Exploring the Eccentric: Colorado's Weirdest Vacation Adventures

You’re not just looking for a vacation; you crave an odyssey through the bizarre and beautiful. Welcome to Colorado, where rugged mountains meet freewheeling spirits, and every corner whispers tales of wild adventures. Pack your bags with open minds and let’s venture into the eccentric heart of this Rocky Mountain state.

1. The Haunted Stanley Hotel Estes Park (333 Wonderview Ave., Estes Park, CO 80517)

Start your journey at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park—a place that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining. As Hunter S. Thompson might say, "This is bat country!" Built in 1909 by Freelan Oscar Stanley of Stanley Steamer fame, its eerie halls are said to be haunted by phantom piano music and ghostly children laughing in Room 217—the room that spooked King himself.

But don't just stick around for the ghosts. Step outside to hike or snowshoe amid some seriously jaw-dropping vistas in Rocky Mountain National Park nearby—high-altitude scenery so sublime it makes Kerouac sound like he had bad eyesight.

2. Bishop Castle Rye (12705 CO-165, Rye, CO 81069)

Next up is Bishop Castle near Rye—a living testament to mad ambition and individual creativity mixed with a dash of Don Quixote-style grandeur. Jim Bishop has been building his stone-and-steel fortress single-handedly since 1969—a perfect metaphor for those windmill-tilting moments we all face when battling our own dragons.

Climb spiral staircases leading nowhere but satisfaction as you marvel at wrought iron bridges suspended high over nothingness—talk about an existential leap! And if you're lucky enough to run into Jim himself? Well then pilgrim—you’ve found yourself a modern-day Merlin who’ll spin theories on freedom that'll make even Ginsberg nod from beyond the grave.

3. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve Mosca (11999 State Highway 150 N., Mosca, CO 81146)

Imagine Kerouac writing haikus about towering hills made entirely outta sand right smack dab next-door to snowy peaks—it sounds absurd until you find yourself standing atop one such dune at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve near Mosca.

These shifting giants can rise up more than seven hundred feet against eternally blue skies—making them both surreal landmarks worth visiting—and ideal settings should life ever require impromptu Lawrence-of-Arabia-inspired photo shoots under blazing sunsets which practically paint themselves onto your retinae without any filter necessary because Mother Nature hates Instagram anyway...

Slide down slopes covered only by grains older than time itself before wading through Medano Creek whose cool waters act like nature's salve after scrambling across scorching silicate surfaces mirroring Sahara dreams within stateside borders alone!

4 .Strawberry Parks Hot Springs - Steamboat Springs (44200 County Road #36 ,Steamboat Springs ,CO80487 )

When cold air bites too deep beneath star-studded nights while skiing down endless powder-laden trails above charming Victorian-era towns below bustling apres-ski taverns echoing laughter louder still inside Strawberry Parks Hot Spring pools found nestled away amidst thick pine forest groves northward bound past downtown historic district proper towards unpaved wilderness lanes winding back uphill again till steaming earthly cauldrons await eager pilgrims wishing submerge selves wholly beneath bubbling geothermal sanctuaries .

Rejuvenate sore limbs whilst soaking naked amongst strangers turned friends via shared experiences therein immersed warmly unto ancient healing springs bestowing peace calm tranquility unmatched anywhere else upon globe today forevermore always thereby forging memories lasting lifetimes long remembered fondly forever etched deeply soul cores anew...

So there it is dear reader: A zigzagging romp across weird wonderful corners hidden throughout majestic mighty land called Colorado’, daring travelers seeking something uniquely unusual unforgettable indeed wherever paths ultimately lead onward forth henceforth enjoyably rediscovering true essence alive adventure awaits endlessly herein ...

Websites:

1) The Stanley Hotel: [www.stanleyhotel.com](http://www.stanleyhotel.com)

2) Bishop Castle: [www.bishopcastle.org](http://www.bishopcastle.org)

3) Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve: [www.nps.gov/grsa](http://www.nps.gov/grsa)

4) Strawberry Parks Hot Springs:[ www.strawberryhotsprings.com ](https://strawberryhotsprings.com/)

Twitter handles:

1) @StanleyHotel

2) @BishopCastleCo

3) @GreatDunesNPS

4 )@StrawberryHS