Stephen King slept here–

BAM!  Stephen King stayed in room 217 of The Stanley Hotel–now room 218 because people keep stealing the room number when it is 217–back in the 1970s…he and his wife were the only guests in the hotel one cold winter’s night, and his imagination ran wild with images of ghosts, insanity, murder, etc. leading him to write a novel called The Shining.  The rest is history, AS THEY SAY.

We are staying here now, and we don’t see any ghosts or murders. . .though there is a bit of insanity with all of the visitors being led on haunted tours of the hotel, partying loudly in some of the rooms, snapping photos at all times of day and night, and celebrating all things Shining related.  I, of course, snap all of my pix and do all of my celebrating with the utmost concern and care not to bother any of my fellow guests…yeah, right!

Given all of the above, The Stanley Hotel is most-wonderfully worth a visit. . .it is creaky, it is spooky, the staff are great and helpful, the bar is lots of fun with lots of whiskey and beer to sip, and the food in the restaurant is surprisingly good. . .plus, we are in Estes Park, Colorado, one of the most beautiful towns in the entire state with the Rocky Mountains all around us. . .what’s not to love?–mmm, aaahh!

Get on out here and check this place out some time. . .you will enjoy it–I gar-ron-taaayy!

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It’s lovely out there.

Stanley brews…boo!

YES!  We love fun beer. . .and here at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado they serve lots of them.

We have The Shining Ale No. 217–the 217 refers to the actual room that Stephen King stayed in when he was inspired to write The Shining. . .guests keep ripping the room number plaque off the wall so the hotel has officially changed the number of this room to 218…there is no room 217 here anymore–sheesh, the few ruin it for the many…just like most things.  We drink up to soothe our pain…mmm, aaaahh!

We also have Voodoo Ranger IPA–doesn’t really have much to do with the hotel though maybe lots of voodoo fanatics come here now looking for encounters with ghosts and stuff.

And we also have The Stanley Hotel Redrum Ale–a delectable concoction that, of course, refers to the word ‘murder’ being written backwards in the story with a little kid chanting it like a mantra: “redrum, redrum, redrum…,” etc. and so on.  We didn’t hear any chanting…we just sucked this ale down, belched, and moved on to the next brew…thankyouverymuch.

Please order up all of these beverages if you ever visit The Stanley Hotel. . .your physical thirst will be satisfied for awhile, but your thirst for adventure will exist forever and ever–there is no quenching that–jaaaa!

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It’s lovely out there.

Great room service–

The spooky Stanley Hotel here in Estes Park, Colorado has surprisingly good room service…and no ghosts to be seen anywhere on the premises–jaaa!

The burger is tasty, the sauteed brussels sprouts are delectable, and the superstar of the whole menu is the elk-bison-pork-lamb meatloaf wrapped in bacon–this thing is extremely delicious and a total knockout dish…really good…we love gamey meats–mmm, aaahh!

The Stanley Hotel is rising above our expectations in every way…the crowds are not as bad as indicated, the fanatical guests are not too fanatical, the staff are helpful and welcoming, and the whole facility is creaky yet being attended to with as much loving care as possible.  We love staying here at The Stanley Hotel, and I am willing to bet a large splodge of wonga that you will love it here, too. . .

. . .so please consider staying at The Stanley if you ever find yourself in Estes Park doing the Rocky Mountain thing. . .everyone here will welcome you with open arms and big smiles–including the ghosts, if you see any.

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It’s l0vely out there.

Spoo-keeee!

POW!  It’s The Stanley Hotel here in Estes Park, Colorado…this is the place that Stephen King and his wife spent a lonely winter night in back in the 70s that inspired Mr. King to write The Shining, and we are honored and excited to be spending the night here as well so many years later…mmm, aaaahh–SPOO-KEEEE!!

