I didn't want to leave Estes Park after my ghost tour at the Stanley. Instead, I wanted to spend a couple of nights in the hotel, preferably in the infamous Room 217, enjoying a spa treatment, some fine dining, and even a psychic reading around days spent snowshoeing in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. But, sadly, none of that was meant to be. The three of us were on a schedule, since we had dinner reservations at one of the best restaurants in Denver.

We drove t...