It is Elk Fest time.  I, Zeb the Duck, and Soapy Smith Duck with our moms and Soapy’s dog Steve, went to Estes Park, Colorado.

Elk Fest is a great time in Estes Park.  The elk often come right into town.  It is also mating season for elk, so sometimes we hear elk bugling.   Estes Park has a couple entrances to Rocky Mountain National Park, so the setting is gorgeous and the wildlife plentiful.

Estes Park is also home to the Stanley Hotel, featured in the movie The Shining.

The hotel is very nice, but why so many cars here today?

Now we know.  The elk herd is lounging and grazing at the grounds of the Stanley.  This one huge bull elk guards the many cows, or girl elk.

As you can see, Colorado Division of Wildlife has tagged some of the elk.

We loved seeing so many elk in town today.

During Elk Fest there are booths and entertainment.   These Indians were entertaining today.

This is a sample of beadwork for sale.

We expected to see elk and other animals, but this…

We spotted the remains of a stone building on a hill, but this was at the beginning of the trail.

With Steve on a leash, 2 ducks and 2 humans started up the mountain trail.

The ruins were nice to see.

The hike was fun.

Several other humans and dogs were visiting the area also.   Heading back to the car to leave, Steve stops to look at the river.

Even though Elk Fest was last weekend, the elk still come into Estes Park and many shops are open.  If you can, visit Estes Park soon.  The elk will probably be in town and the scenery is spectacular.