A Long Weekend In The Rocky Mountains - Part 2 April 2012

[polkadotsuitcase 12]

Wowza! Fun stuff! Really enjoying this TR...beautiful scenery and ghost stories, what's not to love? :parrot:

[Judy in Texas 150]

Wowza! Fun stuff! Really enjoying this TR...beautiful scenery and ghost stories, what's not to love? :parrot:

Thanks for reading along. We had so much fun! Our evening wanderings will be posted shortly.

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

:suspense:

[Judy in Texas 150]

OK... It's still Monday evening. We are in room 217, getting organized.

Well, Joyce is getting organized... I put my suitcase on the luggage rack and I'm done. I take a few pictures of the room:

A big four poster bed:

Lovely dresser:

Writing desk. I had trouble getting a good picture of it because the flash caused the glass on top to reflect onto the wall:

The bathroom sink. That’s where I found the missing key:

The bathroom has the only clawfoot tub on the property. It’s not made to take a shower since the curtains do not go all the way around. They are mostly decorative:

A beautiful glass front buffet (?) full of Stephen King books.

Comfy chair in the corner:

Me, sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed. Check out the orbs:

The door to the balcony is painted shut:

We set up the voice recorder on the writing desk and head out to get a quick bite to eat.

(Joyce started listening to the recordings last night. She reports (I can't tell you what she really said *&%$*~!!!)that the room was quite active while we were out - the sounds of children running around the desk, doors opening and closing, a sound similar to a guitar string being plucked. Then about two minutes before we would re-enter the room, all is quiet. It’s going to take her a long time to go through 11 hours of recordings; but, she is excited by what she has heard so far. Granted, it was not a controlled environment and we have no video to coordinate with it. It’s still fun!)

[bigdisneydaddy 9]

we spent a week last June camping in Estes park, I loved it, cant wait to go back.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow. I never saw The Shining, and have never heard of this hotel. I am not big on ghost stuff, but I wouldn't want to stay in that room! Or even in that hotel!

I love your photos of Colorado in the summer. I am amazed at all of the flowers. Gorgeous!

TCD

[Judy in Texas 150]

we spent a week last June camping in Estes park, I loved it, cant wait to go back.

Where did you stay? There are several nice campgounds on the park side of town.

Wow. I never saw The Shining, and have never heard of this hotel. I am not big on ghost stuff, but I wouldn't want to stay in that room! Or even in that hotel!

I love your photos of Colorado in the summer. I am amazed at all of the flowers. Gorgeous!

TCD

Really it was one of the best night's sleep I'd had in a long time once we settled down. I was shocked... but then I knew Joyce was planning on spending most of the night up to monitor the goings on.

After a quick bite to eat we grab our cameras and head out.

(This is not in chronological order.)

Here is the outside of 217. Pretty much what you would expect:

Looking up a staircase near our room. No shadowy figures leaning over:

Not much of the original furniture is left. It was sold off over the years by various owners. There are several ladies’ writing decks placed at the ends of the upper floor hallways.

Spigots are located throughout the buildings. Part of the old fire fighting system:

Original Stanley Steamer in the lobby:

Historical plaques on the front porch:

Room 217 in on the front, left side of the main building (as you look at it) - second floor, the left window and the balcony. It used to be the balcony and the windows on either side. The original 217 at some point was separated into 215, 216, and 217.

We head over to the Manor House. All was quiet:

There are several nice sitting areas. Here's one:

The Ghost Hunter guys spent some time in the room on the left. A table moved while they were there:

Looking down one of the hallways:

We went back over to The Concert Hall twice. The ghost of Paul the maintenance man is supposed to make his presence known about 11:00 PM.

We tried to take pictures through the windows with little success:

Along the way we met a number of people ghost hunting. Two groups stood out.

 A mom and dad with 5-6 boys about 10 years old. It was their son’s birthday and they brought him and his friends to The Stanley for a night of ghost hunting. They all had disposable cameras and flash lights. What fun!!! We were in our room when they came by to take pictures of the door. We invited them in to explore. They were so excited and respectful of the space. The parents were having a good time watching them explore.

 Two women and one man (late 20’s maybe) were outside the Concert Hall about 11:00 PM working with an EVP app on their I phones. We mentioned we were staying in 217 and they wanted to take a peak. They came by at midnight to take a few pictures. They were fun to talk to.

[bigdisneydaddy 9]

we stayed at Oak meadow, on the left just before you get to the visitors center entering RMNP.

Very nice people and a decent park. they had a show on the weekend with a guy name "cowboy Brad" great local entertainer and a must see dinner show for the price of $25 per person (food was from a BBQ place just down the street, IIRC named Daves)

[Judy in Texas 150]

we stayed at Oak meadow, on the left just before you get to the visitors center entering RMNP.

Very nice people and a decent park. they had a show on the weekend with a guy name "cowboy Brad" great local entertainer and a must see dinner show for the price of $25 per person (food was from a BBQ place just down the street, IIRC named Daves)

We drove by there. It's on the river? It looked pretty full last weekend. I imagine reservations would be required.