The Stanley was built by the guy who created the Stanley Steam Engine, aka the ‘Stanley Steamer.’  The setting is gorgeous…Estes Park is a beautiful valley set in the heart of the Rocky Mountains…rivers and streams flow through town…lots of cozy shops, cafes, and restaurants all around…and this magnificent hotel sits on top of a hill that slopes down into the town itself–most wonderful!

The hotel is creaky and fun…the staff seem to really love the place and are doing their best to run the entire facility as smoothly and efficiently as possible…we love it here.

Pro tip: resist the urge to stay in the main hotel building because the place is overrun with visitors and tourists snapping photos, doing Shining tours, searching for ghosts, partying, etc. at all hours of the day and night…much nicer to stay in the Lodge building right next to the main building–the Lodge is off-limits to all tourists except paying guests…and there are no day/night tours happening…very quiet and creaky and SPOO-KEEEE!!

I send you historical literary vibes from The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. . .feel them. . .they will keep you up all night long–jaaaaa!!

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Rocky Mountain high!

KAZOOMY!  It’s the Rocky Mountain National Park. . .there are elk, moose, deer, coyotes, hares, birds, tons of fresh air, snow banks, majestic peaks, wildflowers, ominous clouds, etc. and so on. . .what a joy to drive through this thing…what an honor to be here…what a privilege to have this opportunity to get HIGH in the Rocky Mountains–mmm, aaaahh!

All people from all places near and far will enjoy this park. . .if everyone on planet Earth could take a leisurely drive through Rocky Mountain National Park, then there would be less conflict and tension on the planet…if only.  How can we get everyone here?  How?  Any ideas?  Please share.

The mountains inspire the human spirit…the altitude cools the human mind…the breezes soothe  the human heart…and the flora and fauna remind us that we are all in this thing together.  Come on out here some time before you return to stardust. . .feel the good vibes. . .they are a part of you and you are a part of them. . .blah, blah, blah. . .this park ROCKS–jaaaa!

You see the altitude has me free-associating now while making little sense. . .this is ok, cuz very little makes much sense when you really break it down.  Enjoy.

To see more magical images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Meat & Cheese…Aspen, CO–

SOCK!  Here we are puttin’ on a bit of a feed at a place called ‘Meat & Cheese’ in Aspen, Colorado, and we are having mixed results…oooo, errrr!

We are told that this place is “great” and “really tasty,” so we pop on in.  The charcuterie platter is, indeed, great and really tasty…we totally inhale all of the housemade sausages, salumis, hams, and cheeses…definitely top-notch.  But then we venture into the porchetta platter and the roast chicken and such, and this stuff is NOT good. . .the meat we receive is dry and room temperature and almost flavorless.  We think that this might have something to do with being at altitude…the town of Aspen is about 7,500 feet above sea level, and this must make it hard to broil or roast meats that maintain moisture, juiciness, and flavor. . .or I could be wrong here, and maybe we were just randomly served some bad platters of food.  Whatever the case, be careful when ordering at ‘Meat & Cheese’ in Aspen…you might want to inquire regarding cooking practices, expectations, etc….I know I will do this if we ever eat here again.

On the plus side, we did enjoy a fine bottle of white wine from their fun little list, and this made us real happy–jaaa!

I send you uneven vibes from Meat & Cheese in Aspen, Colorado. . .feel them. . .they will have you looking for the closest pizza place wherever you are.

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It’s lovely out there.

Chillin’ at 11,212 feet–

MMM!  Here we are hangin’ at the top of Aspen Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, one of the most gorgeous spots in all of the Rocky Mountains…mmm, aaaahh!

I know a dude who always says, “the mountains are where it’s at,” and I gotta tell you, I find it hard to disagree with him.  I always love the beach and the sea, but there is something slightly more glorious about being on a mountain peak gazing out at other mountain peaks.  The variety of terrain and horizon lines in the mountains are endlessly interesting and alluring…I wanna go to that peak, and that peak, and that one, etc. and so on. . .just magic.

