Trip to Estes Park and the Stanley Hotel & Ghost Tour

Well yesterday I was invited to go with Kathy and friends to the Stanley Hotel in a limo and go on the Ghost tour.  We had a great time and learned a lot about the Stanley Hotel and heard about a lot of Ghost Stories.  We even heard in the tunnel a girls voice say "hello," then upstairs on the 4th floor where the children were known to play the little boy Matthew is known to spend a lot of time there and will take you hand and maybe tug on your jeans. Well Jamie was standing there and she felt Matthew take hold of her hand and tug on her jeans.  It was pretty neat. Here are some pictures of our day. 

  Room 401 - where Lord Dunraven is known to hang out in the closet

Room 217 where Stephen King wrote the Shining

Where Matthew is hanging out with us.

Tunnel in the Stanley.  They said this tunnel only goes back about 12-14 feet and is blocked offf so as not to danger anyone.

Jamie, Judy, Tim, and the Limo Driver and Limo.

Later the Limo dropped Kathy and I off in downtown Estes Park as the boys were on their way up to the park.  We went to Penelope's to get a snack of chicken strips and fries and just as we finished the boys arrived.  We went up into Rocky Mountain National Park where we hiked up to Alluvia Falls and Dave & Kathy brought along their metal detector.  So treasure hunting we did go.  In the end Zac ended up with 16 cents and some bottle caps, washer and a bracelet. 

After this we were hungry for dinner so to the Wapti we went.  I had chicken alfredo.  WOW it was a huge plate of food and delicious too.  Then we stopped back by the Stanley Hotel to check out the Halloween Ball and here is Zac in front of the Stanley.  Then of course we ran into Jack again so finally after visiting with him for a little bit I just couldn't resist asking him if we could take a picture with him.  Here we are....

Finishing the back yard.

Well Jeff and I finally finished the last big project in the backyard.  We had to build this retaining wall.  Here are the pictures.

Zac's book report...

I just told Zac to go get ready for bed and he said "Mom I am working on my book report." So I told him he could do it for another 20 minutes to which he replied, "It is really fun" --- what this kid likes doing a book report. Mark that in the records of history.

A Magical Date Night....

Well Dave & Kathy offered to take Gingersnap & Zac after his baseball game Saturday night so Jeff and I could have a date night. So off to the  mountains we went.  We started the evening sitting on the park bench by the river that runs through the edge of town where I read my book and Jeff practiced his songs on the guitar.  Then we went to dinner at the Wapiti Pub.  After this we went back to our park bench and realized that there was too much light in town to see the stars.  So we got back in the jeep and headed to the mountains.  Lucky for us it was about 10pm and the rangers had gone home for the night so we drove into the Moraine area of RMNP.   We watched the stars and listened to the stream a while later we hear an elk bugle.  So we decided to drive back up towards the grassy area of Moraine and see if we could see any elk.  It was about 10:45 pm as we sat and listened to the elk there were 3-4 that were bugeling.  Then the one that sounded like it was above us and one below us in the tree line, one farther out and one like it was much farther away.  So we drove up to the top of the Moraine park area and sure enough there was an elk grazing.   While there the elk that was farther down in the tree line was quite loud he was bugeling and bugeling non stop.  The other elk would chime in here and there but that guy was the noisest.  Then Jeff tapped me on the shoulder and pointed across the street from where we were parked and there was a coyote. He sat across from the jeep and looked at us then barked and then he howled.  While he was howling there were others in the park that started howling too.   It was so amazing. Then after this a big bird (we are thinking it was an owl)  flew right over the front of the jeep and landed on this rock about 100 feet away as we had heard owls too while listening to the elk.   It was a magical evening listening to the animals in the park.

Zac & my time in Astoria.

 

When Zac and I first arrived in Cannon Beach we went directly to Mo's where we met Grandpa & Grandma for lunch.  We had clam chowder and onion rings. It was so delicious.  Zac and I took a few moments and walked down to the beach where it was drizzling.  Later we went to see Aunt Karen, Carl then over to see Uncle Steve, Louise and  Aunt Verna.  We had a nice visit with all.  That evening we stayed at the Shilo Inn and Zac got to so swimming in the hotel hot tub and pool.

 The next morning we went to Grandma's where we had her yummy pancakes.  This is all Zac could talk about is Grandma's pancakes a month before we were to go on our trip.

Then after our yummy breakfast Zac & I went to see Aunt Marilee and then went to the Astoria Maritime Museum.  

 

 Then we went to the Astoria Column.  Zac & I climbed all the stairs and took pictures here they are:

Then we went back to Grandma & Grandpa's for salmon patties and cream peas and potatoes.  Boy it was delicious!!  Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa for a wonderful visit!!

New Jeep

Here is the new Jeep.  We sure missed having the Jeep now our travel options are unlimited.

Zac 6th Grade first of the year pictures

This is what I get when I ask Zac for a good picture for the beginning of school!