Bet I scared the pants off of you on this fine Halloween Day in Estes Park, Colorado.  This afternoon you’ll see a lot of strange people walking the downtown streets of Estes Park as it is the tradition here to do your trick or treating downtown and not door to door.  It’s safer, everyone gets to see each others costume, and the merchants enjoy giving treats to all the kids and adults.

Next year you should plan on coming up and staying a day or two to enjoy the festivities and the beautiful scenery of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Of course you should plan on staying at The Appenzell Inn where you will be close to the action and enjoy a great view of the park.

The Appenzell Inn, your favorite Estes Park hotel.  Thank you.

In case you are unfamiliar with Thanksgiving in Estes Park,Colorado, you are in for a treat.

Downtown Estes Park is decorated for the Holidays with lights on the trees and painted dioramas in several areas.  All The stores will be decorated and open to provide you with shopping opportunities.

Our local restaurants will be open with their usual menu supplanted with some holiday specials.  And most Estes Park hotels will be open and ready to take your reservations, and The Appenzell Inn will certainly be the favorite choice for many.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

In our technological world, things are bound to go wrong.  I just read where new televisions are using cheaper parts which don’t last as long and that we can only expect 3-5 years of service. (Which is not good news to a hotel.)

A typical room at The Appenzell Inn has 1-3 smoke detectors, telephone, alarm clock, air conditioner/heat pump, fireplace with gas valve and timer, Jacuzzi tub pump, bath fan and heater, hair dryer, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, toaster, blender, elec. frypan, coffee maker, 1-3 televisions w remotes, DVD and VCR player, satellite TV system, and a free wireless system; all of which can, and do, quit working, even when fairly new and well maintained.  Oh, and we haven’t mentioned light bulbs, valve seals, and plugged toilets.

The Appenzell Inn guarantee says we will do everything within reason to correct anything that goes wrong in a timely manner, or we will do our best to find you suitable accommodations at another property. 

The reason I bring this issue up today is because a guest just wrote a disparaging report to Trip Advisor because we couldn’t get our free wireless system up and running within an hour of calling the technician to come and replace a defective router.  Yesterday the system was down because high winds blew a tree onto the power line to our provider’s radio tower.  Things happen and we can only hope that we can solve the problem as soon as possible and that a guest doesn’t have unreasonable expectations of perfection.

Every once in a while a front moves through Colorado and because of the terrain, you know, mountains and such, we can get some pretty strong breezes.  Last night the wind cleaned a lot of the pretty leaves off the trees and sent them to Loveland and maybe even Nebraska.

Fortunately the wind is dying down and it looks like a good weekend is in store; the last of 5 weekends in October.  The Appenzell Inn has good availability in all room styles, most of which will have a fireplace and Jacuzzi tub.

So come on up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park, for a little R&R and change of scenery.  Your favorite Estes Park hotel has very reasonable rates of some terrific rooms and suites.  Book yours today at The Appenzell Inn.

Our weather here in Estes Park Colorado has turned colder and today it has rained and threatens to turn to snow.  Experiencing the raw edge of nature is exhilarating and being outside in Rocky Mountain National Park gives a new meaning of the word Wilderness.

Most of our rooms and suites at The Appenzell Inn have gas fireplaces as well as a two-person Jaccuzzi for just this sort of weather. 

You owe it to yourself to get away from the same old routine once every so often, and experience some thing new and enjoyable.  That’s what The Appenzell Inn was designed for; your comfort and enjoyment.  Make The Appenzell Inn your favorite Estes Park hotel, especially now when the rates are the most affordable. 

Thank You for your interest.

Thanksgiving weekend is just around the corner and Estes Park, Colorado is a wonderful place to spend the holiday. The shops and restaurants are always open as well as your favorite Estes Park hotel, The Appenzell Inn.

On the friday after Thanksgiving the town puts on a fantastic parade through downtown Estes Park with many lit floats and marcing groups, -including Santa himself presiding over the festivities.

We have special pricing at The Appenzell and we are hoping we can get final approvals on Strudel’s Cafe addition so that we can offer a limited breakfast and dinner menu.

