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A dreary, cloudy, misty day like today seemed the perfect backdrop for @geke and me to make a trip up to Estes Park to visit the Stanley Hotel, a century-old resort in the Rocky Mountains made famous in the movie The Shining. It opened in 1909 and reportedly has several rooms that are haunted. The hotel in the movie looked nothing like the real one, but it was while staying here that Stephen King came up with the story. https://i.imgsafe.org/6c/6cd61cbb2d.jpeg

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We thought this would be a great place for two Steemians to visit, as the hotel's founder, Lord Stanley, was the inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, which was powered by steam! I have some history with this place. I've performed here in a few murder mysteries. Below are a few pics with the cast, and posing with the infamous axed-out door.

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_____________________________________________ https://i.imgsafe.org/6d/6d8d8168dd.jpeg When we arrived today, @geke and I approached the front desk where all the room keys hang. The key for Room 217 hangs the wrong way round and when we walked up, the key was wiggling! https://i.imgsafe.org/6c/6ccb9bd0a6.jpeg The old wooden floors of the hotel's main lobby creaked with age and a cozy fire crackled next to the billiard and music rooms. https://i.imgsafe.org/6d/6d0065b647.jpeg The 1909 Otis Elevator didn't look like the bank used in the movie and there was no sign of blood anywhere! https://i.imgsafe.org/6c/6cf5b129ca.jpeg https://i.imgsafe.org/6d/6d06d2a138.jpeg

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Seven rooms are said to be haunted, some even by ghost children, but Room 217 is the most well-known. According to their official Haunted Rooms pamphlet: "Many housekeeping events happen in this room. Guests have reported returning to their room after dropping off their bags, and finding their luggage has been unpacked for them. Other guests have also reported their shoes being lined up, neatly, on the end of the bed. Shadows have also been reported passing through walls, as this room was once part of a much larger suite until the mid-2000s." This door isn't to Room 217 (we weren't allowed up there), but it looked somewhat spooky and we wondered what was behind it!

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____________________________________ In the hotel gift shop we found some cute (well, maybe not cute) mugs that made us think of @kubbyelizabeth!

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_______________________________________ Outside we saw a miniature version of the hedge maze. At the end of our visit we toasted Lord Stanley and his Stanley Steamer. Steem on Steemians! http://geke.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Jimmie-Main-Sig.001.jpeg