Our new puppy...

We go into Petsmart to get the usual and we come across this adorable puppy in need of a home.  Of course we couldn't resist his cute little face and big ears...so here is our new pup Darwin.

"Fall"ing in love with Colorado...

The fall is beautiful here with the trees changing color, especially the aspens, and the cool crisp air.  We enjoyed a beautiful day with our friend Gwenn and Anthony picking out our pumpkins...

Dave has his little red wagon...we are ready to see the pumpkins...

 This place wasn't just about the pumpkins...they also had a petting zoo where we saw some goats playing...

...a bee hive...or Dave's worst nightmare...

...and a maze, but is it a maze if you don't have choose which direction to go?

And finally some other items at the general store, such as pumpkin and apple butter.

 Our bounty of pumpkins...

After a lot of time and energy spent at the pumpkin patch it's time for some grub...and beer.

Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park

Estes Park is a popular summer resort and headquarters for the Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

 It is common to see Elk right on the side of the road here, even with everyone around taking pictures he just continued to follow his harem up the mountain.

 

On the outskirts of town is The Stanley Hotel, built in 1909, and is the inspiration for The Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's novel The Shining.

 

 

We made our way out of town and onto Trail Ridge Road, known as the "the nation's highest continuously paved road." Along the way we saw yet another elk with his harem.

We took a detour and crossed our fingers as we traveled up the primarily gravel, one-way uphill and punctuated with switchbacks, 11-mile-long Old Fall River Road. Three miles in we stopped to see one of the many natural wonders Chasm falls...

We continued up the road leading to the alpine tundra and finally reached the Fall River Station at the top...enjoying the view at 11,796 feet above sea level. 

Definitely not a trip we would recommend for those not used to the altitude but worth every moment.