Full at http://blog.cheapmotelsandahotplate.org/2011/06/28/the-twin-sisters-hike/ We first visited Estes Park, Colorado in June 2004. We stayed at the Discovery Lodge motel, which offered a pleasant setting at a reasoable price. The town is nestled in a “park” surrounded by the Rocky Mountains, under the majestic gaze of Long’s Peak, at 14, 259 feet, the highest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is a hiker’s paradise, with trails close to town, in every direction. We hiked like maniacs for seven days, vowing to return soon. We did, the next year, when we stayed for a month, again at the Discovery Lodge. We met so many nice people that we decided to look for a one-year rental. We found a small furnished cottage about two miles east of Estes Park, alongside the Big Thompson River, and we took up residence in September 2005. It was a great year. I wrote, and Karen edited, Cheap Motels and a Hot Plate in that cottage during the spring and summer. I still miss living there.D