Rocky Mountain NP and Denver

Waking up to a brisk 44° morning, the plan for today is for a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. We should be able to work up an appetite so we can explore the culinary side of Denver later in the day.

Beth greeted her nephew Sean as I was up on the hill looking for birds. He volunteered to pick us up and drive to the park. With a panoramic glass roof, his vehicle was perfect for mountain views.

In just over two hours we were inside Rocky Mountain National Park and looking for wildlife. It wasn't long before we spotted this bull elk.

Unlike in North Carolina, peaks here still have snow caps on the first of June.

Arriving at the Bear Lake trailhead, we were fortunate to find a parking spot. Bus service was running to help lessen congestion.

Beth and Sean were ready to hike and dressed for changeable weather.

Bear Lake was a short, mostly level, trail from the parking lot. Just about anyone could reach this beautiful spot, especially after the snow melts.

We continued on to a little more challenging trail. "No, you don't need to bring your hiking poles," said Sean. His aunt probably won't ever let him forget that statement, and we won't leave our poles behind again. The trail was hard packed snow that was getting slippery as it began to melt.

Snowmelt added the sound of rushing water to the beautiful scenes.

Birds were abundant and not very afraid of people. We think this is a Canada Jay.

Nymph Lake was worth the walk. Still partially covered in ice, the views were spectacular.

Walking back down the trail, it was hard to choose what to capture in photographs with so many picturesque views.

The black crest on this blue Stellar's Jay were the identifying factors. We hadn't ever seen one of these Jays before.

If you are interested in identifying birds, The Cornell Lab has a free phone App called "Merlin Bird ID" that will identify birds from your photos or walk you through questions to help find a bird's name. We've found it works really well.

Back in the car we drove past this scene where a herd of elk grazed in the valley below us.

Getting closer, we found this Elk cow wearing a radio tracking collar.

Hoping to find a Big Horn Sheep for our namesake Ram van, we only found a distant relative. This guy was part of a small herd of mountain goats grazing just off the road as we left Estes Park and headed for Denver.

Downtown Denver was a bit of a culture change after walking the trails. A mix of modern and classic, Denver is a very popular city for young professionals.

After a driving tour, we parked in the RiNo district. RiNo is short for River North Arts. Once a warehouse and industrial area, it is now a trendy hub for artists, restaurants, and bars.

Sean knows where to find interesting culinary treats and Acorn, with multiple small plates, didn't disappoint.

It was great seeing Sean and we really appreciate him spending the day with us. We couldn't ask for a better Denver area tour guide.

Walking off dinner in the RiNo district, we found that creative folks could make just about anything into a rhinoceros.

The last time I'd been in Denver was in 1980 when we arrived here by train from Chicago. Like much of Denver, the station has been reinvigorated and serves as a transportation hub for light rail, Amtrak, and bus lines. After an extensive renovation in 2014, the upper floors are now the boutique Crawford Hotel.

Here's an overview of the area