OK, so all this talk about driving and dining in the Rockies, and I haven’t even mentioned Rocky Mountain National Park yet. Estes Park, as I mentioned, is the eastern gate to the RMNP. The western gate is at Grand Lake. Between those two towns is 48 miles of twisty, winding heaven on earth known as the Trail Ridge Road. If you are in the area in the summertime, or early fall (to about mid-October), you MUST take this drive.
The Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuous highway in America, peaking out at 12,183 feet in elevation, a good 200 meters above the tree line. The drive takes about three hours, and you WILL want to stop and take some pictures.
Or, if you’re REALLY adventurous, around July 1, the Old Fall River Road opens up. This was the first motor route into the park, before there was a Trail Ridge Road.
The Old Fall River Road is 11 miles of switchbacks and steep climbs, on a one-lane dirt track, with no guardrails. Kind of looks like this.
Also, it’s a one-way road up to Fall River Pass at 11,796 feet. So once you start, there’s no chickening out and going back. You are committed to finishing this journey. (On the bright side, there’s no oncoming traffic.)
Now let’s be real here. Some of us are afraid of heights. Some of us, to be more specific, are afraid of falling from them. To some of us, the mere thought of taking either of these drives is panic-inducing. Let me give you a couple of tips to help you rest easy:
- Obey ALL posted speed limits. Down here in the flatlands, speed limit signs are frequently viewed as suggestions. 65 means 72, 70 means 78, etc. In mountain driving, speed limits are literal. 40 means 40. 20 means 20. On the Old Fall River Road, 15 means 15. All the way up. If you stay within the posted limits, you will be fine. I promise.
- Don’t be a dumb@$$. I suppose this is a good tip in any area of life, but particularly in mountain driving. Don’t try to drive an RV, or church van, or heavy-duty extended cab pick-em-up truck up the Old Fall River Road. There’s nowhere to turn around, and precious few places to do a three-point turn. Don’t coast on a downslope of Trail Ridge Road to see how fast you can go without touching the gas pedal. Don’t take pictures of the elk herd while your car is still in motion. And for #@&*’$ sake DON’T TEXT! There’s no cell signal up there anyway.
If you follow these two simple guides, you will be treated to sights you just won’t see anywhere else. Sights like this:
The Old Fall River Road ends at the back door to the Alpine Visitor Center on the aforementioned Trail Ridge Road.
At that point, you will probably want to unpeel your white knuckles from the steering wheel and chill for a bit. I recommend that, as there is quite a bit to see at this visitor’s center which, as you might have guessed, is the highest in the nation. Then, you can take the Trail Ridge Road the rest of the way down to Grand Lake. (Bonus about mountain driving in a hybrid—you use virtually NO gas on the way down. We maxed out the mileage meter at least three times on this trip).
Another pro tip: start this trip early on a Saturday morning. First of all, you’ll miss the early-afternoon showers that are common in the mountains, which will greatly enhance your high-elevation views. Also, you’ll arrive in Grand Lake just in time for the brunch buffet at the Fat Cat Cafe!
First of all Grand Lake is NOTHING like Estes Park. Where Estes Park is tourist central, Grand Lake still looks like part of the old west. It does still draw a bit of a crowd though, so you may have to wait a bit for a table at the Fat Cat Cafe. No problem though—just help yourself to some coffee and a cinnamon roll while you wait outside on the boardwalk.
Miss Sally serves up a hearty brunch with all kinds of egg, sausage and potato dishes, as well as a plethora of fresh baked goods (save room for pie, because . . . you know . . . you need pie).
My favorite item of this meal was the huevos rancheros. Apparently, this is how they’re supposed to be. If you order huevos rancheros here in Illinois, you’ll typically get some scrambled eggs with some chorizo, maybe some green peppers, and salsa and sour cream on the side.
Oh, no no no. This was SO much better.
The huevos rancheros at the Fat Cat Cafe was more like a lasagna, with layers of egg, chorizo, fried potato, corn tortillas and cheese, baked like a casserole, and covered in, you guessed it, green chili. I think I had three helpings just of that.
So if you find yourself vacationing in Estes Park (hopefully not on the 4th of July—DANG but it’s crowded on the 4th!), suck up your acrophobia, take the drive to Grand Lake and GETCHA SOME!
But be careful with that green chili. Seriously.