open to
homesteaders.

What a contrast between the elegant Locomobile car and the humble
prairie wagon, drawn by four shaggy burros, chosen because they could
endure hardships! Our friends of the wagon allowed us to take their
picture, and we parted with mutual good wishes.

We passed the Colorado State boundary marked by a very simple board
sign, and came into a new country of rocks and hills. We came through a
canyon where we found some movers encamped in a pleasant hollow by a
mountain stream. Southward we moved, passing some fine rugged buttes to
our left. We took luncheon at a pleasant farm house hotel, known as the
Little Forks Hotel. Our farmer host and hostess were very agreeable and
gave us a refreshing meal. We left them to drive on through Fort
Collins, a very pleasant town in the midst of alfalfa fields.

Just south of Fort Collins we turned to the right, drove across the
plains and entered the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon. We were en
route for the famous tract of mountain meadow, of forest and canyon,
known as Estes Park.

A long procession of motor cars was entering the park and another line
of cars kept passing us. Many people were driving up the Canyon and many
were leaving after a day spent in picnicking. For the most part the
Canyon road ran very low and close to the bed of the brawling river. It
was a most lovely road, winding and picturesque. Finally we came to the
end of the Canyon and entered the green meadows which are at the
beginning of the Park itself.

We were told that the hotels and camps were crowded, it being holiday
time, and that we would do well to stop at the simple but comfortable
ranch house located near by. We found ourselves comfortable indeed and
were content to make the ranch house a base for our driving
expeditions.

We were on the beautiful Lord Dunraven Ranch, with its rich meadows
admirably adapted for cattle grazing. Our host was the manager of the
ranch, now largely owned by Mr. Stanley, the manufacturer of the Stanley
Steamer. Farther up the valley was the beautiful Stanley Hotel.

I had thought that Estes Park was a smooth and shaven park region, not
realizing that it was a vast mountain territory, with high mountain
meadows overlooked by lofty peaks and diversified by tracts of mountain
forest. There are scores of miles of driving and horseback riding in the
Park, plenty of hotels and camps in wonderfully beautiful situations,
and glorious fishing and mount