As is always the case, Rocky Mountain National Park will be open for your enjoyment, and if we get some snow, the sledding hill may also be open.

Estes Park and The Appenzell Inn are always a perfect choice for a holiday or weekend getaway, so give us a call or book on-line.  You’ll be glad you did,- and thank you.

Everyone who calls The Appenzell Inn lately is asking about the weather and if it’s snowing.  Seems that a lot of reports are showing a big snowstorm in the Estes Park, Colorado area and we should be buried up to our necks by now.

Sorry to dissapoint, but we have nothing on the ground other than a little dampness from some rain we received on Friday.  If you’re planning an escape to Estes Park and the weather is a concern, there are a few things you need to know.

We don’t get a lot of snow in what we call the Estes Valley until Spring.  Most of the snow in winter falls in Rocky Mountain National Park, -Estes Park is on the lee side of the continental divide, (which runs through the National Park), so most of the snow is squeezed out of the air by the time it gets here.  We explain that we can see it snowing in the National Park a few miles away, but here in Estes Park it can be sunny.

We do still get some snow but the plows are out quickly and keep the roads open and safe for daily traffic.  If the road is ever shut down it’s for a short time.

If you are coming from the East, there are no high mountain passes to drive over, making for a safer trip.

We are only an hour and a half or so from Denver and DIA, and less from Ft Collins.

Estes Park stores and restaurants are open all year as is the National Park.

So you see you have no excuse not to come to Estes Park, Colorado this winter, so give yourself a treat and book a room at your favorite Estes Park hotel, The Appenzell Inn.

In yesterdays blog I forgot to mention the avid bicycle riders that come to Estes Park, Colorado to enjoy the great scenery while experiencing the various levels of rides available.  From challenging rides including a ride over Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park to easy rides on our many miles of paved, (and plowed), hike/bike trails all around the lake and extending in several directions.

If you don’t have a bike or a way to bring it with you, there are rental shops in Estes Park with a fine assortment of bikes.

You will find a hike/bike trail running past The Appenzell Inn and we’ll be happy to point out some of the areas you won’t want to miss.  We also have covered and secure bike racks to protect your ride, which is another reason that The Appenzell Inn should be your favorite Estes Park hotel.  Why not try us out this weekend; our rates are attractive and even though the weather might be a bit cold and wet, but what kind of a biker are you?

If a day goes by and I don’t get outside to take a little walk around The Appenzell Inn, I feel like the day was wasted.  If I don’t take a longer 2 or 3 mile walk at least 3 times a week, I feel sluggish and every cell in my body seems to be pulling me toward the door.

Many of our guests are like that and some to a much greater degree.  We call them Hiking Nuts and not in a derogatory way but rather as a term of envy.  Hiking Nuts, Fishing Nuts, Bird Watching Nuts, Wildlife Photography Nuts, Snowshoeing Nuts, Wildlife Nuts, Sunshine Nuts, and all-around Colorado Nuts are our kind of people at The Appenzell Inn.

What we find disappointing are people who ask; “What’s there to do in Estes Park?”  On the other hand, that question gives us the opportunity to show people that the real world is something much better and more fulfilling than any found on a TV reality show.  Your mind and body crave the outdoors and being close to nature, so stop fighting the urge and get on up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park for a fix of fresh air and exercise.

And when you’re all pooped out at the end of the day you can relax in your comfortable room and Jacuzzi at your favorite Estes Park hotel, The Appenzell Inn.

I had a chance to meet our US Senator from Colorado, Michael Bennet, in downtown Estes Park this morning for an informal chat concerning the economy and small businesses.  He understands that it’s been a struggle for us to operate without the normal access to credit in a timely manner, and explained the new support coming from Washington.

Hopefully the worst is over and people are beginning to feel solid ground under their feet for a change, but it’s going to be a long time before we’re back to a normal economy.  The Appenzell Inn has managed to come through without too many scars but we’ve all had to work harder and use whatever resources we had in-house to make any expansion or improvements.

And expand we are with the continuing activity on our new kitchen to finalize Strudel’s Cafe at The Appenzell Inn.  It’s been a long haul but the final results will only enhance our offerings at youir favorite Estes Park hotel, The Appenzell Inn.  Keep watching.