Day 4 Rocky Mountain National Park

 

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Tuesday I went to the Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was absolutely amazing!  The mountains and scenario were stunning.  I took a lot of pictures, but you had to be there to experience it.  The smells, sounds, air, creatures, and winding roads made it an unforgettable experience.

My relative, Jack, made a very good suggestion.  He said, “You should go up on Trail Ridge Road.”  This is the road that leads way up to the top of the mountain in the Park.  On the top there are deep drops and no barriers which makes the drive exhilarating.  I saw many RV's and Motorcycles going up the road.  I was just fine in my Honda Accord which was easily maneuverable on the winding road up the mountain.  The immense power of the mountains did draw power from my engine though.  I definitely felt it going up.

The best part of going to the park is just pulling over at one of the many little parking areas and exploring on foot.  There are lots of amazing places you can walk around in the Rocky Mountain National Park.  See the pictures below!

Coming back down was exciting as well.  You need to pay attention to your driving.  You can not and should not simply coast down the mountain or you could overheat your brakes.  The great thing about Hondas is their automatic drive selection.  Most automatic cars only have “D” or “L” for selecting your gearing.  Hondas have “D4” “D3” “2” “1” which seems unnecessary.  However I found going down Trail Ridge Road it was very useful to have these options.  I mostly stayed in D3 but switched sometimes between D3 and 2 when I was getting to close to cars or going to fast.  Having the option to keep the cars gears below 3 or 2 gears was useful.  Great idea Honda!

Even the drive from Greeley to Estes Park was nice.  The road leading into Estes Park was basically made right through a mountain it seems.  So when you are driving up you are just getting a small taste of what is to come.  The drive was only about 1 hour from Greeley where I was staying.  I listened to “Cover Her Face” on the way up to the Park and somewhat back down.   For some reason listening to the narrator made me very sleepy.   Don't know why that well spoken British narrator was making me tired, but he did.  It was probably the Shakespearean training.

My only wish is that I had more time to look around the Rocky Mountain National Park.   It was $20 and the pass was good for a week.  It was well worth it for the day.  I would recommend planning out more time to explore if you go up there.

I think Colorado is my new favorite state.  I hope to come back soon!