Photo Friday: The Stanley Hotel

Once upon a time, Stephen King went to the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. His time there inspired him to write a little-known book called The Shining. While the Kubrick movie was filmed at a different lodge, the Shining miniseries was filmed at the place of King's inspiration. The Hotel has become a bit of a tourist attraction for those looking for a bit of sightseeing (because those mountain ranges get so boring). The views are breathtaking -- literally. At 7500 feet above sea level, I was out of breath just walking from the parking lot. This would be the start of a series of slight altitude sickness that would last me until mid-July, but that's for another day. And either way, a bit of lightheadedness and a feeling like you're walking on air is totally worth the views from Estes Park.