All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

You head north 70 miles out of Denver through winding paths of the Rocky Mountains. Once out of the mountains and into Estes Park, your eyes gaze upon what looks like a white mansion with a red roof. It is extraordinary, something out of a fairy tale, though the history of this place is no fairytale.

~*The Stanley Hotel*~

The place is the Stanley Hotel which opened its doors on June 22, 1909. Mr. Stanley, however, sold the hotel in 1926 and it would only be open intermittently during some summers. The hotel was closed during WWII.

One of the most famous reasons that the Stanley Hotel is known for is Mr. Stephen King. Though Mr. King stated that the Stanley Hotel has some inspiration for the book, the book is not based directly on the location. Mr. King did state that he did see a small child crying out for his nanny, though Mr. King and his wife were the only ones at the hotel at the time. However, he did return to the hotel in 1995 to film the mini-series of The Shining. Personally I liked the first movie better.

 ~*The book, not the movie cover*~

People claim to hear the piano playing on its own, though nothing is seen but the keys being pushed down by themselves, in the music room. Conflicting stories are told to who actually might be the one playing it, whether it be Mr. or Mrs. Stanley. However, people claim it is Mrs. Stanley for that is who Mr. Stanley gifted the piano to.

 ~*The music room with the "haunted" piano*~

You enter the hotel and go up to the front desk. You check in and the lady gives you the key to room 217. You enter the room and unpack some of your stuff that you will be using for the night. You go out to wonder the shops or to get a bite to eat and return to your room to find all your stuff is neatly packed away back in your suitcase.

Not wanting to stay in room 217 then try rooms 219 & 222 have been reported to have noises coming from them and the windows and doors open on their own.

Not wanting to stay in room 217 then try rooms 219 & 222. You lay down for a good nights rest, only you get no rest from all the windows and the door opening and closing on their own, and strange noises that occur.

You cannot escape the strange occurrences while staying at the Stanley Hotel, for every room is reported to have some kind of supernatural something going on in it. If you do happen to find a room that you can comfortably sleep in, then you will probably be woken up by the children that are often heard running and playing in the hallways, even though there are no children staying at the hotel at the time of the occurrences.

 ~*Kids running down the hall maybe? Photo from Ghost Videos*~

I did visit the Stanley Hotel for one of their ghost tours. I took pictures and video, but did not catch anything on film or sound. I did not feel any uneasiness when going through the hotel, like I usually do when spirits are present, but they may have not been present on that particular day. One day I plan on staying at the Stanley Hotel for the night, to see what or if any bumps in the night occur. It is a very elegant place and very beautiful. Even if there are no ghosts found, just going in and touring was an exceptional experience.