This is part two of a two part article. Click here if you missed part one. For a large slide show, see the end of the story.
If you’re an outdoors type, you’ll find boats for rent, horses to ride, trails to hike, waterfalls to explore and all the magic of Rocky Mountain National Park just minutes away. The clean mountain air exerts a pull that makes you want to spend as much time as you can enjoying all the scenery.
In the evening, a not to be missed experience is the local Rocky Mountain Repertory Theater. This writer has been to maybe a couple too many local theater productions, finding most enjoyable, some tolerable,, and one just plain walk-outable. It was with that personal baggage that I entered the theater in Grand Lake this past summer.
The theater, which is building a new home for next season, was a small, intimate setting with friendly staff taking tickets and showing people to their seats. From the moment the curtain rose, it was apparent that this was no typical community theatre. The actors and actresses immediately grabbed the audience and pulled us into the story. The close proximity of the stage and set visually drew you into the action and engaged all your senses. Excellent music from the small orchestra accompanied all the songs, rivaling any production I’ve seen on Broadway.
Only in small town USA can you go outside into the cool summer evening air and have reasonably priced refreshments at intermission…homemade chocolate chip cookies and a coffee for $2.00! And after the production, the performers and staff could all be found mingling with theatre goers directly across the street at a popular restaurant.
No matter what the season, there’s always something happening in the mountains at Grand Lake. To help plan your next getaway, check the Chamber of Commerce’s website.
If you go:
For food…you might like to try Blue Water Bakery, where you’ll meet everyone in town for coffee and bakery in the morning. They also offer free WiFi in the restaurant. Sage Brush offers a wonderful selection of lunch and dinner entrees, as does Pancho & Lefty’s. For that really special meal, get a table overlooking the rapids at the Historic Rapids Lodge & Restaurant; their food is unbeatable.
Looking for accommodations…Western Riviera owns and manages a multitude of establishments, from standard motel rooms to lakefront multiple bedroom suites. They also offer party rooms suitable for weddings and conferences. Many offer free WiFi, but inquire in advance if you need it.
For a gigantic slide show of Grand Lake images, click here
From Cleveland, it is usually cheapest to fly into Denver and then rent a car for the scenic 1-1/2 hour trip to Grand Lake. You’ll also find the biggest selection of rental cars in Denver.
Doug Bardwell, based in Cleveland, OH, writes about interesting new travel and photography topics across the country and around the world. Feel free to drop him a line at travel.dougbardwell@gmail.com with suggestions for future stories. To get his stories delivered to your inbox, click the RSS feed or the "Subscribe" button above. You can also check out his website to see other stories or his photo library.
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