Eldora - Northern Light - ¡Delicia de verano e invierno!

We had a wonderful 10 days at Northern Light. It was a perfect mountain home for our family to gather. The wood fires in the evening were perfect for the family to surround and play games, cards, read and talk.

The front deck was the preferred day time and star gazing place. The bbq was perfect.

The home was well stocked, even the kitchen.

The steam showers in the master suite was wonderful!

The house is located close to epic hikes!

Michael was so helpful and accommodating with our last minute booking.

Make sure your car is 4x4 and the drivers are capable. It’s a tricky one!

Driveway is tricky, but home/area worth the trip!

For our four night stay we had 4 adults and 2 teenagers. There are 3 bedrooms- the master suite upstairs with a queen bed and 2 full size beds on the main floor. There is another claw foot tub in the bathroom on the main floor where the washer/dryer is but there are no window treatments in that bathroom nor the upstairs bathroom. The steam shower and whirlpool tub were upstairs in the master and the other 2 bedrooms were down. The steam shower is amazing. AHH-MA-ZING. There was a fold out couch upstairs in the office area and a futon in the downstairs living area and a fold out couch on the sun deck. Both teens opted to be in the room upstairs and share that sofa bed. There is a major disconnect between the upstairs as it was a newer more modern add-on and the downstairs is a little older- (excluding the kitchen that has everything you would need to make meals). In order to use the steam shower you have to use the master so there is not much privacy when you have to use someone else’s bedroom for showering. We did stop at Trader Joe’s in Boulder and bought groceries. The kitchen is pretty well stocked with leftover items from other guests. Coffee, Tea, Sugar, spices, etc. We did buy because we didn’t know what would be there but wish we didn’t… unless you have issues with using leftover items. They also had laundry detergent fully stocked there so no need to buy that either. There is a grocery store and co-op in Nederland you can use though. Go to the co-op for fresh veggies as the supermarket is extremely expensive.The driveway was tricky and we are from Iowa and can handle tricky. You for sure need a 4 wheel drive to make it easier- summer or winter. My suggestion after a few trials was to pull into the lower parking area and back up into the upper parking area but hug the bush a bit while doing so. Backing out of that driveway is not ideal even with a backup camera.The teepee was not up nor was the water fountain in the backyard which was disappointing. We did make a fire one night in the chimnea patio area and it was pretty cool. Its rugged terrain so bring your tennis shoes even if you don’t intend on hiking much. Try the pork green chili at the Wild Mountain Smokehouse. The coffee in the old train car was amazing and the boys liked the Donuts. The “Carousel of Happiness” was a lot of fun for all ages. All in All it was a great experience with memories made!

We spent 5 days at the Eldora Northern Lights home and truly loved it. First of all, just being in Eldora is a wonderful getaway and this is perched on a hill high above Eldora. Still you can hear Boulder Creek just a few blocks away. It's spacious and warm with lots of room for our kids to play. It is an older home with a relatively new 2nd floor addition which is finished quite nicely. We truly enjoyed our stay.

There is plenty of hiking and nature exploring to do in the area. The Hessie Trailhead is about a mile away and the 4th of July Campground and trailhead are about 5 miles away. Clean, fresh and quiet with lots of fresh air. Also about an hour to Estes Park (Rocky Mountain National Park) to the North and about an hour to Blackhawk to the south.

Great location and great house.

Our children accompanied us on celebrating our 50th Anniversary. In fact it was their gift to us---a Colorado vacation. This home was roomy enough for the ten of us. Had we not stayed in Eldora, 10 minutes from Nederland, we probably would not have discovered this area, featuring beautiful hiking trails, friendly residents, and colorful history.

Brainard Lake in close by Roosevelt National Forest provided easy walking trails, fishing, and a chance to see Moose and other wildlife up close. The 4th of July Road, west of Eldora, opened up some of the most beautiful trails imaginable for those in good physical condition. While my husand and I and the young grandchildren visited the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, our adult children and oldest grandson, hiked to the top of the Continental Divide early one morning. On their short drive to the trail head, they saw a cow and calf (Moose) grazing in the meadow. Once on the mountain, they saw Elk, and a plentitude of wild mountain flowers and breathtaking views of valleys below.

Our family felt like we blended into the culture rather than being mere tourists as this home is tucked away in the remnants of an old mining town, only a few hours from Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder, and Idaho Springs. Eldora has no commercial venues, so there is little traffic, just cars (which you really can't see or hear) down below travelling to the trail heads. Eldora is very quaint, complete with residential log cabins and residences tucked amongst the trees, near the stream, and along the hillsides. We saw few people, a cute little fox sunning on a rock nearby, humming birds, noisy magpies and adorable chipmunks and squirrels. While we did not encounter any bears, we took precautions as they have been seen on occasion, according to others.

Internet connection was great but cell phone reception not so good. Once in Nederland, however, good phone service was available. The only improvement needed, would be two regular showers, as the tub and hand-held shower head weren't used much. When we visited, there was air in the water line which caused an occasional surprise of being sprayed by cold water when least expecting it. No other suggestions needed.

Thank you for opening up this adorable and comfortable home. Our family had a great vacation stay and would certainly recommend it to others.