Just three miles from town is nearby Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). It was established in 1915 and covers 416 square miles. More than 350 miles of hiking trails traverse the park. Elevations within RMNP range from 7,500 feet to over 14,000 feet. The highest peak, Long's, reaches 14,249 at the pinnacle. But it is hardly alone; the park is home to more than 60 peaks over 12,000 feet.

RMNP is a hiker's nirvana but if you're not the athletic type you can still see much of its grandeur by car. One drive in particular should not be missed during the early fall weeks. Trail Ridge Road, open from May through mid-October, is the highest continuous road in North America. It summits at 12,183 feet, providing a birds-eye view of the surrounding peaks and canyons.

If you do want to hike but don't want to undertake anything strenuous there are also a number of easy hikes that won't tax your lungs or athletic prowess but will still offer some of the park's most stunning views. Seek out Bear Lake where you can see the reflection of Hallet Peak in the tranquil water. Sprague Lake is another good spot to photograph mountain reflections and see the state fish, the Greenback Cutthroat Trout. Nymph Lake and Dream Lake are other easy strolls highlighted by the bright colors of turning aspens framed by the stately peaks.

If you're up for a bit more challenging walk hike up to Alberta Falls beyond Bear Lake. This 25-foot cascade is one of the more popular waterfalls in the park. Although roughly a mile to the falls the trail head is at 9,240 feet so can be taxing for those unused to the high elevation. But if you're healthy and have adjusted to the high altitude, it's worth the easy climb.

Finally, be sure to seek out the elk. Fall is elk rut (mating) season. You will likely see them in the park's meadows, lolling in high grasses, but one of the better places to watch them is on the Estes Park golf course in the center of town at the end of the day. Not the most romantic way to view the elk but they like it on the cool, tidy grass and you can get close enough to take a few good photos. Just don't get too close or a male bull will likely challenge your presence so close to his herd of females.

Listen for "bugling", the male's call of the mating ritual. It's quite common to hear and see elk about town but especially on the golf course. From mid-September through the end of October the large antlered bulls bugle and show off their prowess as they compete for the attention of the females and gather them into groups known as harems. It's not unusual to see a 1,100 pound bull with up to 50 females.

However you choose to spend your time in the Rocky Mountains, you undoubtedly will find yourself in awe of the mountains, flora and wildlife before you. And you will not be alone. These mountains have impressed, inspired and marveled humanity since the dawn of civilization.

The dreams were slightly quashed when a day or two before we were to leave Weather.com said that six out of seven days would be rain. We were disappointed and made the usual statements of “It will be good to get away no matter what the weather.” We figured there was a lot to see otherwise such as Ben and Jerry's Ice Crème and a possible trip to Montreal.

We arrived in the dark and expected it to be raining the next morning. It was cloudy but so very calm. It had rained in the night and fog covered the ground like a fluffy comforter. So, I sat on our deck and watched the day wake up. There are traffic sounds periodically and a bright red tree nearby. The air is clean and fresh.

Then it happens. The fog starts to move away. As it pulls back, first a multicolored valley appears. There are the muted dark reds that are almost rust and softer reds that are about two steps darker from being a pink. Gold and yellow leaves are dispersed in the mixture as well. All these leaves are surrounded by the usual green which serves as the perfect backdrop to highlight the others.

The best is the bright red. Think of the bright red lipstick that one periodically sees and then go a step or two brighter. It is unbelievable. It just glows out there. All this glorious color is revealed as the fog rolls back. Just as one spot is seen and enjoyed, the fog reveals more and more of the same.

As a lover of movies, I think of one of the final scenes of “National Treasure.” “They reach the treasure room and are unbelievably amazed as they find historical items that are priceless. Our hero then ignites a channel of oil that lights up the true extent of the treasure as the expanse of the room filled with the treasure become apparent.

So my first day in Vermont in late September is fantastic. We are so glad we were able to see this and recommend the trip to others. It is not cheap to spend a week here and the weather can be disappointing. However, the opportunity to see so many hills, valleys and streams lined with bright natural colors is well worth it.

This is a leftover product of quaternary glacier which has a record of 3 million years. It is found in Chongqing, China.

This is a rare and extraordinary view of a rainbow after rain.

This is Qiaogeli Peak, situated in the northern part of Pakistan. It is regarded as the world's second highest peak. The Western climbers refer it as K2 Peak while Chinese authorities officially refer it as Qogir or Qiaogeli Feng.

This is a rare scene of a water tornado occuring in the city of Kunshan in a province of Jiangsu, China.

This is a rare sandstorm that swept through the sky of a city in Jiayuguan in Gansu Province, China.

This "strange hoop of barley field" was discovered in the southern region of Russia. It is regarded as a new discovery by the local people there.|

The photo shows a volcanic eruption that took place in the Eastern part of Java Province in Indonesia. This Buluomo Volcano spews high temperature ashes, dust, and smoke as high as 3,000m.

This is Kilauea Volcano, the world's most active volcano, situated in the island of Hawaii, which lies against the southeast flank of much larger Mauna Lao Volcano in the United States. Its eruption is always accompanied with extremely hot steam plume and lava. The hot lava flows in the lava tube and may flow to cover a local road.

This is a splendid look at a meteor and its aurora. The meteor is a meteoroid that falls to the Earth in a fiery tail which is a bright glow observed over the night sky.

This is a combination scene of comets and aurora over the sky of Alaska. The comet is a mixture of dust and frozen gases that is usually dark and in a solid body that sweeps across the space. The comets appear star-like and they look like tiny balls to our naked eyes in this picture.

This is a faint, but sporadic, atmospheric phenomenon seen in the night sky from locations at high latitudes. This aurora may develop into steady greenish arcs, swirling curtains of yellow green light.

This is an incredible lenticular cloud formation on the top of this mountain. It has the shape of a mushroom.

This is a near-death star which is surrounded by a nebulae resembling a ladder.

This is the world's tallest waterfall called Angel Falls. It is also known as Qiulumeilu Falls. It is located in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivia State, Venezuela in the Canaima National Park. Its total height is at 979m (3,212 ft) with a height of the longest drop of 807m (2,648 ft).

This is Iguazu Falls which is one of the top attractions to visit in South America. It is located on the border of Argentina and in Brazil that is 23km upstream of the converging point of Iguazu River and Parana River respectively. Iguazu Falls has the shape of a horseshoe and is 82m in height, and 4m in width. Its width is four times wider than the Niagara Falls in North America, and is slightly wider than Africa's Victoria Falls.

This is the Aconcagua volcano which is situated in Argentina. It is an extinct and inactive volcano and also the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere with its elevation of 6.959m.

This is a rare look at double rainbows that appeared over the sky of Lhasa, a traditional capital of Tibet, China.

These are a series of spectacular lightning occurrences!

This is an amazing scene that shows a thousand birds flying over the sky of the National Parks of Costa Rica during the evening hours. The sun gradually sinks beneath the earth.

This photo shows how a black hole devouring a star in the universe.

This is an icy scene near the mouth of Huang He River, China.