Did you post a campground review?

We spent a bit of time on the 4th floor where the kids are supposed to play in the hallway.

We were sitting on a small bench outside room 401 (Lord Dunraven’s room). All’s quite. The elevator is to our right. An employee comes up via the elevator and goes to a closet down the hall to get a hideaway bed for someone. We sit still for a few more minutes and the elevator comes back up, the door opens, and no one is there. I’m sure someone on a lower floor pushed the wrong button and sent the elevator up in error… didn’t they?

Looking down the hallway:

We headed back to the room to settle in. I had the best night sleep I'd had in a long time. Joyce spent most of the night monitoring the goings on.

We got up early, took a few more pictures:

The view out our window:

The outside of the building with our room on the second floor:

The sign says this is the current Presidential Suite:

Fuzzy bunny:

Our time at The Stanley is done, except for checkout.

Recap of ghostly activities:

> A room key comes up missing and we find it in the bathroom, which we had not yet been in.

> During our tour of The Concert Hall, the door to Lucy's Room closed twice within a few minutes.

PS: When the group left Lucy's Room, the door was open. At the end of the tour (about 10 minutes later) we checked the door again and it was still open.

>Lots of activity on the voice recorder.

We had fun. If you are in the area and are interested in the history of The Stanley Hotel, stop by. The Ghost and History Tour is worth the price and takes you throughout the main building, even a brief glimps of the tunnels. If the Concert Hall has not been reserved, you can tour it, too.

Now we're off to Bear Lake and more campground reviews.

[ajcjmom 8]

Loving the TR. My son should be back at the Air Force Academy next year, so hopefully we can get out there to see the place. He and I like watching ghost hunters!

[Judy in Texas 150]

Loving the TR. My son should be back at the Air Force Academy next year, so hopefully we can get out there to see the place. He and I like watching ghost hunters!

Thanks! Good luck to your son at The Academy.

You will have so much fun at The Stanley. :banana:

[stefa70 205]

Wow, that was great!! I love all the orbs that are in the picture when you're in your room. Of course, all skeptics say those are dust particles that reflect from the camera flash. Strange why there was no "dust" in other parts of the hotel.

I think it's a great idea that Joyce set up a recorder. Please keep me posted and let me know what else she hears throughout them.

Did you ever have a "feeling?" I lived in a "haunted house" when I was young, and once in a while you just got a weird feeling that can't be explained to someone who has never had it.

Besides the creepy stuff, the hotel is beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing this. I really enjoyed it, and would love to take a trip out there.

[Judy in Texas 150]

Wow, that was great!! I love all the orbs that are in the picture when you're in your room. Of course, all skeptics say those are dust particles that reflect from the camera flash. Strange why there was no "dust" in other parts of the hotel.

I think it's a great idea that Joyce set up a recorder. Please keep me posted and let me know what else she hears throughout them.

Did you ever have a "feeling?" I lived in a "haunted house" when I was young, and once in a while you just got a weird feeling that can't be explained to someone who has never had it.

Besides the creepy stuff, the hotel is beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing this. I really enjoyed it, and would love to take a trip out there.

Thanks. :)

An interesting note about the orbs... My pictures don't have nearly as many as Joyce's and we were standing near each other most of the time. Does it have something to do with the cameras? Possibly. Yes, most will probably say they are dust particles, but then why are they surrounding me in room 217 and there's not a one in the pictures Joyce took about the same time in the same room. It's fun to speculate.

I'm not as sensitive as Joyce or my daughter. I wish I were. Madame Vera (the psychic who offices in The Stanley)says I'm too literal. Joyce was very uncomfortable outside room 401 where Lord Dunraven is supposed to hang around. She only sat there because I was there, too. I was surprised at how comfortable I was poking around the hotel grounds at night. The Stanley parking lots are not lit which makes it very dark once you get away from the main building.

I hope you are able to take a trip out that way. It's beautiful.

[stefa70 205]

Madame Vera (the psychic who offices in The Stanley)says I'm too literal.

Do you agree with that? That's interesting. A lot of things that I have read say that children are the most open to hearing and/or seeing ghosts. As we grow up and hear "there's no such thing as ghosts" we tend to block it out and become skeptical.

I am fascinated by the whole subject! I just will not believe that when we die, we're GONE. I like to think someone is looking out for me, and that I will someday watch over my loved ones.

[TigerLilyRN 4]

If there was an F.E. Stanley and an F.O. Stanley, does that mean there's also F.I. and F.U.M. Stanley? :rofl2:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

If there was an F.E. Stanley and an F.O. Stanley, does that mean there's also F.I. and F.U.M. Stanley? :rofl2:

Two posts and your Snarky is showing. I love it :welcome: :rofl2:

[Judy in Texas 150]

If there was an F.E. Stanley and an F.O. Stanley, does that mean there's also F.I. and F.U.M. Stanley? :rofl2:

Oh, my daughter... you're funny! :yay:

Talk to you later! :heart:

[Judy in Texas 150]

Do you agree with that? That's interesting. A lot of things that I have read say that children are the most open to hearing and/or seeing ghosts. As we grow up and hear "there's no such thing as ghosts" we tend to block it out and become skeptical.

