RMNP / ESTES PARK / MORAINE CAMPGROUND (June 7, 2008) |
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At the suggestion of long-time buddy, we booked a site in
Rocky Mountain National Park at the Moraine Park campground. We had site
B214, which is right next to the best site in the park, site B212. If you
are planning a trip to Moraine Park, try to book these sites for a great
view of the Elk meadow (in order): B212, B211, B210. If you cannot get any
of those and do not require an Elk meadow view (see next picture), try to
reserve site A136.
Moraine Park is #5 on our top 5 campgrounds list.
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This is the backyard view of site 214. The meadow you see
in the distance is where herds of Elk visit daily for a drink of water.
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Elk are everywhere in RMNP. The guy in the foreground has
a GPS unit around his neck (either that or a bark collar).
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Still snow in the mountains in early June? We had so much
snow this year. In fact, Trail Ridge Road was still closed during our visit.
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Where else but RMNP do you get views like this?.
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A small stream runs through a meadow in the park.
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Another great picture of the area surrounding the Moraine
Park campground.
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So beautiful...such a feast for your eyes. The scenery
behind Lea is nice, too.
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Before starting a day of shopping in Estes Park, everyone
but Dad needed a coffee to accelerate the waking-up process.
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We visited nearly every store in downtown Estes Park.
Here you see Lea and Court buying some salt-water taffy that the owners make
onsite. We also purchased custom-screened t-shirts, jewelry, and more
goodies like fudge and giant cookies. For lunch, we ate at Wapiti Pub
(highly recommended!). They have an extensive imported beer selection (I had
a Boddington's) and
any of their burgers can be upgraded to elk or buffalo.
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Back at our campsite, the monkeys we travel with played
on nearby trees.
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Randy grilled filet mignon and sirloin steaks. We always
eat well when camping.
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How can you beat this? Filet Mignon grilled medium-rare,
mango, green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes. Yeah. It did taste as good
as it looks.
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Saturday evening steak dinner in the Outback.
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At Dad's suggestion, Cameron tries to lure a bird perched in a nearby tree
onto his finger by using the "cah cah" bird call with a stuffed Cardinal
sitting on his finger as bait. We were all surprised when this tactic proved
unsuccessful. If you visit RMNP / Estes Park / Moraine Park campground, do not bring your dog(s). Canines are not allowed beyond the paved roads in the park. RMNP has too many trails to mention, so being forced to remain on asphalt with your puppy will severely limit your exposure to what the park has to offer. For this trip, Carly spent the weekend at Paws Field.
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