There were a lot of large rocks peeking out into the lake that were right off the path so we got some good photo opportunities out of them.
The view with the lake and the mountains in view is pretty incredible looking.
More family photos.
We went on another trail to Nymph Lake and happened to see elk, very close to the path, on a connecting trail.
Megan and I climbed the enormous rocks even though it was difficult with our shoes. Neither of us had gym shoes with good traction.
Mrs. Ellie was tuckered out after a long uphill climb to Nymph Lake.
The Overzet girls.
Megan and mom and dad at Nymph Lake.
After our hike to Nymph Lake we decided to do a driving tour for the most part for the rest of the day. We took Trail Ridge Road and stopped at the indicated stops along the route. We did a little more hiking, but not as intense.
Mrs. Ellie and Mr. Richard needed to go after we were done with Trail Ridge Road to get Mr. Don Whiteside (Mr. Richard's father) so we dropped them off at the visitor center and then went into Estes Park again and walked along the road littered with shops and restaurants. There was also a river walk on the back side of the street where restaurants had patios to expose patrons to the river. One store we went into had an enormous collection of geodes.
For dinner we left Estes Park, and went to Smokin' Daves BBQ. Since I had already had BBQ pulled pork last night I decided to order a salmon reuben since I had never heard of it anywhere else! It turned out to be pretty good. Nelson got the "Man-handler" which was a 1.2 lb burger topped with pulled pork, bacon, and cheddar cheese. He ate the ENTIRE thing!!!! The baked beans were really sweet and the best I think I've ever had! I definitely want to come back here!!!
When we got back to the hotel I had a little surprise waiting for me! My friend Andrew had mailed me a neuron stuffed animal thing! It's so fun!
We got some good family photos along the way.
Maybe one of them will be our Christmas card :)
And the best photos once we reached the top. The top of the mountain was narrow and pure rock. The trail was called twin sisters because we climbed to the top of a mountain that had two heads.
Mom and dad.
In this picture you can see my lying at the top of one peak and Nelson (a tiny speck in the distance) on the top of the other peak.
We spent some time relaxing at the top and then headed out so that we could make it down in time for some dinner. Overall the entire hike took us around 5 hours, which was much faster than a lot of other hikers we saw...although we also saw two actually running the trail! I would have surely gotten a sprained ankle if I had tried to run that trail.
More pictures at the top.
The descent, you can see how rocky and steep the trail is.
At the top again. The pictures are a little jumbled up.
This is the view of one peak from the other peak. You can once again see Nelson the tiny speck if you look really closely. He is just to the right of the divet in the middle of the mountain.
We were EXHAUSTED after the long hike and super thirsty even though we brought two water bottles each! We were also starving, as we had just had sandwiches and chips on the hike up.
We went to Estes Park to search for some food in the Rocky Mountains! We found a place called Big Horn restaurant. My dad got an elk burger, it has a gamier taste and the meat is tougher. Megan and my mom got buffalo burgers, which basically taste the same as cow. It was a wonderful day, and we were thankful that the next day wasn't going to be nearly as intense!
There were beautiful hanging and potted flowers in bloom everywhere! Looking down the street was quite a sight to behold.
The train stopped in the small city of Silver Plume. We got off and looked in the visitor center, but there wasn't anywhere else we could get to without a car so we hopped back on the train and got the very back seats while the conductor once again moved the front portion of the train to the former back (in effect turning the train around!) We got prime view looking out the back of the train as we rode along with nothing in the way!
Near the top we encountered some new friends, little shedding billy goats...or something of the sort all over! Mom and Megan wanted a picture with our new friends!
My mom climbed all the way to the tippy top! Look at her waving :)
Absolutely breathtaking views from atop Mount Evans.
Sista sista picture! On that outcropping. Nelson also took one of Megan "holding" me! Trick of perspective from afar.
This pictures don't even do justice for how beautiful God's creation in Colorado is!
On our way back down the mountain we saw a deer and mom and dad were trying to take pictures of it. It disappeared into the brush but we pulled over and mom and dad went on a little trail that lead to some old trees. In the meantime the deer reappeared RIGHT in front of our green van and attempted to eat the gravel in front of it! It was so funny how excited my parents were to take a picture of the deer and then they disappeared down a path right before the deer approached us! When other tourists slowed down to take pictures of the deer in front of our giant green van, the deer would scamper off for a moment, but always come back to the same place giving us a front row seat to watching him attempt to eat. Mom and dad finally got back to the car and scared the deer off! At least they got to see him for a moment!
After our escapades at Mount Evans we headed over to the Whiteside's house for a BBQ dinner! Mr. Richard grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and we had deviled eggs and salad. It was a delicious and filling dinner after our intense hiking. We played frisbee with Lucky (their dog) and then Nelson, Megan, Marcus, and I played a game of Munchkin (the card game we got Nelson for his bday). Following our game we went downstairs and watched the movie "The Adjustment Bureau" with the parents.
We finally made it to the Huess's around 6:15! They had made a delicious Italian meal. To kick things off there was fresh, home baked Italian bread and an olive oil, Italian herbs, and garlic mixture to dip it in. Mrs. Susan had picked fresh vegetables from her garden and made a delicious salad with pears on it! For dinner we ate spicy sausage lasagna and "pasta butter," the sauce containing buffalo meat! Ice cream was for desert and after dinner, Nelson, Megan, Marcus and I watched a movie (well, I fell asleep from eating too much, food coma) while the parents chatted.
Coors and Miller recently have joined forces, but the beers that Coors brews include the Blue Moon family, the Keystone family, Leinenkugel's, Colorado Native (only found in Colorado), Batch 19, and Killian's, among other things. At the beginning of the tour we got to see some of the most popular beers brewed by Coors.
The tour commenced with an area where we were able to see, touch, and smell the main ingredients used to make beer: malted wheat and barley, water, and hops (which give beer that characteristic bitter taste in certain blends). We got to see the beer making process and see the brew kettles and mash tuns.
At the end of the tour, after seeing the packaging plant we were brought to the tasting room where we had wristbands that allowed us to try a glass of 3 beers. They had Coors, Coors Light, Killians, Colorado Native, Batch 19, Blue Moon, and the Blue Moon Summer Seasonal.
It turns out my mom doesn't only like wine anymore. She really enjoyed Blue Moon. It's a wheat beer that has fruitier flavors, but not too strong.
After the brewery we went back to the Whitesides where Mr. Richard's brother was waiting to get Mr. Don for dinner. We dropped him off with them and then headed to an Italian buffet in between our hotel in Westminster and the Whitesides house in Lakewood. The restaurant was called Cinzetti's. It was around $13/person and was really good! They had a wide variety of foods and desserts and even had a girl making crepes. It was a good end to the day! We went our separate ways after dinner and Megan and I watch some TV episodes online together before falling asleep!
