The Shining
October 1st – Monday
I committed a sin and did not do my diary yesterday. I’m already trying to remember what we did………………..oh yes we went for a drive up in the Rockies – about 9500 feet up. The roads were very windy and the scenery fab so I was happy – windows down breathing in all that fresh mountain air.
I wanted to go to Estes Park, home of the Stanley Hotel. For me this was a bit of a pilgrimage as it is where Stephen King stayed and subsequently wrote The Shining – basing it on this hotel. I actually had goose bumps as it appeared on the horizon. Estes Park is a mid sized town and the hotel would not be shut during winter now due to the ski-ing but the hotel itself – wow. It did take a 2 hour drive to get to so Estes Park is really in the middle of nowhere.
We went in and had an ice cream in the café just to soak up the atmosphere. The hall, lounge and even the bar with its etched glass doors are all exactly like I imagined. The halls even had hardwood floors and there was one of those old fashioned lifts. We sat in reception on the old leather sofas with the log fires burning (yes even in the sunshine) just taking in the ambience. It really is a spooky place and apparently haunted for real. I kept saying to Josh – remember this room when you are old enough to read the book. The goosebumps did not leave until the view of the hotel had disappeared from my rear view mirror.
Tags: America, Travel
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