Day 16: Denver, CO to Estes Park, CO

We woke up for the last time in Denver, and did our final treadmill and pool workout. We got a few items from the free breakfast before it closed to eat before we left. We retrieved our car from the nearby Tremont Garage, marveling that we had paid $69 for all five nights instead of the $42 per night valet at the hotel. We were thrilled with everything about the Homewood Suites and would highly recommend it to all. We hit the road for a short but mesmerizing hour and a half drive north to Estes Park, where we checked in early to the Ridgeline Hotel. Arielle was thrilled to see a deer waiting outside for us.

After we unloaded, we drove straight into Rocky Mountain National Park, and on the four-mile drive there made arrangements to cancel the hotel a few hours away that we had originally booked for the next night so that we could extend our stay at the Ridgeline, which immediately struck us as very nice. The weather, unfortunately, wasn’t as pleasant, and even though we avoided heavy rain for most of the drive, it did not seem like the most ideal time to be navigating steep curves and high elevation. Maps and signs also warned us not to be above the treeline when thunderstorms were forecasted, and so we opted not to explore too much, though we were still wowed by what we saw among the clouds.

When we reached the base of the park, we opted to journey to Bear Lake, a destination we had been warned to avoid because it might be too crowded. The weather had indeed thinned out the crowds, but our experience was tremendous, with the light drizzling highly enhancing our half-mile walk around the lake. Arielle is also sure pretty sure she finally saw an elk as we were driving down.

We drove back into Estes Park and opted to try Sweet Basilico for dinner. Last summer, Abe was working with a USY on Wheels bus that had broken down right by the restaurant, and the group had gone to the waterpark next door in the meantime. Traveling with kosher food from Denver, the group had no way to heat it, and this Italian restaurant was generous enough to agree to warm the double-wrapped food in their ovens when Abe cold-called them. Eager to thank them for their kindness, we could not have expected how delicious the food would be - one of the best meals of the trip and quite possibly the best Italian food we’ve ever had. Arielle’s starter salad and Abe’s minestrone soup were great, and their entrees were out of this world. Arielle got the Eggplant Parmesan, which was definitely the best she’s ever had, and Abe got the Fettucine Alberto, which included carrots, zucchini, and broccoli in garlic Alfredo sauce. Thoroughly satisfied, we introduced ourselves to Brendan, a manager who remembered the call.

We made a stop on the way home at You Need Pie, a local shop and restaurant, which sadly did not have the banana cream pie Abe desired, so we left empty-handed and still quite full from dinner. Arielle was excited to see a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in the. Rocky Mountains! At the hotel, Abe ordered a Blondie milkshake that was listed as one of the weekly specials, and we played some shuffleboard in the lobby. We opted to save our free s’mores kit provided by the hotel for the next night and instead enjoyed the game room, where we played air hockey and human-sized Connect Four. We turned in for the night, eager to explore the park in better weather in the morning. Arielle enjoyed having six pillows in her queen bed.

Approximate number of miles covered: 112