorn Drive, stopping at the Original Taffy Shop for a variety of taffy flavors, and had dinner at Poppy’s Pizza & Grill, a charming riverfront restaurant with an outdoor patio. I made sure not to drink any alcohol at dinner, as I had read alcohol may hinder your adjustment to acclimating to higher elevation. Coming from a city with only an average elevation of 597 feet above sea level, to spending 4 days at a park with elevations from 7,860 to 14,259 feet, I wanted to take precautions to avoid any risk of elevation sickness.
After dinner, I walked to the Stanley Hotel, renowned as the inspiration for Stephen King's masterpiece, The Shining. I opted not to join any guided tours and enjoyed simply exploring the hotel's first floor and navigating through its iconic hedge maze. It is such a beautiful hotel with a wonderful view! After spending about an hour wandering around the hotel, I walked back to Discovery Lodge to grab the car and drove to Safeway to buy groceries and settle in for the night.
