Many people visit Colorado have questions regarding legalized recreational marijuana.  Yes, it's true.  Marijuana is legal in Colorado. However, there are several caveats.  You can buy it at specialized shops.  However, many towns have banned these shops. Estes Park is one of these towns that has banned these shops.  You will need to travel around 30 miles to Lyons, Nederland or Boulder to legally purchase this product.  You must be 21 years old.  You can even legally grow marijuana in Colorado but no more than 5 plants per person and it must be grown in a secured location.  It is legal to smoke marijuana in Colorado but you must not be in a public place. This means you must smoke it in your home and away from other people and children.  NOTE; the Overlook is a NON SMOKING facility for the comfort and enjoyment of smoke sensitive guests.

Here's a conceptual picture of what we are building at the Overlook.  This outdoor bar/shed will provide a great place to sit and enjoy the outstanding view and also double as storage for the Overlook.  Now that the gazebo is finished, its time to begin this always planned but delayed additional outbuilding ... Unfortunately, we are approaching winter and construction will be slowed down.  Stay tuned for updates on this new feature expected to be completed in 2017.

We celebrated our fourth annual Oktoberfestes at the Overlook last weekend with family, friends and neighbors.  Here are some pictures from the fun filled event.

Last weekend, the last  weekend in August, we rode the Grom to Grand Lake.  Grand Lake is a small town on the other side of the Continental Divide.  To get there, you can take Trail Ridge Road.  We like to take Fall River Road, which is a four wheel road, up to the top of the Continental Divide at the Alpine Visitor Center and then continue on to Grand Lake on Trail Ridge Road.  It takes about 45 minutes to get to the top of the Continental Divide and the Alpine Visitor Center.  It takes about 45 more minutes to reach Grand Lake.  This is a spectacular trip.  The scenery is breathtaking...so is the altitude.  As you pass over the Continental Divide, the western slope is very different from the eastern side where you find Estes Park.  The western side has more water and swamping areas attracting lots and lots of moose.  This is the place to go if you want to see one of the many moose that live in the RMNP.  Grand Lake is a very quaint town much like Estes Park. However, it is located on a very large lake and the town, which seems more like a western town than Estes Park, has all wooden side walks. This is a great spot to visit.  You can even rent a paddle board, kayak, boat, or other water craft and explore the lake and surrounding shores.  There is a cute marina with a small beach with picnic tables right on the water front.

We had a great ride there.  On the way back, we ran into rain, snow and hail as we passed over the continental divide.This can be a little unnerving when on two wheels.  The weather changes quickly on the Continental Divide.  Just a reminder to always be prepared.  Here are some of the pictures we took of the town and lake.

Here's a picture of the horse shoe pit a the Overlook.  It is one of the most enjoyed features for families. In the back ground you can see a tree with a table surface for holding drinks, the fire station and fire wood.  This picture is looking directly North.  To the right, East, is the fantastic view of the Estes Valley.

Here's a summer picture of the back yard at the Overlook.  It is completely fenced.  In this picture you can see the fire pit, 14 person picnic table, swing between the two trees, the water tank, gazebo,gas grill and the private porch off the Master Bedroom. From anywhere in this back yard you are overlooking the Estes Valley towards the Big Thompson River.  From this picture you can see how a family can spread out.  Some will sit in the gazebo.  Some will sit at the picnic table.  Some will sit on the private Master Bedroom porch.  Some will sit around the fire pit with the chairs that are provided.  Also in this back yard you will find a horse shoe pit, fire station with water, extinguisher, shovel, etc. and a firewood station.

We recently surveyed our guests and discovered some interesting facts and suggestions.  These might be of interest if you are considering renting our home.  

• Over half of guests had visited Estes before (58%)
• Nearly all of our guests had previously stayed at Vacation Rentals (lots of times)
• Nearly all of our guests had previously used VRBO.com (lots of times)
• Most of our guests had looked at our website prior to visit (85%)
• Top 3 Reasons in order of preference for selecting the Overlook
  • Good Reviews and Pictures/Description (Tied)
  • Price
• Most attractive features Prior to visit
  • Location
  • 3-Bedroom
• Most attractive feature After visit
  • Location
  • Kitchen
  • Yard and Horse Shoes
• All said pricing was FAIR (not too low or too high)
• Suggested features we currently have but should promote more
  • Location (several listed)
  • The Shining (movie) Theme
  • History of the Overlook
  • Comfort and Furnishings (several listed)
  • WiFi and TVs
  • Heated Toilet Seats (several listed)
  • All the Unexpected Extras (several listed)
  • All of the Useful Notes and Tips
• Suggested Improvements
  • Provide More Firewood
  • Add a Colander in Kitchen for Straining Pasta
  • Front Bedroom Bed Too Soft

After reviewing these results, we installed a firewood station where guests can purchase additional firewood (beyond the amount we provide for free) for $5 per bucket or bundle.  This limits the amount of time our guests have to spend going into town and purchase more firewood when necessary.   We also realized that some guests were not finding our collapsible colander and therefore added a new more visible one for their convenience.   

A big thanks to our guests that participated in this survey.  We really appreciate you taking the time to provide this useful information.

We always supply one free bundle/bucket of firewood, lighter fluid, matches and kindling.  However, many of our guests enjoy using our fire pit to make s'mores, roast hot dogs, or just enjoy the great outdoors.  As a result, it is not uncommon for our guest to need more firewood during their stay.  Many guest do not use any firewood.  We have found it impossible to guess how much firewood a guest might need, and we are often caught off guard with the amount some will consume.  We have even seen guests go through more than 10 bundles of firewood in just two days! Since this requires trips into one of the many Estes Park stores, and many of our guest dislike jumping in their car all of the time, we set up a self serve honor system for firewood.  Each additional bucket is just $5.  We hope this will be a convenient option for our fire loving guests.  

If you are planning to hike in RMNP and drive to Bear Lake, it is likely you will hike to, or pass through Nymph Lake.  This lake is only .6 miles from the Bear Lake parking area.  It is a moderate climb to a very tranquil and scenic lake that in July is covered with flowering lily pads.  During the summer the Bear Lake parking lot can be completely full by 9 a.m.  In fact, it doesn't start to clear out until 6 p.m.  If you plan a trip to Bear lake you have several options.  Arrive very early.  Arrive late.  Take the free bus.  The view of the mountains during the hike is spectacular.  Here are a few pictures of the location of the lake and the scenery.  Enjoy.