![\"Sprague](\"https:\/\/photos.smugmug.com\/Landscapes\/Landscapes\/i-HcPGkmJ\/0\/M\/2017-07-18%20Sprague%20Lake%20Sunset%20-%20Rocky%20Mountain%20National%20Park%20-%202-M.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI have been neglecting this blog with new content for a variety of reasons. Often times, life and family take precedence and so it has been. Needless to say, I do feel somewhat compelled to post a short piece on a recent trip my wife Tammy and I took to Rocky Mountain National Park about 3 weeks ago. This will be a brief review of Rocky Mountain National Park, basically outlining the good and the bad of the park. <\/p>\n
Tammy and I have fallen in love with our National Parks. We are not one for convential vacations (what is a conventional vacation?) and have found a passion we both enjoy. Included in this is our active lifestyle of hiking, climbing mountains, adventure and new experiences. It is our mission to visit all of our Nations National Parks in our lifetime. Not just visit, but truly immerse ourselves into them. It would be easy to tour the American west on a 2 week road trip and hit 75% or our parks. However, would you really have SEEN our parks? We intend each vacation to be a park. Camping, hiking and experiencing our parks. One problem is that we often fall in love with a specific park. Such was\/is our experience with Big Bend National Park necessitating 4 week long visits in 4 years. I still want to go back even after committing to our last trip being the last. Never the less, this was intended as a short piece on Rocky Mountain National Park. The good and the bad.<\/p>\n
GOOD:
\nBreathtaking beauty
\nStunning vistas
\nMountains, mountains, mountains!
\nWildlife abundance
\nVaried terrain (woodlands, tundra, streams, meadows, glaciers)<\/p>\n
BAD:
\nPeople
\nMore people
\nToo many people<\/p>\n
If it wasn’t for the good, the bad would have outweighed the park for us. It was flogged. I mean FLOGGED with people! Yes, it was summer, yes, it is our 2nd most visited national park (and for good reason) however exploring nature becomes difficult when you feel like your in Times Square except for buildings and streets you have trees and meadows. Ridiculous! My recommendation for anyone is to go off season or to go backcountry, far back country backpacking to get away from the crowds. Forget about the campsites, they are packed and booked way in advance. However, I must say, the beauty was amazing. Overall a positive experience. I am still working on images, slowly but surely from this trip but I will post a few to give you an example of the good.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"Elk](\"https:\/\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-Kcp93vj\/0\/S\/i-Kcp93vj-S.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Rocky](\"https:\/\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-tTHBZnZ\/0\/S\/i-tTHBZnZ-S.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Rocky](\"https:\/\/photos.smugmug.com\/photos\/i-nTnCjqQ\/0\/S\/i-nTnCjqQ-S.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"