A former Denverite here . . .

I was very fond of La Cueva, a family-run Mexican place on East Colfax in Aurora. Cool in the summer (they actually realized you need air conditioning when it's 100 degrees F. outside) and warm in winter, colorful walls, good honest food, friendly people.

Estes Park is more than fantastic. The Stanley Hotel there is a fascinating place. Built by the Stanley of the Stanley Steamer autos (or at least one of the family), it has a replica of one of the Steamers on display in the lobby.

The hotel's other claim to fame is that it was there that Stephen King and his wife stayed when he conceived his third novel, The Shining, and it became his model for the haunted hotel in the story. Nothing spooky about its appearance . . . though the second TV-movie version with Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay (vastly better than the Kubrick monstrosity) was filmed at the Stanley, where the whole thing began for King. If you've seen that movie, when you walk into the hotel, you'll get a shiver for sure.

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-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino