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Sometimes it pays to be a bit dozy.  I didn't realize that the fall leaves would be at their peak right when I planned this trip!  I also didn't realize that the elk started bugling so early in the fall.  The idea was to take a two-day road trip up to Estes Park and visit the Rocky Mountain National Park, and to come home the scenic route via Leadville and Twin Lakes.  I took the scenic route in both directions.  (Here is the route I took.)  The drive from Colorado Springs to Estes Park took me about five hours because I got lost, twice (that's part of the fun of taking road trips).   It should have taken me about 2½ to 3 hours.  I got to Estes Park in the dark and spent the night at Tiny Town Cottages (now called Trout Haven Ranch), a self-catering set-up.

I was up bright and early Saturday morning, and after stopping at a gas station to clean my windshield, door windows and side mirrors, it was into the park I ventured.  Filled with apprehension and armed with my camera, two fully loaded batteries, and binoculars, I drove around taking in the extensive beauty and enormity of the mountains, trees, peaks, bushes, and sounds.  I entered the park from the Beaver Meadows entrance (stop and pick up a map of the park) on the east side of the park on Hwy 36, which becomes Hwy 34 at the Deer Ridge Junction.  To the right you go down a lovely drive towards Horseshoe Park and the Alluvial Fan, both of which are pretty.  The short walk from the parking area to the Alluvial Fan is where I spotted at least a dozen "ground" squirrels eating in a bush.
(TIP) If you start your trip through the park in the morning, I recommend you start on the east side and go west, as the rising sun will be behind you for the most part.  When I returned from Grand Lake in the afternoon, the sun was behind me for most of the way.

I continued my drive west on Hwy 34 (Trail Ridge Road) with many stops along the way.  It's not worth rushing as you won't see much unless you stop and look.  You can get through the park in about two hours but it took me close to five hours with all the stopping and looking and photographing.  A great place to stop and stretch your legs is Forest Canyon, and this is where I saw my first elk, lazing about right in front of the lookout area.
(TIP) Stop at the visitor centers for a bathroom break before you get into the park.  Not that there aren't any bathrooms, there are numerous, but often there are lines.

Saturday the 24th September was a national parks day, and the entrance fee of $20 was waived.  That being said, I was expecting zillions of cars and lots of traffic jams.  But, I was pleasantly surprised that it was rather sedate, and the driving conditions were easy and stress free.  Roads were for the most part new and easy to navigate.  However, there were parts that were hairy as there weren't any little walls to stop you from going over the steep edges.  Drive with caution.  The higher you went, the less the vegetation, and what you see from the distance thousands of feet below, is granite rock with brown grass/vegetation and some spots of snow here and there.  Quite beautiful up close, in its own way, I thought.

I loved the different trees, from pines, spruces, and aspens, to scrub bushes and dried up remains.  At such high elevations, looking out across forests of trees, you're often looking at the tree tops!  Depending on what time of the year you travel, you might get to marvel at the exquisite fall colors that the aspens show off each year.
(TIP) Make sure you have enough water on hand as well as enough food.  There are many picnic tables where you can stop and have something to eat and stretch your legs.  I didn't see any shops (thank goodness) in the park.  The park was spotless, so Please Don't Litter!)

Hiking trails are plentiful, and provided you equip yourself with all-weather gear and hydration, you should have a great time.  I noticed a large number of cyclists on the road.  Being a cyclist myself, I couldn't imagine tackling those steep inclines!  I'm not that kind of cyclist!
(TIP) If you're not used to high altitudes, make sure you acclimatize beforehand, and drink lots of water. 

My trip continued on a beautiful road towards Grand Lake through Timber Creek.  Grand Lake is huge and was teeming with motorboats, row boats, and one woman was even going waterskiing!  The little town is full of eclectic shops that beckon a look-in.  I had a huevos rancheros for lunch at a little Mexican restaurant, but the food was bland and not that exciting, sadly.  I ate at El Pacifico Mexican Restaurant and paid $8.63 (ex tip).  I got the customary chips and salsa which were nice.  Nice and friendly waitress.  (I'm on a mission to discover the best huevos rancheros in the southwest!)

My trip back through the park to my stop for the night took about 1 hour and 45 minutes.  I did stop for some time to enjoy the small herd of elk not far from the road.  Thankfully I brought along my binoculars so I could see them up close.  What a treat!  I even offered my binoculars to a few other people who didn't have any.  I didn't have enough time to include a trip down to Sprague Lake and Bear Lake, but got to see quite a large portion of the 415 square miles (1075 square kilometers) of park.  Upon my return to Estes Park, I breezed through downtown to fill up with gas in preparation for the early morning start home.  Town was all hustle and bustle as there was live music in the little park and throngs of people milling about.  I also made a quick sweep through the historic Stanley Hotel which was impressive.  My night was spent at the fabulous Beaver Brook on the River condominiums, also self-catering.  Just outside the condominiums, a male elk sauntered across the road, bringing traffic to a halt.  I was right up front in the traffic and turned off the road to follow this beautiful animal and get some shots of him.  He wandered through a park and to a pond in between a campground and trailer park.  While I loved being so close to this animal, the images are a reminder of how much humans have impacted these wild animals' lives.  See the gas tanks and trailers behind the elk in the photo.  See how much we've invaded their lives!  The photo of the young doe crossing the road shows how dangerously close to traffic she was as it was on a very precarious bend in the road—hazardous to both animal and drivers.

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In the morning I headed down Hwy 66 to Marys Lake Road and then joined up with CO-7 (branching off to CO-72) which took me to Nederland.  This stretch of road was full of surprises, and had it not been so early in the morning and at the beginning of my homeward journey, I would have loved to have walked around Lily Lake.  I did stop for a few photos though.  This road seemed to be a favorite for bikers as I saw a great many enjoying the sights.  This stretch of road is also a great spot from which to see Long's Peak up close (just south of Lily Lake).  Another bright spot was the sight of a gorgeous church and a huge statue of Jesus in the middle of nowhere.  I had to stop and take some photos.

This area is also where I saw the most beautiful fall foliage bar that at Twin Lakes.  Fortunately there were very few cars on the road so I could double back to stop for photos whenever I pleased.  I stopped at Nederland for a spot of breakfast and a little walk around.  The cutest stores with colorful paint jobs make this an ideal place to stroll around in.  Breakfast was home fries (potatoes, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and two cheeses) at Whistler's Cafe.  ($4.29 including tax for a half portion).  Do walk across the quaint covered bridge and admire the murals on the lower inside panels.  From Nederland I travelled south on CO-119 to I-70.