The jagged snow-draped peaks, rocky tundra, green valleys, and roaring waterfalls render exclamation points inadequate. [...] starting Sept. 3, Rocky Mountain National Park launches a year of festivities to celebrate its centennial, including special hikes, wildlife seminars, art shows and a wild game culinary fest. The gateway to the eastern side is the town of Estes Park, a tacky tourist mecca full of hotels, motels, souvenir shops and a few good restaurants. The park has five campgrounds, with two open year-round, but we stayed in a low-key motel-lodge at the town's edge, with an indoor pool and hot tub to soak tired feet after a day on the trail. Even if you don't make the entire 8-mile (13-kilometer) round-trip from on the Upper Ute Trail, from the Alpine Visitor Center to Milner Pass and back, you'll still see awe-inspiring dramatic scenery, from barren tundra to alpine meadows and ponds, with stunning views of 14,255-foot (4,335-meter) Long's Peak. Darkening clouds and my hiking partner's altitude sickness, including extreme fatigue, made us turn back before the pass. Campground reservations, trail maps, wildlife viewing tips, centennial festivities: http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm . Near Estes Park, Mama Rose's along the Big Thompson River (with outdoor seating when weather permits) offers delicious pasta, salads and garlic bread, http://mamarosesrestaurant.com . Rock Inn Mountain Tavern, on Highway 66 outside town, offers a cozy cabin-like interior, frequent live music, and varied menu (pan-seared trout, beefy burgers, hummus, roasted beets), http://rockinnestes.com.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 12 hours ago.
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