Today I bring Part 2 of my Travel Series from my trip out west. Today is specifically my visit to the famous Stanley Hotel, often known as ‘The Overlook Hotel’ from ‘The Shining.’
Beautifully perched in the Rocky Mountains the view of and from the Stanley is nothing short of amazing and awe inspiring. The hotel was built in 1909 by the inventor of the Stanley Steamer, an early automobile. The Stanley has hosted many famous guests, including Unsinkable Molly Brown, John Philip Sousa, Theodore Roosevelt, and a variety of Hollywood personalities. The Stanley Hotel also hosted Stephen King, inspiring him to write ‘The Shining’. Parts of the far superior mini-series version of ‘The Shining’ were filmed there, but was not used for Kubrick’s version. The service and beauty of the hotel was amazing and I throughly enjoyed my stay. ‘The Shining’ loops over and over on channel 42 for those interested. While I was there both a Senior Prom and Wedding were held. What struck me as interesting was that they really don’t milk or advertise the fame of ‘The Shining’, instead it gets a small selection of items in the gift shop. It is a 1st class establishment that has such an incredible warmth and history to it. There is something very special about this hotel, nothing to do with ghosts or anything scary but of a rich historical draw that pulls you in and captures you. I told myself I would go there once before I died and I’ve renewed that commitment to go again at some point in the future for a longer stay. The surrounding area is full of shops, eateries, taverns, and local interests, a mere miles from the Rocky Mtn National Park.
What follows below is just a small portion of all the photos from that leg of the trip. It runs a little over 3 mins- Enjoy! (Rocky Mtns Part Coming Soon.)
