Stanley Hotel

Dick and Gary are big fans of the TV series Ghost Hunters and one of their favorite episodes (scary happenings with real ghosts!) was taped at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park. We stopped by the hotel to see if they were giving nighttime ghost tours (only in the summer) and Dick asked about staying in "the" haunted room (the one where Jason saw the closet door open and the water glass shatter). A few minutes and a credit card swipe later, we'd reserved room 401 for the following night. Gary didn't want to stay in the room alone (he's brave but not crazy) so he enlisted buddy Kyle as his roomie. Turned out to be an excellent choice - Kyle is an even bigger Ghost Hunters fan than Gary and has every episode downloaded to his iPod.

Since I didn't think the hotel would be thrilled to have two 17-year-old boys hanging out on their own, Dick and I reserved a room for ourselves. We started out in another haunted room but opted to change to an un-haunted room with a king-sized bed. Comfort over haunting . . . I wish now that we'd kept the original room.

Although they tried to act cool, Gary and Kyle were so amped about staying here that they were practically jumping out of their skin. They spent at least an hour, camera in hand, exploring the entire hotel. Dick and I were having dinner in the hotel restaurant (very good and very expensive), when Gary and Kyle appeared at our window, waving and grinning like crazy.

So, is the hotel haunted? The boys swear the answer is definitely "yes". Nothing happened in their room but they heard children's footsteps running up and down the hallway all night and one of Kyle's photos appears to show an orb of light in that same hall. Would they stay there again? In a heartbeat. This was definitely the highlight of Gary's trip and something he'll remember for a long, long time.
Tourist stuff: The Stanley is a great place to stay, especially in the off-season. The public areas of the hotel are beautifully restored - lots of dark wood, frosted glass and period furniture. All the guest rooms have been, or are in the process of being remodeled, and they've retained the old world charm while adding modern amenities like nice bathrooms and comfortable beds.

If you aren't afraid of ghosts, ask to stay in room 401. We were surprised at its size; that's a king-size bed in the photo above and you could easily fit another king bed in there. The doorway leads onto a small enclosed nook with a patio table and two chairs - perfect for enjoying breakfast and a spectacular view of the mountains. Dick and I are planning to stay here on our next trip!