How to Find the Beauty That Surrounds Us All

Do you remember the old hit song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want?” That song has been on repeat in my mind for days. I’ve been lamenting the fact that we are halfway through the summer and I haven’t seen the ocean since last August. To me, nothing is as beautiful as the sun glistening on the water. Work and other obligations have kept us here so far this year and it has been a bit depressing. But today, I finally pushed the pause button and instead, I decided to look for the beauty that surrounds us all in our own back yards.

While the ocean is truly my happy place, Colorado is my home. There are so many things that I love about this state. The problem is that my longing for the water sometimes tends to blind me to beauty that is right here. Heading anywhere west from my house, the rockies in all their glory rise up before me. I wondered how many times I have gone to the store in recent days and literally never even noticed them. Quite a few I suspect. Why is that and how can I learn to find the beauty that surrounds us all right here?

What is Beauty Anyways?

First of all, beauty is not always the physical aspect of something. It is also found in the way it makes you feel. Colorado is a gorgeous state but it is more than that for me. Part of the beauty of this place are the memories we’ve made here. With that in mind, I set out today on a trip to the mountains for my husband’s birthday. We have our two canine children with us and I know before we even leave, this will become a treasured memory in its own right. Every day spent with love of my life and our pound puppies is a gift and I am looking forward to sharing the day with them in a place we all love.

Road Trip to Estes Park, Colorado

We are headed for Estes Park. It is a favorite day trip of ours and we have visited often over the years. It is cloudy and rather cool today but that’s a welcome respite from the hot days we’ve been having at home lately. Looking at it like that, I realized, is just another way to see the beauty that surrounds us.

If it weren’t for the terrible wildfires burning everywhere (prayers), I would have included a picture of the mountains as we hit the road. Although I rarely notice them the way I should, I’m always blown away by how pretty they look from a distance. Today, they are completely invisible from the smoke that has engulfed the west. I’ve heard that Estes is smoke free at the moment which is part of the reason we chose that direction.

On the two hour drive from home, we talked about the many trips here in the past. There were several with the kids when we went in search of wildlife which is not that hard to find there. Wildlife is part of what draws people to the state. Seeing elk on the golf course is a common sight here. We always feel blessed when we stumble across a herd while showing out of state friends and family around. Estes Park is the very essence of a Colorado mountain town.

As we get closer, it is raining a bit. That could have ruined the day but instead, it seems to just make the contrasting beauty even clearer. With the windows down a bit, the air has a crisp, fresh, scent. Making an effort to really notice these things is a big part of finding the beauty that surrounds us all.

Gateway to the Rockies

Estes is such a gorgeous place.  Since it is considered the gateway to the Rockies and so many are taking their last summer vacation before school starts, it is much busier here than we are used to.

Passing by the lake on our way into town, the rain has stopped altogether but the clouds remain. They seem to almost serve to enhance the beauty of it all.

While standing in line at our favorite burger place (Penelope’s), I ended up talking to quite a few visitors from out of state.  There was a young couple with their children visiting from Chicago.  She told me how much they want to live here.  So beautiful she said.  So much to see.  Thinking about my last visit to her neck of the woods, I told her how much I loved it there and how gorgeous Lake Michigan was!  It was obvious she was giving that some thought. I knew she had taken her home for granted just like I did.

A little later while visiting the year round Christmas store in town, I met a woman from Costa Mesa, California. She too told me how badly she wanted to move here. She said she hated the California traffic and the crowds everywhere she goes. I told her that seemed like such a small tradeoff for being able to drive to the ocean anytime she wanted. She explained that with her intense fear of water, she steers clear of the ocean at all costs. However, she went on to tell me she is coming back this winter to ski a few of her favorite black diamond runs! The mountains are her happy place as the ocean is mine. I can’t argue with that.

Although you all know how much I love to shop, I was anxious to get back outside to the beauty that surrounds us here in Estes. The Riverwalk that winds through downtown is such a highlight. Here the Big Thompson and the Fall River come together and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous!

As beautiful as it is, the rivers have caused both loss of life and millions in damages over the years. I remember several since I’ve lived in Colorado. The Big Thompson Flood in 1976 remains the state’s deadliest natural disaster. There is a great article by Jason Pohl on the Coloradoan.com site that explains the scope of this event. You can access it by clicking here if you are interested.

The area was under flood warnings just last week and people living here tend to heed every one.

The Stanley Hotel

No visit to Estes Park would be complete without a stop at the historic Stanley Hotel. Many restorations have occurred since it originally opened in 1909 but it has kept its old world charm.

Although not filmed here, the hotel was the inspiration for Stephen King’s movie “The Shining.” There are several pictures and plaques recognizing that fact throughout the hotel. I’m sure this also helped with the reputation the Stanley has for being a haunted hotel.

You can even book what is called a “Spirited Room” on the hotel’s site.

Our visit here today was to do exactly that! Let me explain. I hate scary movies! Absolutely hate them! But… our daughter has probably seen every one ever made. She is coming home for a visit in September to celebrate our birthdays together. My birthday is September 6th and hers is on the 7th. We haven’t been together on our birthdays since she moved to San Diego years ago.

We have talked about spending a night at the Stanley for a long time now and finally we decided to follow through with it. While I am not very excited about the overnight itself, I am looking forward to having her all to myself for awhile. A glass of wine and a nice long visit on the Stanley’s beautiful front porch sounds amazing!

Walking through the hotel, you’re reminded of the history at every turn. I have never stayed at the Stanley and I’m looking forward to seeing the guest rooms.

With our day coming to a close, we made one last stop at the lake to let the dogs out and stretch our legs before the drive home.

The clouds are building again so it’s time to go. I took one last look back at the Stanley and snapped this picture on our way out of town. Not the least bit spooky… right??? See you in September!

As we headed back home from our day in the mountains, I felt completely at peace. Of course it didn’t change my love of the sea or my longing to be there. But it did make me realize that all this time spent wishing I was somewhere else, kept me from seeing the beauty that surrounds us all, each and every day.

Just One More…

My sister sent me this photo. She lives in Phoenix and of course this is not her favorite time of year! In just a few more months though she will be back to loving her beautiful city with it’s beautiful weather again. But for the moment, she shared the beauty that surrounds her right now in her own back yard.

In Conclusion

“You can’t always get what you want… but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.. – _{Mick Jagger/Keith Richards}