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Loch Lake

One of my most favorite places to visit is Estes Park, Colorado.  I've been there twice already and am planning another trip there this summer.  The town is a cute little tourist town filled with shops, restaurants and bars - there are vacation cabins, campgrounds and it is home to the Stanley Hotel which was the inspiration for Stephen King's book 'The Shining'.  What I like about it the most is that it is a border town to Rocky Mountain National Park.  If you want to take one of the most stunning drives ever, just take Trail Ridge Road all the way down to Grand Lake.  It is one nerve racking drive, but absolutely breathtaking!  

There are also a ton of hiking trails within the park ranging from an easy 40 minute walk around Bear Lake to a hard 7 hour hike up Long Peak Trailhead to Chasm Lake.  Even though I was much younger the last time I visited, there is no way I'd be able to attempt that hike.  I did manage a moderate 4 hour hike past Alberta Falls up to Loch Lake though, and it was definitely worth it.  Below is a photo I took once I got up there.  I can't remember how long it took me exactly, but I was amazed at the number of people that were sitting around the lake admiring it's beauty.  The one thing about Rocky Mountain National Park is that it definitely attracts the tourists from all over and I think I was pretty fortunate to get this picture without a ton of people in it.



After returning home, I went through my pictures and printed off some of my favorites, including the one above.  Another thing I like to do in my free time besides writing and taking pictures is visiting antique stores, something else on my bucket list to get back to doing.  There is an antique mall in Story City, Iowa, and one day on my way back from a conference in Des Moines, I just had a spur of the moment whim to stop in.  I'd probably been through there half a dozen times before, but you can always find something new.  On this particular visit, I started rummaging through a bunch of postcards and found a couple from Colorado.  I just started scrapbooking and thought it would be a nice addition to add to my book.  What I didn't realize until I got home, however, is that one of the postcards I found was an identical picture of Loch Lake that I had taken myself.  What are the chances that I could ever do that again!!


The postcard was postmarked August 22, 1942, and was addressed to Miss Florence Wolf of Fort Dodge, Iowa.  The following note was written:

We are having a fine time.  So many lovely scenic drives around the Mts & Lakes.  Mary L is with us for a week, goes back by train.  Wish you could be here  so good for hay-fever.  Weather is fine, just right, cool nights and warm days.  Bertha L



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