Last week I mentioned that we drove from our home to Grand Lake over Trail Ridge Road a couple of weeks ago. We hadn't been to Grand Lake for many years, so I was surprised when we came off the mountain and found a small, but thriving tourist destination.
Grand Lake (elevation 8437 feet) derives its name from the lake on whose shores it is situated: Grand Lake, which is the largest natural body of water in Colorado. It is the western gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park which surrounds the lake and town on three sides. Its main thoroughfare (Grand Avenue) is just a few blocks long, but it is filled with tourist shops and eating establishments. The rustic architecture, hitching posts and historic boardwalk on Grand Avenue gives the town a "wild west" atmosphere.
It was well past noon when we entered the town so our first order of business was finding something to eat. Although there are a number of restaurants in town, we didn't see any that looked particularly impressive. If you've been to Grand Lake and have a favorite restaurant, please comment below. We finally chose to eat at Sagebrush BBQ and Grill...
I had a fresh catfish sandwich and my husband ordered an elk burger.
It was enjoyable having something a little out of the ordinary, but it wasn't particularly impressive. After lunch we strolled up and down Grand Avenue and took in some of the shops. One that I particularly liked was Grand Moutain Trading Company...
They had an impressive array of beautiful clothing, shoes and western boots for adults. They also catered to the younger crowd, and we decided that someday we'll take our grandchildren in this store and buy them each a pair of authentic cowboy boots. They came in all sizes and colors for our little cow pokes. I know a few little boys that might like a holster and a "Billy the Kid" gun too...
The second store I liked was called...
It was literally filled with rubber duckies of all shapes, sizes, and vocations...
After browsing the shops we walked one block west to the lake. It was warm that day and the little beach was crowded. There is plenty to do at the lake -- fishing, kayaking, paddle or row boats, swimming and people and wave watching to name a few...