I am fascinated by the whole subject! I just will not believe that when we die, we're GONE. I like to think someone is looking out for me, and that I will someday watch over my loved ones.

Oh, I have what I call "intuition". I don't often hear or see anything "paranormal", though.

I firmly believe that those who have gone on before us are watching over us and we will meet up with them when we pass on. My mother and I didn't get along; but, one thing she taught me is that there is "the light". The last time I saw her she was in a nursing home and giving the staff grief, as usual. She kept yelling about "the light, the light". I asked if she could see her parents waiting for her. Her eyes were closed, she had the body language of a 3 year old, and she shook her head "yes". I told her to let go and go to the light. She passed over about 6 weeks later.

[Judy in Texas 150]

Last regular installment:

We head toward Bear Lake and stop first at the RMNP Moraine Park Visitor’s Center. It doesn’t open till 8:00 so we poke around. It’s a Frank Lloyd Wright building and there is a board that tells all about it.

There is a board inside that gives very high level information about the Rocky Mountain National Park campgrounds:

… and another that tells about the pine beetles:

Next we come to the Moraine Park Campgrounds. This sign is posted at the entrance:

Pictures of some of the sites:

Oh! A clothes line:

Now we are on to Bear Lake.

Note how the beetles haven’t done as much damage on the east side of the park:

It’s a short hike from the parking lot to the lake, several hundred yards. There is a nice .6 mile trail all around the lake.

Check out this link for information on Rocky Mountain National Park hiking. Click here.

Here’s the lake:

Bad weather is starting to come in:

We get back to the car to a mixture of sleet and hail! There were a number of ill-prepared hikers around the lake.

I wonder what it is doing at higher elevation?

We head back to The Stanley to check out. On the way out of town we do a quick drive through the Estes Park KOA.

It’s basically a gravel parking lot where you can park your camper:

There are a few cabins:

…and the campground is downwind from:

Peee…uuuuu.

Well… we are now on our way to the airport, back to the 100 degree weather in Texas.

The good thing is that it is less than two months till the trip to “The Fort” Yippee!

[kampfirekim 260]

What spectacular photos you have Judy! WOW!!! Your flower pictures are among the best I've ever seen!

I especially thought that the moose crossing was very cool. I wish I could think of a "Why did the moose cross the road" joke but I've got nothing.

Loved the MacGregor Ranch photos.

I don't really mind the ghosts so much. I'm just glad there were no vampires or I may not have been able to sleep tonight! :eek:

Great Trip Report!

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

I'm just glad there were no vampires or I may not have been able to sleep tonight! :eek:

Great Trip Report!

and yes it WAS a great TR!

[mgsmom 9]

What a fantastic report! I just read the whole darn thing! Your pictures are spectacular! I remember when I was at Yellowstone a number of years ago on a snowmobile trip - we encountered a moose. I always figured they would be like a horse with antlers. No way! Those things are HUGE!!!

Love your creepy stories at the Stanley! I would probably not have loved them if I were there - I'm a big ol' chicken!

Thanks for posting this great report!

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Sweet TR and pics. We saw the hotel when we were out there, but we didn't take the time to visit.

As for the "orbs" they are definitely particles illuminated by the flash. You don't see them in some pics, because they have to fall into the right place in the focal plane to be visible. Its the same principle that allows you to take a photo of through a chain link fence and have the chain link become invisible or not depending on aperture and focal length.

[Judy in Texas 150]

Thanks everyone! Joyce and I are sitting here listening to the voice recorder. It's amazing how much noise there is when we aren't in the room... creaking, knocking, something that sounds like venetian blinds knocking against the window frame, only the windows didn't have blinds. Earlier in a part of the recording that Joyce was listening to, it sounded like kids were running around the room. When we enter the room, those noises stop.

Note to self, next time we stay at The Stanley or someplace similar, don't turn the TV on, even to watch the Weather Channel.

Oh, I just mentioned on the voice recorder that it's odd there aren't screens on the windows. The windows are pretty far off the ground. Doesn't seem very safe to have the windows open with no screens.

As for the "orbs" they are definitely particles illuminated by the flash. You don't see them in some pics, because they have to fall into the right place in the focal plane to be visible. Its the same principle that allows you to take a photo of through a chain link fence and have the chain link become invisible or not depending on aperture and focal length.

It's still fun to see them even though my rational mind tells me they are just dust particles.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Fantastic TR, Judy! Your photos were amazing and I loved the whole part about the Stanley.

Sounds like this was an amazing trip - thanks so much for sharing it with us! :)