Colorado: Denver, Boulder & Estes Park
Image by Dawn Wilson Photography
Colorado, the undisputed queen of the mountain states, is surprisingly the eighth-largest state by area in all of the U.S. of A. Bordered by Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma, it rubs up against half of the country before waking up in the morning.
But you know us. We didn’t care about Colorado’s varying topographies and primary and secondary exports. We wanted to know about ghosts and ghouls. And Colorado didn’t disappoint.
Visiting the capital city of Denver, the other city of Boulder, and the infamous Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining,” our list of potential Colorado spectral encounters was, to quote John Denver, rocky mountain high!
Join us (Not literally. You can’t join us because we already went there.) as we scour this great state for its former residents and long-gone luminaries who stubbornly refuse to pass on to the next world. Because, honey child, this place is haunted!
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On this Ghost Tourist adventure we didn’t go to visit just one location in the fabulous state of Colorado. We wanted to drive to multiple cities to get our fill of the ghosts that haunt the area. We flew in and out of Denver and rented a car.
DAY 1
We drove 1 hour and 30 minutes into Estes Park Colorado. Careful, the drive into Estes Park at night can be difficult as the road is dark and curves around mountains.
We stayed at The Stanley Hotel, The site of Stephen King’s inspiration for The Shining. Although the movie was not filmed here, you can hear whispers of the movie throughout the hotel. With a hedge maze, long creaky hallways and a bathroom decorated like the one seen in the movie. They certainly embrace their claim to fame. Plus the hotel employees are all happy to discuss their own resident ghosts. If you are a ghost aficionado, you will be in good company as the hotel draws that type in and you will see many a ghost curious guest throughout the hotel. The hotel, although a little pricy, is beautiful, comfortable and worth the drive to Estes Park for the stay. We were very fortunate to be there during a small snow fall, something we Southern California residents never get to see. Plus it made our stay at The Stanley Hotel all the more creepy! Highly recommend staying there!
They have a couple of great restaurants and a couple of nice bars.
Cascades restaurant had the most delicious Chilaquiles on their breakfast menu that we have ever had! Make reservations as they get busy.
The basement area has a cute pastry/coffee/candy cafe called The Colorado Cherry Company which is nice for a late night snack.
On our first full day there, we spent the day exploring the hotel. We filmed the hotel, interviewed some employees, enjoyed the small hedge maze, and did some general paranormal investigating. Interestingly enough, there were other’s doing the same throughout the hotel.
The Stanley also has several tours (and other activities) you can book through their website. Here is a link.
That evening we took the Stanley Ghost Tour but we weren’t a big fan of our tour guide or the tour itself. You can check it out for yourself though. Don’t take our word for it. They also have a specialized The Shining tour for you super Stephen King fans.
DAY 2
BOULDER & DENVER COLORADO
We checked out of the Stanley and took a 1 hour drive to visit Boulder on our way into Denver.
Because we don’t like leave a paranormal boulder unturned when we visit a new town, we visited several haunted sites while in Boulder! Plus we got to see the home of Mork & Mindy! The people of the rocky mountains were sure welcoming.
After lunch we drove another 35 minutes into Denver to check into our hotel for the night.
We stayed at the haunted The Brown Palace.
This was one of our favorite hotels. It was beautiful and felt so luxurious throughout. The staff were all very helpful and friendly. Our room was beautiful, a good size, clean and well appointed. We highly recommend this hotel.
We explored the streets of Denver and took our own ghost tour of the streets that evening.
DAY 3
DENVER AND HOME
We were lucky enough to get a private tour of the Brown Palace called Brown Palace:Enduring Spirits Hotel Tour. It was probably one of the best tours we hav ever taken. Our tour guide was amazing! She had so much information, wit and wisdom. She took us backstage, upstairs, down below and all over the hotel. She gave us not only the actual history of the hotel, but the HAUNTED HISTORY of the hotel. It was worth every penny we paid for the tour. Sadly, it looks as if the tour is no longer offered on the website. What a damned shame!
After the tour, we packed up and checked out of the hotel to go home. But not before driving by the iconic Blucifer (the cursed Blue Mustang sculpture) on the way into the Denver airport! Back home to Los Angles for now. Bye Colorado! You were hauntingly good fun!
