Day 4 (Faux Toes)

Our day began earlier than we would have liked, thanks entirely to our neighbors. They left food out on their picnic table (despite warnings that bears were lurking about)... and while we were lucky enough that no black bears made a live appearance, the food did attract the attention of camp robbers... a sort of bird with a high-pitched squeal that will fight to the death for bread crumbs.

I tried my darndest to sleep despite the birds screaming over the tent, but probably only managed another five minutes of actual rest in the 90 minutes I lay there trying. By the time I crawled out of the tent and headed to the (flushable!) restroom, I had a whopping three hours of sleep under my belt.

After Washington likewise gave up on rest, we began the task of tearing down our campsite while our neighbors did the same while nursing hangovers (proof in and of itself that they were there only to party... they were at Rocky Mountain National Park for less than 10 hours). We were so eager to leave RMNP by this point that we bailed on making breakfast. We headed out — by this point already later than expected — but were stopped by a herd of elk along the way.


Once I was done taking pictures, we stopped at Estes Park, a nearby resort town that was quite charming (aren't they all?). If you're ever in the area, grab some flapjacks at Molly B's — Washington and I have been mourning the fact that we'll likely never have them again.



Also be sure to take a detour past the Stanley House, Stephen King's inspiration for The Shining (I believe part of the Stanley Kubrick film was shot there as well). You'll understand why when you see it.



And from there, it was off to Golden where we were to visit with my cousin and his wife. We passed through Boulder along the way after passing countless mountain bikers with massive leg muscles and tremendous determination (photos to come on Day 5). We parked in Golden about three or four hours later than we had planned.

I hadn't seen my cousin in five years, and I'd not yet had the opportunity to meet his wife. I was a bit anxious about the fact that we'd be staying with them for a night, primarily because I don't like to inconvenience people. But when I told them I'd be in the area and I recommended we meet for dinner, they were pretty insistent about us staying there and using their place as a base for trips to Denver.

And, ultimately, I was glad of it. Not only was it nice to catch up with them, but they really helped to make Colorado feel a little like home... not to mention, I think Washington was enjoying himself enough that he was hesitant to leave by day 5. Mountains, mountain biking, hiking, taking the dog for a walk on a path made specifically for that purpose... charming medium-sized cities with a small-town charm... a 20-hour road trip back to the big city just didn't appeal to either of us.


But back to Day Four: after showering and chatting, we took a quick trip to a nearby town Washington lived in for a few years as a kid (before and after completing most of his rearing in — you guessed it — Washington state)...



...And then headed back to Golden for a home-cooked meal and good conversation.

[Post backdated according to actual date of travel. Photos of Stanley House, Chuckwagon Diner and pink building were taken by Washington.]