Please, if you ever visit Colorado make a plan to stop by Aspen and ride the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain. . .or if you are feeling really adventurous, then bring your boots and hike up to the top.  How you get up here doesn’t really matter…just get to the top somehow and the majestic glory of these views will welcome you with cool breezes and bright sunshine…good motto for life, too: get to the top somehow and so much goodness can be yours…jaaaa!!

I send you crisp vibes from the top of Aspen Mountain…feel them…they will make you stand up real straight-like.

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you want to.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 pub…Aspen, Colorado–

MMM!  We love a good pub, and this is one of them. . .this place is the oldest bar in Aspen, Colorado, and it gets my vote for the number one pub in town: The Red Onion…jaaa!

Over one hundred years old, the “game” is on, folks of every shape and size and situation are here chatting with one another, the food is tasty pub grub, the drinks are satisfying, the staff are welcoming, and the overall atmosphere is chill–super chill. . .we love it here.  We could eat and drink and hang in this pub until we return to stardust. . .BUT we have other places to visit and things to do, so we will move on for now hoping to return at some point…mmm, aaaahh!

Come to Aspen…check into a room somewhere…stroll through town a bit…then pop on over to The Red Onion and settle in for a drink or three and some grub. . .go to room, go to sleep.  Wow, what a perfect day that would be. . .enjoy.

I send you easygoin’ vibes from The Red Onion here in Aspen, Colorado. . .feel them. . .they will make you go, “oh yeah!!”

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 hotel…Aspen, Colorado–

BAM!  This easily gets my vote for the number one hotel in Aspen, Colorado: The St. Regis…jaaa!!

The St. Regis Aspen is located right at the base of Aspen Mountain in the heart of this exceptionally beautiful valley. . .really lovely here, without a doubt.

This hotel has everything you could want: large and cozy rooms outfitted with great bedding, fixtures, furniture, bath products, etc….easygoing layout with lots of helpful staff wandering around here and there…a little pool that overflows with patrons when the temperature is above 75 and the sun is out–great spot for sipping rose, people-watching, and enjoying the passage of time…the number one restaurant in town–Chefs Club–totally delicious…valet parking…the best location in one of the most gorgeous towns in Colorado, and on and on we could go–in short, this place ROCKS!

If you ever find yourself planning a visit to Colorado, and you think you might want to hit Aspen, then please consider staying here. . .this is the perfect spot for part of a honeymoon, anniversary, or birthday celebration…or you could just stay here for no reason other than you just want to get away. . .whatever the case, you will love The St. Regis Aspen–I gar-ron-taaaay!

To see more wonderful images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

#1 restaurant…Aspen, Colorado–

BOOM!  Here it is…our pick for the number one restaurant in Aspen, Colorado: Chefs Club…jaaaa!!

Chefs Club is the main restaurant in the St. Regis Hotel here in Aspen…the menu includes items created for the restaurant by a rotating mix of wonderful chefs from around the world.  Some of the chefs who have created dishes include Eric Ripert, Jose Andres, Thomas Keller, etc….you get the idea, great dudes creating great dishes to be consumed by punters like me–most wonderful!

The restaurant space is a tad formal–methinks the folks who visit Aspen on a regular basis like this feel…the staff is efficient though somewhat chilly–I like a bit of looseness that is just a bit lacking here…the food is extremely tasty and well-prepared–we gobble crab/tomato gazpacho, lamb chops, salads of some sort, scallops, and a profiterole that kicks my butt–totally delicious! Also just want to mention that the lamb chops you see above are at the top of the heap–I have never had better–jaaa!!  The whole meal is washed down with a delectable wine of good value that we found on the otherwise top-heavy list. . .satisfying and spot-on.

I strongly recommend that you consider puttin’ a feed on here if you ever find yourself in Aspen with a rumbly belly. . .you will love the food, most definitely, but the overall experience may have you longing for a nightcap at a local pub.  Enjoy!

To see more amazing images from around our teeny tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .so much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.