A quick update from Estes Park, CO

Our internet connection is less than ideal here so I'm jumping ahead to today and a pictureless update.

Today was cool and overcast, looking like rain, so we opted to postpone our second day in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rob and Matt stayed in the RV park, did laundry, and played mini-golf while I caught the free shuttle into Estes Park to do a little shopping. On the way downtown, I saw a female elk, calming munching away on the side of the road.

I wandered the main street downtown, stopping in various shops along the way. I came away with a new Tilley hat (I cannot find my old one; I *think* it’s somewhere in the garage and that is a statement to strike fear into the heart of anyone who has seen our garage), a hiking pack, Mountaintrek sandals, a Life is Good shirt for my hubby, and, at long last, a pig for Lisa. I noticed that there was a theater downtown (turns out it’s historic, the longest consecutively operating theater west of the Mississippi) that was showing a 5:00 matinee of Kung Fu Panda so I called Rob and asked if he and Matt wanted to go.

The original plan was for me to catch the shuttle back, meet up with them, and then we’d all go downtown together. Since I had 40 minutes until the next shuttle and it was raining, I decided to grab a bite to eat. I made a good choice and the restaurant, Poppy’s, had a pork tenderloin on the menu. You cannot get a pork tenderloin sandwich in California. Oh, occasionally you might find something on the menu that *claims* to be a pork tenderloin but they lie. I made the waiter describe it for me before I ordered it even. And it was good. Not quite up to Iowa standards but good enough.

Unfortunately, the 2:00 shuttle was early and I missed it. So I called Rob again and he and Matt hopped on the shuttle here at the RV park at 2:21 and met up with me at 3:00 downtown. Matt was hungry so I took them to Poppy’s so they could eat. Then we wandered some more and Matt got a Life is Good ball cap (which he looks very cute in). Rob has been looking at trying a pair of Vibram Five Fingers for running and we actually found a store here that carries them. Unfortunately, they were completely out of his size in all the styles and said they wouldn’t be getting more of that size in until April. I have to admit, I find that odd.

We are now safely back at Winnie, deciding our plans for tomorrow. The forecast is for rain again tomorrow so we have to decide whether we’re going to brave the park in spite of it or head to Cheyenne a day early. I really want to try to see some big horn sheep and elk in the park. We only spent a few hours there yesterday, doing the Trail Ridge Road and one quick hike. We still need to explore the eastern half of the park.