Following the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915,
promotional campaigns generated by the railroads lured wealthy travelers
to the park with images of the great outdoors and the many luxuries
offered by the finest hotels. Postcards were circulated proclaiming the
park as the Playground of the World. The gateway communities of Estes
Park and Grand Lake became vibrant hospitality centers, and in 1920,
when the two towns were connected with the opening of Fall River Road, a
new era of tourism was introduced that continues today. More than 200
postcards are used in this book to provide a chronology of the early
hotels, ranches, and other settings that have shaped the park's history
for more than a century.